Jan 6, 2016, 6:02 pm
Last edit by: ChrisFlyer66
Simon mall gift cards(2016)
Feb 17, 2016, 11:15 am
#301
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
Sounds like it was just a couple isolated incidents. I'm going to buy a few thousand tomorrow with SPG Business.
Feb 17, 2016, 11:16 am
#302
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
Almost always use multiple cards in single transaction. Never saw the above scenario - all were purchases even at pending stage.
IIRC it happened on one day in January on multiple issuers' cards on both coasts. That incidence was due to Simon's payment processor (Chase) somehow that day coded the transactions as CA. My friend was spared because her card CA limit was much below what she bought. Another FTer not so fortunate. (CapOne cards, and were reported on FT.)
The current occurrences are of very different nature - it is card specific, primarily it is Barclays' cards. Though I believe I read about other cards too. It has never been self-fixed. People incurred several hundreds of cash advance fee, even though their cash limits were set below the amount they purchased, Barclays' system let it thru and of course they incurred the sizable fees.
IIRC it happened on one day in January on multiple issuers' cards on both coasts. That incidence was due to Simon's payment processor (Chase) somehow that day coded the transactions as CA. My friend was spared because her card CA limit was much below what she bought. Another FTer not so fortunate. (CapOne cards, and were reported on FT.)
The current occurrences are of very different nature - it is card specific, primarily it is Barclays' cards. Though I believe I read about other cards too. It has never been self-fixed. People incurred several hundreds of cash advance fee, even though their cash limits were set below the amount they purchased, Barclays' system let it thru and of course they incurred the sizable fees.
all Cap 1 cards including the Venture & Spark show as CA for Simon VGCs? TIA
Feb 17, 2016, 11:49 am
#303
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 5
today, had 19k in simon cards and went through about 20 of them at WM with most being declined (tender not allowed)
weird thing is that some of the ones that were declined ended up working after swiped a second time. ended up walking out with 2k MO but gave up bc I was getting too many declines over successes
weird thing is that some of the ones that were declined ended up working after swiped a second time. ended up walking out with 2k MO but gave up bc I was getting too many declines over successes
Feb 17, 2016, 11:51 am
#304
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 5
today, had 19k in simon cards and went through about 20 of them at WM with most being declined (tender not allowed)
weird thing is that some of the ones that were declined ended up working after swiped a second time. ended up walking out with 2k MO but gave up bc I was getting too many declines over successes
weird thing is that some of the ones that were declined ended up working after swiped a second time. ended up walking out with 2k MO but gave up bc I was getting too many declines over successes
Feb 17, 2016, 11:56 am
#305
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
I've read of some isolated incidents where some VGCs purchased from Simon do not work in a batch or come with degraded mag stripes. I've experienced one-off cards in a daily purchase not working.
Today's purchase has 0 working cards. They have money on them when I check the balance online. They Swipe as the terminal reads the card and prompts for my PIN.
They do not process/authorize though... This is the first time many of my cards have experienced this in a day. I didn't have the time to test all the cards, but most likely, my entire order today is full of bogeys.
Anyone else experience this before? What was the resolution? Feel free to PM if you would like to discuss more details.
Today's purchase has 0 working cards. They have money on them when I check the balance online. They Swipe as the terminal reads the card and prompts for my PIN.
They do not process/authorize though... This is the first time many of my cards have experienced this in a day. I didn't have the time to test all the cards, but most likely, my entire order today is full of bogeys.
Anyone else experience this before? What was the resolution? Feel free to PM if you would like to discuss more details.
I have a SGC bought yesterday that failed the PIN 3 times then the card is locked up. At the end I reported the card being lost thru the number at the back of the card. Full value was on the card when I called, just a few hours after purchase. Blackhawk call center rep at El Salvador blocked the card, took down name and address then said a replacement card would be sent in 7 to 10 biz days with no fee to me. No case number available, only rep's name and ID. Though I imagine because each card has unique number, they can pull up the card file via the card number easily. Existing card number shows as invalid on Simongiftcard site after the call. I will now patiently wait for the replacement card.
Last edited by Happy; Feb 17, 2016 at 12:06 pm
Feb 17, 2016, 12:21 pm
#306
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: Hilton-Diamond Lifetime Platinum AA UA, WN-CP, SPG Gold.
Posts: 7,377
Having trouble getting MO, W Blackhawk SMGC, card works fine for other purchases..Beware of Blackhawk bank, for MO.
Feb 17, 2016, 12:21 pm
#307
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 800
Go to MO at Walmart thread you will see the issues started sometime yesterday. It showed up in several forms - Debit not Available, Timed out, are the most common. And cards processed as credit cards (but still worked, strangely). Not just Simon's but other cards as well. It might be issue in WMT's processing network.
I have a SGC bought yesterday that failed the PIN 3 times then the card is locked up. At the end I reported the card being lost thru the number at the back of the card. Full value was on the card when I called, just a few hours after purchase. Blackhawk call center rep at El Salvador blocked the card, took down name and address then said a replacement card would be sent in 7 to 10 biz days with no fee to me. No case number available, only rep's name and ID. Though I imagine because each card has unique number, they can pull up the card file via the card number easily. Existing card number shows as invalid on Simongiftcard site after the call. I will now patiently wait for the replacement card.
I have a SGC bought yesterday that failed the PIN 3 times then the card is locked up. At the end I reported the card being lost thru the number at the back of the card. Full value was on the card when I called, just a few hours after purchase. Blackhawk call center rep at El Salvador blocked the card, took down name and address then said a replacement card would be sent in 7 to 10 biz days with no fee to me. No case number available, only rep's name and ID. Though I imagine because each card has unique number, they can pull up the card file via the card number easily. Existing card number shows as invalid on Simongiftcard site after the call. I will now patiently wait for the replacement card.
Calling in to say card lost helps somehow... because they mail you a new card with your name embossed on it. Can use that at other places where they want your name on it (possibly, YMMV as usual).
Feb 17, 2016, 12:46 pm
#308
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 31
Plowed through a bunch of Simon cards the last few days, no issues at all.
Feb 17, 2016, 12:59 pm
#309
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
You need to differentiate what happened in January and what happens NOW. 2 very different nature.
Feb 17, 2016, 1:55 pm
#310
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 83
Bought 2K in Simon Cards today and only 2 of the 6 work at Walmart... Kinda freaking out about what to do now...
Feb 17, 2016, 2:10 pm
#313
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 636
Tried to buy 4x$500 Simon VGCs today with my new Citi AA Platinum card. I used it yesterday to buy 2x$500 without a problem. However, I set the cash limit to $750 in the morning after reading FM's article. The transaction was declined. Now waiting to see if the transaction yesterday will be posted as purchase or CA.
Feb 17, 2016, 2:39 pm
#315
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,727
Macro: did u swipe upwards? Any issue I've had has been resolvable at the same terminal. Just gotta get out the bag of tie ks.