PayPal Gift Card Horror Story

aNoPHeLeS on 26/10/2022 - 16:23
Last edited 26/10/2022 - 16:41

Hey everyone. I bought a JB Hi-Fi gift card from the old paypal digital gifts via ebay a few years back in 2017. I finally went to redeem it for a pixel when the digital link they sent was no longer valid. Funny cause I just checked it like 2 weeks ago and the cards were there and they had full value on them ($400 total).

Long story short, JB Hi-Fi can't help because I don't even have a gift card number. Paypal are also saying they can't help because their system can reactivate the link and it's old so they won't refund me either. I've been round and round and no one wants to take responsibility for it. Seems to me that something has broken between the paypal digital gifts system and teh jb hi-fi system. Whilst I'm out $400. JB Hi-Fi cards don't expire so surely it must be paypal's responsibility to ensure the link stays active (4 years is a while but not thaaaat long).

Anyone got thoughts on what I should do next? Anyone experienced anything similar? Anyone got old paypal digital gift cards that still work or don't work anymore?

Try a credit card chargeback? Seems like a tough story to explain and prove. But it's been driving me up the wall.

Original deal: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/350140

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Comments

  • spackbace on 26/10/2022 - 16:25
    +18

    JB Hi-Fi cards don't expire so surely it must be paypal's responsibility to ensure the link stays active

    Back in 2017, nope, we still had 1yr expiry on most gift cards

    New rules didn't change till 2019

    Leaving gift cards for 5 years…?! Wtf

    • ozhunter on 26/10/2022 - 16:29
      +2

      https://support.jbhifi.com.au/hc/en-au/articles/360053719573…

      JB gift cards don't expire, though no idea when that came into effect.

    • Pelicannn on 26/10/2022 - 16:31
      +20

      Dunno why people leave them so long. With current inflation OP probably lost money even if they managed to get 5-10% off the original price.

      There’s only two reasons I have a gift card on hand:

      1. I purchased it 5 minutes before to save some money on an immediate purchase or,

      2. Someone gave me one as a gift and I’ll be using it at my next available opportunity.

      • rompastompa on 26/10/2022 - 16:35
        -4

        * 3. Cash back of $3+ with $30 Gift Card

    • aNoPHeLeS on 26/10/2022 - 16:41

      Yep my mistake leaving them that long - but here's the weird part - I checked the balance not that long ago (like weeks ago) and they had full balance, no expiry date and I regret not writing all the numbers & pins down right then and there.

      • mskeggs on 26/10/2022 - 17:13
        +5

        Check your browser history. The numbers might have formed part of the URL.

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 26/10/2022 - 19:44
      +1

      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/5426079/redir

      confirmed, 1 year expiry.

  • pharkurnell on 26/10/2022 - 16:37
    +14

    (4 years is a while but not thaaaat long).

    yes it is.

    • Baysew on 26/10/2022 - 16:39

      And waaaaay out of time for any sort of chargeback.

    • jv on 26/10/2022 - 16:46
      +4

      Isn't it 5 years?

  • jv on 26/10/2022 - 16:45

    Anyone got thoughts on what I should do next?

    this…

  • bobbified on 26/10/2022 - 17:02
    +3

    I bought …… back in 2017

    I literally just went "ha…" as soon as I read that bit.

  • Drakesy on 26/10/2022 - 17:05
    +1

    Gift card minimum expiry dates of 3 years only came into effect in 2019
    Unfortunately you're SOOL
    And yes 5 years is a long time.
    Did you read your T's & C's

    Should be titled "I waited too long to use my giftcards and they expired now i want CoMPeNSaZIon"

    • bobbified on 26/10/2022 - 17:08
      +3

      No! It's definitely a "HORROR STORY", dammit! haha

      • Drakesy on 26/10/2022 - 17:11
        +1

        Haha
        OP has Been reading too much of Murdoch's tabloids, everyone is slowly becoming desensitized to it.

  • brendanm on 26/10/2022 - 17:16
    +1

    Gift card problems. Many such cases.

    • Neoika on 26/10/2022 - 20:35

      OK, you never buy them, which is absolutely right.

  • solidussnake on 26/10/2022 - 18:00
    +1

    Hodl !!! no wait seriously don't do that with old GCs

  • eccaz on 26/10/2022 - 18:08
    +10

    I’m in a similar boat. I’ve got a Ansett Golden Wing Club guest pass and wondering how I can use it. I wouldn’t mind a feed and a couple drinks before my next flight. There’s no expiry date on the card so it should still be valid.

    • Muzeeb on 26/10/2022 - 18:15
      +1

      You're actually in luck. Check here

      • eccaz on 27/10/2022 - 00:34

        No way! Bacchus Marsh here I come!

  • foxmulder on 26/10/2022 - 18:12
    +1

    Have you asked PayPal on who handled (2017 - not current one, could be the same, just in case) gift card for them? It could have been a third party, then you contacted them.

  • screensaver on 26/10/2022 - 18:13

    i bought catch gift cards at paypal digital gifts at least 2 yeats ago. i cant find the emails so dont have the numbers. so cant redeem

    • Muzeeb on 26/10/2022 - 18:16
      +2

      You should make a separate forum post about this Pam.

      • randomusername2017 on 26/10/2022 - 18:27

        Seems to have a habit of slipping things in lately…

        • spackbace on 26/10/2022 - 18:51

          Enough about Pam's personal life, jees

      • screensaver on 26/10/2022 - 18:55
        -2

        why, its the same topic

    • brendanm on 26/10/2022 - 21:18
      +2

      Please do not redeem ma'am.

  • Master Bates on 26/10/2022 - 19:23
    +1

    Please send me the links, I’ll fix them for you.

    • Neoika on 26/10/2022 - 20:41

      Yes, the link may contain the card number.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 26/10/2022 - 19:35
    +3

    a few years back in 2017

    understatement of the week.

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 26/10/2022 - 19:55
      +2

      State of the world when you bought this gift card:

      Britain was still part of the European Union
      Donald Trump was president of the USA
      Robert Mugabe just impeached after 30 years as President of Zimbabwe
      Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in cinemas
      Burt Reynolds is still alive
      Weed is still illegal in California

  • Neoika on 26/10/2022 - 20:38

    Lesson: don't expect any 3rd party link that provides a gift card info to be forever existing. Always record the gift card info in your own preferred way.

  • MeesusEff on 27/10/2022 - 02:36
    +1

    I got $1500 physical jb gift cards from insurance back in 2017, they scanned it and said it never expires. When I check online it's til like 2199 or something like that. Still got about $900 left

    • JIMB0 on 27/10/2022 - 07:34

      That's false advertising. What if you wanted to pass it down through generations.

  • pjcook on 27/10/2022 - 08:19

    Horror story…… Really…..

  • Orgazmo on 27/10/2022 - 11:19

    AFCA complaint against PayPal

  • Some Human on 27/10/2022 - 13:32
    +1

    Gift Card Horror Story

    I was kind of expecting the giftcard to confront you with a weapon while you were in the shower.

  • Ozcelt on 27/10/2022 - 16:32
    +1

    Sad story! That's a LOT of money to lose. I'd be pretty ropable too.
    Look, I have NO idea if this will work for the sort of site that retails and authorises gift cards, but you could try the Wayback Machine site: http://web.archive.org/
    This is a site that archives a huge number of redundant, delisted websites. If you still have the shortcut/link you used successfully to access the cards last time, the enter it in the search box….and, maybe, you'll see something….or not!
    In the circumstances, it's probably worth a try. Nothing (more) to lose!

  • Webber000 on 27/10/2022 - 17:52

    their system can reactivate the link

    So whats the problem. If Paypal won't help you because their system "can reactivate the link" then just get them to reactivate the link and send it to you again so you can see it and use it?

    • aNoPHeLeS on 28/10/2022 - 11:56

      cant*
      That was a typo

  • fomal on 28/10/2022 - 00:41
    +1

    Dude this just happened to me!!!!

    Citibank sent me a $100 kmart gift card from this CC deal: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/550768

    I got the gift card September 2020 and the gift card has expiry date in September 2023.

    BUT the link to view the gift card was expired last month!!!

    Now Iose my gift card because both Citibank and Kmart refused to help :(

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