Received One Extra $100 Bonus Giftcard from Woolworths by Mistake, How Do You Return It to Woolworths?

justwii on 19/08/2017 - 18:20

I bought Woolworths car insurance back in late May when they were having a promotion to give you $100 gift card, which could take up to 45 business days to receive. Then I waited until Aug (which was way over the 45 business days) but still hadn't received it. So I contacted Woolies customer support about that and the girl said she would get back to me soon. Two days later she called again and said they had reissued me the gift card, nice customer service I should say. That night I saw the gift card in my mail box already and did some happy shopping.

Thing is the next day I checked my email and found they had sent me an egift card of $100 as well. I am guessing the physical card was the original delayed one and the egift card was the one the girl said they had reissued.

Now I have a partially used physical card and an unused egift card, where I was supposed to receive one only. I wonder how I can return the egift card to Woolworths without causing them to lose money.

What I don't understand is, can money in gift card be put back into their "system" so no money is lost? Or does it matter if I simply do not use the gift card and let it expires then there is no need to get the money back to their "system" and no one is losing money? Or are Woolies and the gift card issuer different companies, like if I don't do anything, even if I am not using the card, Woolies will lose $100 (or to some extent) to this gift card issuer?

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Comments

  • o53djz7qTPY4der on 19/08/2017 - 18:38
    +14

    Redeem at your nearest woolies checkout.

    • djkelly69 on 19/08/2017 - 20:03

      Return at your nearest Woolies checkout

      • justwii on 19/08/2017 - 22:39

        Hows the process like? Its a egift card and I am not too sure local Woolies has anything to do with Woolworths Insurance?

        • o53djz7qTPY4der on 20/08/2017 - 08:13
          +2

          I was saying - just spend it. What is the worst that can happen? They ask for it back? Best and most likely scenario they don't notice.

        • MrFrugalSpend on 02/09/2017 - 23:52
          +1

          @Xiongmao: Agree.
          I don't think its going to matter much what OP does with it:

          • Woolworths Ltd has an annual revenue of $59,000,000,000 - yes, $59 BILLION!
            If they are trading 100 hours / week, that's $189,100 / minute. I'm sure no one will notice if that drops to $189,000 for just one of those minutes! Its 0.00000017% of their revenue!

          • Its all one big publically listed company, so I wouldn't be worried about Woolworths Insurance vs Woolworths local shopping centre -(its not like IGA where they are independently owned).

          • It could actually cost them some operating expenses to reverse it and inconvenience a staff member who will field the enquiry, then look into what happened and process some forms to cancel it - sure it won't cost them $100 (but then the goods bought at Woolworths with the voucher didn't cost them $100 either!).

          • They would much rather the customer be happy, retain them, and make tens of thousands out of them in their lifetime - no one will sincerely care too much about giving a voucher back.

          OP - if it makes you feel better, best to just not use it, but… just use it and repay them with your ongoing loyalty and they are the winners.

  • bluesky on 19/08/2017 - 18:42
    +5

    It is best to give them a call and explain the situation. And let them decide how to sort it out. The reason is if they discover this at some point (before the egift card expiry date), they have no way of knowing you do not intend to use the card, even if that is your intention.

    Now, not saying any adverse consequence will stem from this, the most they can do is invalidate the card at that point (and maybe a note in your account to that effect). But since your intention is pure, better to communicate with them, so no hint/insinuation of dishonesty can be attributed to you in any way.

    Also, make a note of the call, custservice contact, and ask that it be noted in your account, in the very unlikely event that the person takes advantage of the card him/herself, and does not cancel it. So if you ever get approached about this in future, you have details of the call you make.

    • justwii on 19/08/2017 - 22:35

      Traps everywhere! Even when I want to return it in all honesty I will put myself at risk of being framed! You have pointed out my concern.

  • serpserpserp on 19/08/2017 - 18:50

    Just give the helpdesk a call.

    • justwii on 19/08/2017 - 22:38

      I need a good way to do it so I am sure the money goes to the correct hands, not just some "give it to me and I can handle it for you" way.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 19/08/2017 - 19:29
    +25

    I work in the industry and can sort this out for you. Post the giftcard to me. Cheers.

    • justwii on 19/08/2017 - 22:32

      Umm…Err…Umm…nah.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 20/08/2017 - 19:21

        Ah, my bad. Just saw it's an egift card. Feel free to email it to me instead. I work in the industry and am completely trustworthy. Cheers.

  • DemocracyManifest on 19/08/2017 - 20:05

    Use it, worst comes to worst its a interest free loan

  • Some Human on 19/08/2017 - 20:17
    +1

    Don't return it, they will make it back in no time by ripping off other customers.

    • cwongtech on 20/08/2017 - 02:29
      -1

      Without Woolworths, where would you be today?
      Serious question.
      A business is out to make profit.
      The profit allows them to employee staff and purchase more products so you can access them at a price they put up.
      If you don't like that price, there's Coles, Aldi, or online shopping.
      While we whinge about "ripping off" in business, please understand the need to make profit.. money doesn't grow on trees, and your packaged goods that you need on a day to day basis don't either inside a supermarket.

      • JIMB0 on 20/08/2017 - 09:29
        -1

        Your right. If it wasn't for Woolworths ripping us off for years, we would have never seen the likes of Aldi or Costco in this country. Thanks Wollies.

        • cwongtech on 20/08/2017 - 10:53

          Don't forget they employee 175000 Australians.
          They are highly important to our food supply as well as to the economy.

  • xoom on 19/08/2017 - 20:24
    +1

    Wheres altomic with the subtle hints on what to spend this gift card on.

  • indium on 19/08/2017 - 21:09

    Never received my gift card when I purchased car insurance with them a few years ago so I guess you are free to spend it.

  • tomsco on 19/08/2017 - 22:14
    +1

    im surprised they don't have a system where they block the first card.

  • Switchblade88 on 19/08/2017 - 22:44
    +9

    From a bookkeeping perspective, the gift card has already been reconciled out as an 'expense' to their promos & advertising account (of which their annual value would be multiples of millions). One $100 gift card is loose change to their books, the company as a whole is more concerned about a 0.1% profit increase (which benefits them multiples of millions) than the status of one unredeemed gift card.

    I appreciate your honesty here, but an alternative honourable course is to utilise that gift card on groceries/nappies etc, and then donate those goods to a family in need or the Salvos etc.

    You could optionally notify their customer service department of what you've done, but they are working for wages and really don't care as long as you the customer aren't requiring a complaint resolution.

    Alternately, you could let the card sit and expire. The value comes back into the books as revenue to Woolies, you don't benefit, and your conscience is 'clean' - if you honestly believe that's the greatest good you could achieve with the resource that you have been (freely) given.

    I would like to hear what you are going to do, though - let us know when you decide!

  • spockter on 20/08/2017 - 01:07

    Ring them and explain what has happened.

    I had a similar experience ordering a special audio cable which did had not been delivered 3 weeks after it was posted (same city). Tracking info proved it had not been delivered. I rang the store and they immediately sent another one. I asked what I should do if the original one turned up and they said to keep it. Sure enough, 2 weeks later it did turn up.

    You never know, they might let you keep it in which case you can spend it with a clear conscience.

  • pegaxs on 20/08/2017 - 08:32

    Ring them up, speak to someone about it and organise to return it…

    Then take 45 days to return it…

  • freemoneyhunter on 20/08/2017 - 19:33

    You should always do the honest thing, return the card and say they made a mistake.

  • [Deactivated] on 22/08/2017 - 05:04

    Remember it's a giftcard. Treat it as such.

    • WreckTangle on 23/08/2017 - 21:06

      Until their fraud division call you 6 months from now…

      • JIMB0 on 24/08/2017 - 09:38

        Do they even have such a division?

  • videoman on 23/08/2017 - 09:30
    +2

    Giftcards are a scam in the first place. Woolworths makes enough money out of all the people who forget to use them. You should just use it.

  • ninetyNineCents on 03/09/2017 - 17:47

    Serves woolies right for being stupid and sending out a physical card and hurting the environment with those plastic cards, when they could have emailed or given you the numbers of the phone/internet.

  • justwii on 11/09/2017 - 20:17
    +1

    Update: case closed. Emailed Woolworths insurance and they thanked me and cancelled the egift card (don't know how's that done). Hope it didn't end up going into the staff's pocket who handled it :D

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