breauxdle

does anyone know if the company that refills the GC kiosks have any sort of schedule?

NoonRadar

Thanks, had looked up the thread and saw you had mentioned that and tried to do the same, no go. Called the nr on the back of the card (overseas Blackhawk Network cust service) and they insists the card was never activated and that the store should activate it etc, just reading a script basically. Tried to have them see if the card was maybe auto-frozen due to several attempts at diff store and online places to purchase, they won't budge off script, was never activated, we don't see it was activated.

If ME cards are supposed to be auto-activated upon purchase like the rest of that family's cards, I'm guessing chances of it not having been auto-activated are very low. I guess I'll dig out the receipt and go to the store though I would have preferred not to do that. Standing out like the guy that buys many VGCs at OD/OM, didn't want to add to that the headache of a store manager trying to deal with this.

Trying to look up US-based Blackhwak customer support leads to a blackhole phone nr 925-226-9990 that loops around at 'press 0 for receptionist we are very busy', they have an email address, [email protected]. Has anyone in a similar issue tried to contact them? I'd rather they send me a $200 replacement or a check than going to OD/OM.

There's one report of a check refund but I'm guessing they had called the nr on the back of the card, sent a PM to try to find out.

BigDawgFT

Thought max load on Movies and Fuel is $100. If so, it likely did not activate because load amount exceeded load capacity.

NoonRadar

That'd explain it! Thanks.

Never bought them before, so didn't know about it, there's no denomination on the card, don't remember the packaging, but doing this on autopilot at this point in and out of the stores it wouldn't surprise me if the packaging had a denomination notation on it and I totally missed it. I'm curious how come there was no error or flag on the cashier's end. Either way, it seems like I'll need to find the receipt and visit the store if indeed there was a $200 Ink charge that went through & wasn't auto-refunded.

Edit: Did verify this later on with the receipt and Ink transactions online, did process $200, per card package they are indeed supposed to be $100 only, somehow the $200 charge did process though, no auto-refund, will stop by the store to take care of this. FYI, the entire card id number (nr on the back side of the card starting with 603) shows on receipt, so this is helpful for such cases.

DeaconY

Yes

Happy

Your Movie card does NOT have any money in it if you are loading $200 - the OD system will attempt to load and your receipt will show it is activated but it is NOT.

BlackHawk could not give you the replacement card because they did not receive any money - the card is not activated, the store has your money.

Your ONLY option is to go back to the OD, talk to the store manager - he would need to contact his help desk which will give him the solution.

I am telling you this from personal experience when I did not catch Movie cards were mixed in the Dining cards. Cashier flipped everything over to scan. The moment she handed me the cards after the transaction I knew I had a problem.

Long story short, the store manager owned up the problem. The store manager agreed OD has the money which he could see it from the store's daily cash receipt reports. The remaining thing is how to keep the customer whole. I suggested a few solutions to him. I also insisted him to keep a copy of the 0 balance cards, as well as the receipt, with my name and phone number on it for easy reference. At first he felt he did not need a copy of the cards (front and back) but at the end the dept handled this thing needed it as I expected.

He had to contact Corporate which directed him the proper dept to handle this. It took 2 weeks time to get it resolved - replacement of 4 5B cards, together with the receipt shown being bought with cash (the cash on OD's book from my initial CC payment). I did need to call a few times to follow up the progress. But it was resolved rather painlessly other than the follow up calls.

Happy

Yes, there is the $20 to $100 shown on the front of the package of the card. You just need to pay attention.

OD system would let the transaction go thru. See my above post.

Go back to the store, ask to see the store manager. Explain it to him, and have him call the Check Balance line / talk to the BlackHawk rep - to show him there is 0-amount on the cards. OD either refund your Ink Card or give you replacement card. For the SNAFU last year, my OD opted for replacement card so I got to keep the instant rebate which was much higher than now.

Again, you can only get this resolved via OD, not BlackHawk.

Finally NOT all Everywhere cards are "liquidatable", if there is such a word.

nwflyboy

So, some good, useful (hard-earned) info here. And lessons to be learned. Among those I'd suggest:

1. DON'T be "on autopilot" with this stuff. These are the equivalent of $200 bills" (or "$500 bills"). If you are sloppy and loose, not paying attention, not good at small details....it's going to come back and bite you. The more you do of this, the more likely it will catch up with you. If you get lazy and careless...

2. This game has risks. This is just one of them. If you get lazy/sloppy/careless/clueless, and it comes back on you, you better be ready to have that money tied up for weeks or months - because it will be.

I think having something eventually go sideways is inevitable for anyone who plays this game. Plan for that. I had a $500 card in limbo for 6 months once, and I had done everything right (except I had the misfortune of picking a cashier who was clueless). I got my money back eventually, but it took a while, lots of effort, and it burned a store permanently (even though I was nice, reasonable, patient, and had a perfect paper trail/statements voluntarily given by the cashier and supervisors).

Being "on autopilot" with a fistful of GCs is not a good way to go through life.

Sam2014

I have exactly the same problem. I bought a movie card (20-100) for $200 without looking. The number on the back of the card (blackhawk network) said the card was not activated. They are unable to provide a replacement because no money in the card account. The OD manager said they have no way to activate. Call someone in the corporate , will see what happen.
I don't have much hope that this will be resolved. Don't know what to do

I have a similar problem with mall gift card but blackhawk send me another card with the full amount. This case they said their system have no record or no money in the acct. I guess the card max is 100 and they enter 200 it did not create the acct. A flow with OD computer system.

Happy

The money is in OD system. Your store manager can find it - it is the matter of HOW to return the money to you. He is correct about they could not activate the card because the card info has already been scanned and considered "used" card. Try to work with the store manager. OD also has a generic customer service number should you want to use it to find what other channels you could use if the store manager is not helpful.

As last resort you can dispute the charge on your CC (you could use the screenshot on check card balance as proof - the screen should show card not found due to it is not activated).

What my store manager did was to look up the promotion memo - on it there is a phone number to call in case there are problems. He called that number which instructed him to contact another dept in the corporate. Eventually he got an email from that dept listing what info / proof was needed in order to start the process. I personally dont mind getting refund but he felt he should give me replacement cards because a refund would be the amount paid - IIRC it was $20 limit 2 in single transaction, He tried to do the right thing by giving me back the full value of the cards bought instead of refunding the net amount paid.

Good luck.

NoonRadar

I don't foresee any problems getting my money back at the store. The moment I figured this out (my previous edited comment here) I called the store, was put to a manager, explained and told her what's up, that apparently neither me nor the cashier noticed the card is only supposed to be $100 and that somehow the register charged me without activating the card and that I have the receipt to prove it and the card id on it. Manager said np stop by and we will figure it out. I'll go eventually in a couple of days b/c it is a bit out of my way and don't want to do a special trip just for it.

If the OD store manager seems unwilling or unable to help you, be polite but firm, it is after all their responsibility also to check the product they are selling you (you can also argue if need be how come your register charged me without activating the card?), and as far as you're concerned you paid for something you didn't get; you're supposed to get a card with money on it, they can call the nr on the back of the card themselves and verify with BH cust service the card was never activated. As a last resort like Happy said you can always file a chargeback and you will for sure get the money back that way, though will likely burn that store as a route, so you can weigh the cost benefit vs $200. Store would also pay a fee for chargeback on top of the $200, so I'd only do this as a last resort, like if they're being a prick or giving you the run around to tire you out and not actually willing to help you.

rrayon

I'll check and see.

Preacher7

And then there's this...

http://www.doctorofcredit.com/office...body-july-1st/

dealhunter32

This new rewards program will only very briefly work on Visa/Mastercard GCs (if at all), just like it took just 5 weeks for Winn-Dixie to stop issuing Plenti points on Visa/MasterCard GCs.

FrankMS

Not cash back. You can only use the 2% on OD stuff.