$500 eBay Gift Card Disappeared from my account- Has Anyone Experienced This?

LOzbird on 24/04/2025 - 14:02
Last edited 02/05/2025 - 12:53 by 2 other users

Hey everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I'm reaching out to share a frustrating experience I've had with eBay recently, and I would love to hear if any of you have faced something similar or have any advice on what I can do next.

Here's the situation: I purchased around $400 worth of network items from a nearby eBay seller with the intention of completing an installation at a customer's location. I had nearly $500 sitting on my eBay gift card, which I was planning to use for this purchase. However, when I tried to use the remaining balance, I was shocked to discover that my entire gift card balance had mysteriously DISAPPEARED from my account!

In a panic, I contacted eBay customer service through their chat feature multiple times, speaking with several representatives, but unfortunately, no one has been able to assist me. After over 10 days of trying to resolve this issue, the seller eventually cancelled my order, and in doing so, I also lost the job for the installation.

Out of desperation, I posted my experience in the eBay forum, but it seems to have gone largely unnoticed, with only a couple of generic comments in response.

I also uploaded the proof of purchase documents for my digital gift card as requested, but they asked me for that same information AGAIN. After resending it, I feel like I'm just going in circles without any resolution.

The timeline of events has been as follows:
• 13 April 2025: Item purchase date.
• 13 April 2025: $500 digital gift card purchased and partially used for a smaller purchase.
• 13 April 2025: Tried to pay for the $400 item, but all gift cards disappeared from my account.
• 13 April 2025: First contact with customer care.
• 14 April 2025: Requested proof of purchase uploaded.
• 15 April 2025: Asked to re-upload proof of purchase.
• 15 April 2025: Request for a photo of the BACKSIDE of the digital gift card (which obviously doesn't exist).
• 15 April to 24 April: Countless chats and phone calls almost everyday.
• 24 April 2025: Seller cancelled order and reported an unpaid item, despite my regular communication.

My biggest frustration, apart from losing my funds and the items, is that my gift cards have completely disappeared from my account. Ideally, they should show as frozen and require my action, but now it's like they never existed. Additionally, I've lost balances from other gift cards used in my account previously.

As per the eBay CSRs I've been a loyal eBay customer for over 16 years, but the level of customer service has drastically changed (it was much better when the support was based in Australia).

So, I'm turning to this community for help. Has anyone experienced something similar? What are my options at this point? Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I believe eBay must address the following critical concerns:

1.

Customers must be promptly notified whenever a gift card is frozen for any reason, including details about the #remaining balances.

2.

After verifying proof of purchase documents, eBay should expedite the release of the gift card. These gift cards are equivalent to physical money, and eBay does not have the right to withhold them for an extended period. Customers rely on these funds to make purchases quickly and efficiently.

Thanks for reading my long-winded post. Looking forward to your thoughts!

George-Ebay Australia

Update: It appears that others are also experiencing similar issues with eBay gift cards recently.

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/899547

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Payments/April-22-2025-Ebay-Gi…

Update : (27Apr):

During a recent follow-up call, another Ebay CSR informed that it could take an additional 30 to 40 #days to resolve the matter. (***) How on earth?

If you're thinking about using eBay gift cards, it's important to be aware of potential pitfalls. I'm sharing my experience to help others navigate these challenges.

Update : (28Apr)

Issues Resolved: eBay Customer Service Unfroze My Gift Cards.

I had a final chat session with an eBay customer service representative who requested that I have to re-submit original documents, as I had initially provided only photos of printouts containing my eBay username and the date. I explained that my submission adhered to eBay's guidelines and declined to resubmit anything further. To my surprise, they informed me a few minutes later that my gift card had been unfrozen, and I confirmed that it is now back in my account.

Regarding the order, as @JimmyF pointed out, the seller didn't cancel it; it was automatically canceled by eBay. The seller then relisted the item for me, and I proceeded with the purchase. I was also able to reclaim the initial order for installation, which is a great relief.

I'm not sure why the issue was resolved sooner than the expected 30-40 days. During previous chats, I shared a link to the forum posts, which might have played a role. Thank you to everyone who read and commented on this post. Have a great time! Cheers!

Update: 01 May 2025

My relief was short-lived — today, I found that the remaining balance has vanished again, as eBay has frozen it once more, without any warning or explanation!

When I contacted Ebay customer support, they couldn’t provide any concrete reason and simply told me it could take up to another 35 days to unfreeze the Gift card balance.

Financial Gift Card

Related Stores

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Comments

  • MS Paint on 24/04/2025 - 14:15
    +15

    ADAGCHS

    • Downvoter on 24/04/2025 - 15:24
      +2

      AHAGCHS? Hour

    • mapax on 24/04/2025 - 15:58
      +2

      Approved

      • MS Paint on 24/04/2025 - 16:20
        -1

        I did notice every other post has a thanks from the OP except this one. ☹️

        • Ozbird on 24/04/2025 - 16:50
          +3

          Hi @MS Paint,

          Thanks for your l comment! I sincerely apologize for the omission. I became quite focused on the second comment and took time to explain my reasoning for not wanting to spend an additional $400. Cheers

  • Jaduqimon on 24/04/2025 - 14:19
    +10

    why didnt you pay for the goods first using other means so you can still do the install for your customer and not lose the job?

    you can then workout the ebay thing after…

    maybe you used the giftcard as a guest, checked out as guest or using a different ebay account that you may have forgotten that you used.

    Check to see if you can find the item you paid for using the gift card in your order history.

    • bobbified on 24/04/2025 - 14:36
      +1

      why didnt you pay for the goods first using other means so you can still do the install for your customer and not lose the job?

      But that's just way too much common sense!

    • Ozbird on 24/04/2025 - 15:03
      -1

      Thanks for your comment. Yes, I could have spent an additional $400 on items, but I had already purchased a $500 gift card on the same day. I hesitated to use the extra $400, thinking it was a technical error that would be resolved within a couple of days, as one customer service representative had assured me.

      I've also had numerous frustrating experiences with eBay's complex vouchers and discounts, which often vanish after purchase, I had spent a lot of time with eBay customer service to get them reapplied in the past.

      Honestly, my discomfort with keeping my money in eBay gift cards has grown as I've seen them disappear without any notice. Please aslo note that, If I hadn't caught the issue in time, I could have lost the entire amount. So once/if I do recover those gift cards, I plan to spend them quickly and reduce my shopping on eBay.

      While I don't want to disparage eBay, I have an Amazon account, and I've never faced issues with my gift card balance there. Their promotional codes are more accessible, and their customer service is generally more responsive.

      Regarding other comments: I did purchased through my account NOT as a guest. Luckily I have all the gift cards proof of purchase details etc.

      • bobbified on 24/04/2025 - 16:49
        +1

        thinking it was a technical error that would be resolved within a couple of days, as one customer service representative had assured me.

        I've also had numerous frustrating experiences with eBay's complex vouchers and discounts, which often vanish after purchase, I had spent a lot of time with eBay customer service to get them reapplied in the past.

        This is kind of…. 🤷‍♂️

        All I'm saying is that eBay has screwed up with the gift vouchers and that's on them, but you really can't blame them for losing that job you had.

        • Ozbird on 24/04/2025 - 17:52

          Thanks @bobbified
          To clarify, this is the first time I have experienced a loss of an eBay GIFT CARD in this manner. Initially, the customer care officer assured me that the issue would be resolved within two days upon my submission of the proof of purchase. They also advised me to contact the seller, which I promptly did, and I was hopeful after uploading the necessary documentation that same day.

          Unfortunately, despite my ongoing communication with the seller, he ultimately cancelled the order without further notice, which is understandable, given that 11 days is a considerable amount of time to wait.

          In this situation, I do not believe that eBay customer care advised and acted responsibly.
          Moreover I have no trust in eBay to keep any gift cards with them. The real problem is the lack of communication about the freeze for so-called security reasons—there have been no messages or emails from eBay after my gift cards were vanished from the account.

          In the Past, I also have encountered numerous difficulties with eBay's Promotional DISCOUNT VOUCHERS. Often, I see a discount code displayed in a listing, only to find out after purchasing that the item is not eligible for that promotion. Although I usually take screenshots before completing a purchase and have successfully obtained alternative discount vouchers from eBay Chat by presenting the screenshots, I realize this process can be time-consuming

      • brendanm on 24/04/2025 - 17:18
        +3

        I've also had numerous frustrating experiences with eBay's complex vouchers and discounts, which often vanish after purchase, I had spent a lot of time with eBay customer service to get them reapplied in the past.

        Then why the hell would you try to use them to pay for parts for a customer?

        • Ozbird on 24/04/2025 - 18:13

          Thanks for your comment, @brendanm.
          No, I didn't use discount vouchers to pay for this item; I used an eBay gift card, which requires spending real money to purchase. Please see my comments above.

          • brendanm on 24/04/2025 - 23:09
            +4

            @Ozbird: Then just use actual money, not gift cards. When it's obvious that something isn't going to get resolved, fix it with buying the products with actual money, and complete the job for your client, then get paid.

            • Ozbird on 25/04/2025 - 12:16

              @brendanm: I was using eBay gift cards, which I can purchase at a discounted price from services like ShopBack / Life Rewards etc,. Over the years, I've saved a significant amount of money by using them for big-ticket items.

              However, this is the first time a gift card has disappeared from my account without a trace. Seems like happening to many other Ebay customers. https://community.ebay.com/t5/Payments/April-22-2025-Ebay-Gi…

              • brendanm on 25/04/2025 - 18:27
                +1

                @Ozbird: Whatever floats your boat, if I was paying someone to do something, and they were trying to buy it off eBay with gift cards, I would use someone else that just has an account with an actual supplier. Especially if they kept me waiting for weeks with their gift card shenanigans.

  • jv on 24/04/2025 - 14:20
    +4

    My $500 eBay Gift Card Disappeared Overnight - Has Anyone Experienced This?

    My dog took mine.

    Found it with the socks in the laundry a few days later…

    • bobbified on 24/04/2025 - 14:32

      Was it your special sock?

      • jv on 24/04/2025 - 14:36

        🧦

        • bobbified on 24/04/2025 - 14:36

          That one is pretty special! lol

  • randomusername2017 on 24/04/2025 - 14:33
    +1

    By George !

    • jv on 24/04/2025 - 14:36

      No, by Pierre Omidyar….

  • Protractor on 24/04/2025 - 14:47
    +1

    Divine intervention. Quit ebay

  • djkelly69 on 24/04/2025 - 14:50
    +2

    Not sure if you did already from the OP, but did you try re-entering the eBay gift card number from whatever source you got it?

    • Ozbird on 24/04/2025 - 15:07

      Thanks for your comment. Yes I did, But that will not work, as I used for a smaller purchase before. I’ve been using gift cards for many years. Ideally the remaining balance of the gift card should have been permanently linked to my account.. But unfortunately, in this case, the entire balance has vanished without a trace.

      • hamza23 on 24/04/2025 - 16:15
        +1

        Just to confirm. When you re-apply the gift card number to your account now, does it say 'There's no balance left on this code'? or something different?

        • Ozbird on 25/04/2025 - 13:16

          Hi @hamza23, unfortunately, once a gift card has been used for a smaller purchase, there isn’t a way to reapply it. For example, if you used a $500 gift card to buy an item worth $100, the remaining $400 balance with that Giftcard number will be shown in your payment window during your next checkout. Thanks.

  • zathras on 24/04/2025 - 15:04
    +2

    Did you check your purchase history?
    Maybe a malicious actor used the funds to purchase something else….

    • Ozbird on 24/04/2025 - 15:10

      Thanks @zathras. Yes, I checked, and there were no unauthorized purchases made from my account.

      • mrdng on 24/04/2025 - 18:24

        Have you double checked?

        eBay has a "Hide Order" feature which hides the purchases you made. There's a "Show Hidden" filter in the Purchase History page. Try that and see.

        I personally used $1500 worth of eBay Gift cards (converted from the Coles Vanilla Visa Gift card) for a purchase worth of $3000 before without an issue. The only think I notice was eBay's Gift Card feature is very primitive. Maybe in my case I used all the gift card balance in one go so it's not a biggie.

        • Ozbird on 25/04/2025 - 12:31

          Thanks, @mrdng. I double-checked, and there are no unauthorized purchases using the hidden filter.
          Yes I also purchased Discounted Coles Vanila cards and converted to Ebay GCs.

          I usually shop more on eBay during promotional sales and with some discounted Ebay gift cards. Otherwise, I think it’s much cheaper to buy directly from resellers or the FB Marketplace etc, for second-hand goods.

    • jv on 24/04/2025 - 15:11
      -1

      Maybe a malicious actor

      This one?

      • Ozbird on 24/04/2025 - 15:24

        Thanks, @jv! Your comments definitely made me laugh in this situation. I admit I lost my temper with eBay Customer Care.

      • Protractor on 24/04/2025 - 16:28

        Actor? Big stretch,right there.

  • JimmyF on 24/04/2025 - 17:22
    +2

    • 13 April 2025: $500 digital gift card purchased and partially used for a smaller purchase.

    Where did you purchase it from?

    • 24 April 2025: Seller cancelled order and reported an unpaid item, despite my regular communication.

    Fair enough, you hadn't paid for the items. This would have been automatic, I have it enabled on my account as well.

    Your missing gift card issue isn't the sellers concern, you purchased, pay for it.

    Contacted eBay CC but they are still looking on it!!

    Can you check the balance anywhere and see a transaction history?

    https://www.ebay.com.au/gft/balance

    Honestly gift cards are a hassle, I stopped with them years ago for this reason, so not sure if the eBay ones show a transaction history.

  • Ozbird on 24/04/2025 - 18:07

    Thank you, @JimmyF!

    I purchased from Life Rewards (Bupa) and received a 3% discount.

    I have no issues with the seller; he consistently communicated, saying, "No problem, just let me know if you want them and feel free to contact me as needed." It’s understandable that it may have automatically cancelled the order after some time.

    I appreciate you sharing the eBay gift card balance checker link, though I was unable to retrieve my gift card balance there.

    Thank you for your assistance!

  • tenpercent on 24/04/2025 - 20:17
    -2

    My $500 eBay Gift Card Disappeared Overnight

    Look under your pillow. Is there a pile of teeth?

  • Hardlyworkin on 25/04/2025 - 07:42

    13 April is the issue. Don't repeat the steps of that day again.

  • CodeXD on 25/04/2025 - 09:52

    Do you have multiple ebay accounts?

  • DazMon on 25/04/2025 - 10:49

    Couldn't this have been shortened somehow?

  • Ozbird on 25/04/2025 - 11:07

    Thank you all for your time & comments. There is slight improvement. After a series of calls, one of the customer care representatives informed me that there are gift card balances in my account and the issue has been referred to a specialized team to unfreeze it. However, there is still no indication of when this will be resolved.

    It appears that many others are facing similar issues, as discussed in this thread:
    https://community.ebay.com/t5/Payments/April-22-2025-Ebay-Gi…

  • Loopholio on 25/04/2025 - 12:31
    -1

    When will people stop buying gift cards? Just buy it with cash or card, actual money.

    I only buy items using Fabergé eggs. Stuff you if you don't take 'em.

    • Ozbird on 25/04/2025 - 13:05
      +1

      Thanks, @loopholio. You make a good point.

      But I usually shop more on eBay during promotional sales and/or with discounted eBay gift cards (which are purchased with real money). Otherwise, I believe it’s much cheaper to buy goods directly from resellers.

      As OzBargain members, I don't think anyone here is against buying discounted gift cards; there are numerous posts in this forum about how to get discounted eBay gift cards, etc. Otherwise, you'd end up paying full price—or even more, considering the inflated prices due to seller fees on eBay.

      In my opinion, instead of demoting gift cards, eBay needs to address the underlying issues:

      1. After freezing a gift card for any reason, eBay should notify the customer.
      2. After verifying proof of purchase documents, they should release the gift card as quickly as possible.

      During my follow-up call today , I spoke to a CSR who said it could take 30 to 40 days to unfreeze the gift card. Does anyone think this is good customer care service!?"

      • Xyzzy on 25/04/2025 - 16:53
        +3

        Do a search for ADAGCHS on OzBargain and you'll discover what all long-term OzBargainers know - no discount is worth the monetary loss + time, stress and effort that happens when the redeeming of gift cards goes pear shaped. And if you use them regularly it is guaranteed to happen - it's a variation on the law of averages. Maybe we should call it @mapax law.

        • mapax on 25/04/2025 - 17:16
          +1

          Approved

        • Loopholio on 25/04/2025 - 21:27
          -2

          I don't know what ADAGCHS is, but I see Gift Card in there.

          There are a few members here that will take any risk to save a few cents or dollery doos. For some it's a game, for others, I have no idea.

          I just buy things when I need them. It's not always easy, if something is cool and a bargain I'll likely buy it once I convince myself that I do infact need a handheld game console capable (not really) of playing N64, PS1 etc games.

      • brendanm on 25/04/2025 - 18:29
        -2

        I'm on here and have never used a gift card for buying anything to try to save money. I've also never been one of the many people with issues that have arisen from using gift cards, so I'm happy with this choice.

        • Ozbird on 02/05/2025 - 11:24
          +1

          Hi @brendanm,
          I respect your decision, but let me illustrate my point with a quick scenario. Imagine you have an account with Bank XX. One day, all your money suddenly disappears. You spend the next three weeks calling their customer service, but they have no idea where your funds went. Eventually, you share your experience here.

          Now, as a seasoned OZB member, I could approach your story in a couple of ways. I might ask:

          1. Did you check the forum and rest of the internet for "ADABHS" before opening a bank account?
          2. Why did you keep your money in a Bank instead of, say, keeping it under your pillow like I did?

          Otherwise, Would you like me to call Bank "XX" and their customer service, "Bank SS" (for "sucks") instead?

          Yes, I now find myself a victim of the eBay gift card trap. But, I would like to make a request to all senior members here. You may have come across countless gift card stories. But rather than merely generalizing inferior services as a norm and blaming victims, let's also take a moment to call a spade a spade.

          It’s crucial to acknowledge the underlying issues—specifically, how large corporations' customer service departments fail to protect customer funds and often ignore genuine customer requests. Only through honest and open discussion , we can hope to effect any meaningful change.

          • tenpercent on 02/05/2025 - 11:26
            +1

            @Ozbird: Hear hear!

          • brendanm on 07/05/2025 - 12:05

            @Ozbird: A bank is regulated I also have multiple bank accounts, if I couldn't buy a customers products with one account, if use a different one, rather than stuff my customer around.

            eBay gift cards are not regulated.

            The reason they are able to keep doing it, is because people keep buying them.

            I am working toward change by not buying in to their stupid system.

  • Ozbird on 29/04/2025 - 23:30
    +4

    Update : (28Apr)

    Issues Resolved: eBay Customer Service Unfroze My Gift Cards.

    Thank you to everyone who read and commented on this post. Have a great time! Cheers!

  • Ozbird on 02/05/2025 - 10:34

    Update: 01 May 2025

    My Relief was short-lived — today, I found that the remaining balance has vanished again, as eBay has frozen it once more, without any warning or explanation!

    What’s worse is that eBay never notified me when they froze my funds.

    When I contacted customer support, they couldn’t provide any concrete reason and simply told me it could take up to another 35 days to unfreeze the account. This lack of communication, transparency, and respect for customers’ funds is completely unacceptable.

    I’m extremely disappointed and frustrated with eBay’s handling of this matter. It’s a clear indication of poor customer service and disregard for user trust.

    I strongly advise anyone with gift card balances to keep their receipts, check their accounts balances regularly & note it down; otherwise, you might lose your funds forever.

    This experience has seriously damaged my confidence in eBay platform and their ability to securely safeguard customer funds.

    • tenpercent on 02/05/2025 - 11:30
      +1

      Make a complaint to both Fair Trading and AFCA.

      You said in another comment:

      It’s crucial to acknowledge the underlying issues—specifically, how large corporations' customer service departments fail to protect customer funds and often ignore genuine customer requests. Only through honest and open discussion , we can hope to effect any meaningful change

      But we need to go further. We can only hope to effect any meaningful change if businesses are held to account for messing around with customers like this. The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. The more people who take these actions, the more costly it is for these businesses to continue messing around customers, and the sooner they will start behaving more civilised.

      • Ozbird on 02/05/2025 - 14:09

        Hi @tenpercent, thank you for your helpful comments.

        I'm thinking about escalating, but it feels like an ant against Goliath. The system seems inadequate, and I worry my case won't lead to meaningful change—especially with eBay potentially unfreezing my GC again in few weeks.

        I believe I can file a complaint with Consumers Affairs Victoria, but their 2-star Google rating for resolution makes me uncertain.

        Regarding AFCA, I understand they only handle complaints about member financial firms, so since eBay isn’t a member, I’m unsure if I can complain there.

        Thanks again for your support—sometimes just sharing helps us feel a bit more empowered.

        • tenpercent on 02/05/2025 - 14:10
          +2

          Regarding AFCA, I understand they only handle complaints about member financial firms, so since eBay isn’t a member, I’m unsure if I can complain there.

          You are correct. Sorry, I keep forgetting we live in a banana republic where the industry is 'self-regulated'.

          Perhaps a chargeback for the gift card purchase, assuming you used credit or debit card?

  • Muppet Detector on 02/05/2025 - 14:17

    Anybody who thinks one person can't change the world never ate an undercooked bat.

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