CWAL

While I've never personally tried, I have some cashiers at a grocery store that carries the same $200s that would *likely* be okay with it if I asked the right way.

I've never noticed any significant depletion of their sub 500 offerings, and pretty soon the cards will pass their expiration date and be unsellable anyways. If you put it that way, explaining the deal at the other store and their lack of stock, with a cashier/manager who understands you buy these things for cashback (due to a longstanding patronage of their store), while you have a nice full cart of groceries, I believe there is a decent chance they will give you at least implied permission "Well, I certainly wouldn't do anything about it if a few of them left the store".

Mamibear

I don't think cashiers have the authority to give permission, the store managers are the ones who should be approached regarding this issue. There is no right way/wrong way, the request is already questionable to begin with and UNLESS the one asking is personally known by the manager (friend/family), those are the only instances I'd think managers will agree.

Bottomline remains, anyone shouldn't get the idea that it's alright to ask cashiers to take out VGCs from one store to activate them at stores where there are offers.

skitch23

This is just as bad as a few years ago when people would take VR's home from CVS and then bring them back to have them activated. It messes with the stores inventory records and they don't know that they need to order more because it looks like they have several left on the shelf. Karma will catch up to these folks eventually.

Flyby01

That's true. But I prefer loading with cashiers when they are available as they are quicker. The first day of each month is when they are out in full force. Between the garden center (now Christmas), tools, electronics, front line and main cashier manning the self-checkout machines, there are no shortage of cashiers in the WMs I go to.

tcook052

Removal of unactivated MS cards from a store is theft and as such is contrary to FT Rules as noted here so let's move off this topic and return to the thread topic.

Regards,

tcook052
MS forum moderator

briang191

The promotion is now over. Waiting patiently for the month to start so I can load via serve. Anyone venture to guess when this promotion will reappear? I'd guess first quarter 2016. Christmas seems unlikely.

12three

just curious, did anyone confirm it is over? i remember one time this promo was unadvertised except for the in-store signage, the sign said it ended one saturday but there was a new sign at some locations the very next sunday with a new expiration for the next saturday... none of it was in the ad.

littlewinglet

I checked one of my stores today and the sign was gone, and also no trace of any useful denominations of VGC or MGC, so couldn't test if it still worked.

NikSem

Forgive me if this has been discussed already. During the latest promotion I purchased six $200 MC from OM. Now it turns out that someone used them to buy stuff at places like Lowes, Ulta, Pajama Gram Company even before I opened them. I am not sure if it's fraud because a fraudster would have cleaned them out completely, but in this case the total charges were about $650. I am faxing the corresponding paperwork to the card issuer (OM said they have nothing to do with it and cannot help). Has anyone had a similar problem?

briang191

I've read this on FT and someone I know had this happen. It's unfortunate but it's part of the risk when MSing. I always try to activate and change the pins immediately after purchasing GIft cards. I guess if the theif has the numbers to card it might not matter. (Does anyone know the answer?)

You'll get replacement gift cards it will just take time.

DARWINISM

Stay far away from USBANK MGC/VGC. If you look at the card numbers, you'll understand why. Changing pin won't help.

Happy

changing PIN only prevent the card be used like debit. Used it as credit card does not require PIN at all. The only defense is to dispose the cards ASAP. Even that, one could still be victim of brute force or whatever mechanism the fraudsters use - all they need is to wait till the card is activated, then they strike.

12three

i didnt have this problem with this type of card, i actually thought these were much safer. i had the problem mentioned with a paypay mycash card. check your credit card info for 'purchase protection', 'purchase assurance', or something of the sort which protects against theft. i had it on the card i sued to buy the paypal mycash but they <mastercard> denied that said protections were on the card in question... also file a dispute with the credit card company. that is actually what worked for me. they put the money right back on my card and have yet to reverse it back or communicate in any way.


is the other poster above suggesting the credit card numbers are sequential?
unfortunately with liquidation methods getting slower/more scarce the inability to use these cards is getting harder and harder and opening the door to problems like this

michael_v

Congrats for likely making your store go cash only for those cards (and possibly others) in the future.

PaulMSN

You have no way of knowing this to be true.

It appears people have now gone to pre-blaming for any lost opportunities. Pretty silly.