mickeyhereicome
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2012
I originally posted my story/issue on the Gift card thread, but I thought this might deserve its own.
I purchased $1000+ electronic Target cards for Cardpool on Feb.23 and these were emailed to me the same day. I checked them all on my Target app to make sure they were loaded. I used one $50 card to make a purchase off Target.com.
On Feb 29, I went to use the rest, but they all had a zero balance except one. When I looked up all the codes, they had all been spent in a Target store in Virginia, I live in MA.
I naturally assumed Cardpool had something to do with it. Either the original owner used them or resold them, somehow Cardpool resold them. I wasn't sure, but that is where I started. I emailed their customer service email address, I tried calling the 800 number I found online. I received an email response the next day asking for me info. I sent my follow up email and never got a reply. I sent a few more emails, no reply. On March 4 I filled out a BBB complaint, after reading some of the complaints I felt this might help. Cardpool had until March 21 to respond. Yesterday the finally sent me an email.
First they stated they couldn't refund me because the cards were used while in my possession. When I said I didn't use them and live in a different state and suggested that the original owner might have used them. They replied with an apology that this happened and that all the card were used on the same day at the same location, in my possession. I replied again asking about their terms of use and what protects the buyer. This is when they finally mentioned (should have lead with this in my opinion) that all the cards were acquired from different people.
So now I got really confused and conspiracy like. So many thoughts, did someone hack my email? Did someone hack their email? Could an employee of cardpool have taken the email? Does it have something to do with my target account? Like I said, all over the place. I don't feel it has to do with my email, that means someone knows enough to watch me and find my email of codes within my email, not possible.
However, here is the very interesting part. If you google "my electronic target gift cards were stolen", there are a ton of complaints. One woman even said she does the churning of target to Disney cards. She had a physical target gift card that she purchased from target just to add her discounted electronic ones to that main card. That main card was on her target.com account and somehow it was stolen and used in a different state. She fought target and they sided in her favor.
I called target and they opening an investigation. This all happened last night. The gift card specialist returned my call but said because I do not have a receipt and purchased the cards from cardpool, they have no responsibility. They also, mentioned that they do not see the cards linked to my account. I am filing an investigation with my local PD, but my cop friend told me it will likely fall on deaf ears, especially because they were used in a different state.
So if you take anything away, read up on the people who say their target electronic cards were stolen out of their target account. I was shocked. They mention that target doesn't have very good security on them. Read up! For me, even with this loss, I am still ahead on my saving (my way to not be completely depressed about it), but I will not be doing the gift cards anymore! To much of a risk, to much fraud. I used to think it was only a risk with buying from the discount sites and having to use them ASAP, now I am not even sure about targets cards! If you happen to know anything I didn't think of to get my money back, please let me know!
I purchased $1000+ electronic Target cards for Cardpool on Feb.23 and these were emailed to me the same day. I checked them all on my Target app to make sure they were loaded. I used one $50 card to make a purchase off Target.com.
On Feb 29, I went to use the rest, but they all had a zero balance except one. When I looked up all the codes, they had all been spent in a Target store in Virginia, I live in MA.
I naturally assumed Cardpool had something to do with it. Either the original owner used them or resold them, somehow Cardpool resold them. I wasn't sure, but that is where I started. I emailed their customer service email address, I tried calling the 800 number I found online. I received an email response the next day asking for me info. I sent my follow up email and never got a reply. I sent a few more emails, no reply. On March 4 I filled out a BBB complaint, after reading some of the complaints I felt this might help. Cardpool had until March 21 to respond. Yesterday the finally sent me an email.
First they stated they couldn't refund me because the cards were used while in my possession. When I said I didn't use them and live in a different state and suggested that the original owner might have used them. They replied with an apology that this happened and that all the card were used on the same day at the same location, in my possession. I replied again asking about their terms of use and what protects the buyer. This is when they finally mentioned (should have lead with this in my opinion) that all the cards were acquired from different people.
So now I got really confused and conspiracy like. So many thoughts, did someone hack my email? Did someone hack their email? Could an employee of cardpool have taken the email? Does it have something to do with my target account? Like I said, all over the place. I don't feel it has to do with my email, that means someone knows enough to watch me and find my email of codes within my email, not possible.
However, here is the very interesting part. If you google "my electronic target gift cards were stolen", there are a ton of complaints. One woman even said she does the churning of target to Disney cards. She had a physical target gift card that she purchased from target just to add her discounted electronic ones to that main card. That main card was on her target.com account and somehow it was stolen and used in a different state. She fought target and they sided in her favor.
I called target and they opening an investigation. This all happened last night. The gift card specialist returned my call but said because I do not have a receipt and purchased the cards from cardpool, they have no responsibility. They also, mentioned that they do not see the cards linked to my account. I am filing an investigation with my local PD, but my cop friend told me it will likely fall on deaf ears, especially because they were used in a different state.
So if you take anything away, read up on the people who say their target electronic cards were stolen out of their target account. I was shocked. They mention that target doesn't have very good security on them. Read up! For me, even with this loss, I am still ahead on my saving (my way to not be completely depressed about it), but I will not be doing the gift cards anymore! To much of a risk, to much fraud. I used to think it was only a risk with buying from the discount sites and having to use them ASAP, now I am not even sure about targets cards! If you happen to know anything I didn't think of to get my money back, please let me know!