eBay

brisk_deals · ‎08-24-2022

Two years ago my friend sent me an eBay GIFT CARD as a GIFT to buy some Pokémon cards. He emailed the code since he’s on the other side of the country. Initially I used $20 of the $200, then set aside the rest to use later on. A few weeks ago I remembered that I had it and decided to use the rest with the exact same eBay account and shipping address that I used the first time I used the card.

After I placed the order, it said the payment was pending for a few hours and then that the payment failed. Thought this was strange so I decided to try again with the gift card and it said there was no remaining balance on the card. I’m guessing it must have been my VPN that set off a red flag.

I call eBay customer support and the guy says that he will email me a link to a form so that I can prove ownership of the card. He says I have to take pictures of the receipt, card and a signature with the date in both pics, to get my balance restored. I told him that I can’t possibly provide that because it was two years ago that my friend sent me the code and he has thrown out the physical card. He says something along the lines of “That’s fine, just say that in the form”. This guy seemed like a complete noob at customer service and was looking up what to do at each step. I think he mistakenly flagged my card as fraudulent.

Now every time I submit the form, the response comes back that I need to provide the pictures, no matter what I say. I’ve called and done chats many times but nothing gets past the form. How can they expect me to have documents like this, especially a receipt, from a gift?

So does eBay just rip me off and keep the money? This is in Canada by the way, if there is a way to submit a complaint to authorities please let me know.

clemowbooks · ‎08-24-2022

This guy seemed like a complete noob at customer service and was looking up what to do at each step

This was a phone rep? They are sub-contractors and notoriously poorly trained.

Actual trained eBay employees cover the social media accounts.

  https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.
https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.
 

lady.stark · ‎08-25-2022

Some gift cards have an expiry date. If it was bought 2 years ago, it's long expired.

brisk_deals · ‎08-25-2022

Your assumption is wrong... eBay gift cards don't expire.

marnotom! · ‎08-25-2022

Gift cards—not just those from eBay—are fraught with problems. It’s good practice for senders to hang onto the receipt and/or include the transaction details with the card when they give it to the recipient. Sorry your friend missed the memo on this, and sorry I can’t provide actual useful advice on this part of your issue.

But, yeah, as you suggest, the age of the card/time that’s elapsed since its first use and the change in network information that’s occurred since that use are likely big factors in your issues. I get the sense that eBay’s been doing a lot of obviously behind-the-scenes tinkering to reduce the possibilities of fraud on the site and unfortunately your card’s history has likely tripped up some automated blocks that can’t be undone without the electronic information on the card’s history being corroborated.

Has your friend ever tried an eBay chat themselves so that they’re on record (on the same ticket would be nice but I doubt it’s possible) as an interested party? The “system” may be wondering if your friend really exists and why they seem so unconcerned about losing $180.

brisk_deals · ‎08-25-2022

Thanks for the reply. You would think that they could at least lock the gift card to the account/address that used it initially. But instead their default reaction is to just let no one use it. So eBay is directly profitting off of their "fraud prevention". Seems like a legal grey area to me as to whether they are scamming or protecting their customers. I'm sure they have covered their bases in the terms of service, but how would a court decide?

My friend actually does have old pictures of the receipt (paid with cash) and the card, but it's impossible to add the required note with the date, unless they want him to go dig it out of the landfill. He could jump on a chat with eBay, but to them he would just be some random person, since he bought it from Shoppers Drug Mart. As far as they are concerned, I might as well have been the one who bought it.

Still wondering what is going to happen from here, if the gift card has any chance of being restored after some time passes. I've been a member for over 10 years, been a paid store subscriber in the past, and now I'm reluctant to keep using eBay.

mrdutch1001 · ‎08-25-2022

I know nothing about eBay gift cards but in 2 years, many verification processes have changed and that initself can create issues for the user...Gift cards are expected to be used in a timely manner regardless of whether or not there is an expiry date and without the initial proof of purchase/ownership there may not be much to be done to retrieve the balance at this point. Verification processes have been stepped up and that is for protection of all parties involved...so really this isn't all eBay's fault despite the fact everyone always wants to blame eBay for everything that goes wrong with an event/transaction/or whatever it may be that is associated with this site.

However, you may try to get through to eBay via the channels as suggested by

clemowbooks to see if it is possible to get any sort of resolution....

brisk_deals · ‎09-08-2022

I tried Twitter and they basically told me the same thing as before (fill out the form with a picture of a note) and then ghosted me.

Sorry, but this is very scammy behaviour from eBay, and I'm tired of being ignored by their support.

"Gift cards are expected to be used in a timely manner regardless of whether or not there is an expiry date"
Really?? Doesn't say anywhere on the gift card, and that's exactly what an expiry date is for. Without one, they are expected to be valid as long as the company is alive.

Nowhere on the gift card does it say you need to retain the receipt or need to write a note. On the website, it only asks for the code to use. I assumed that I could simply save the code to use at a later date, and don't think I did anything wrong here. It's very simple to verify that I was the original user by checking the card history.

I am a stubborn person and will keep opening support tickets, chats and calls out of principle. It will be a fun hobby of mine.

ypdc_dennis · ‎09-10-2022

Here's another thread about gift card problems:

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Payments/Prepaid-Gift-Card-payments-blocked-since-mid-2021/m-p/477611

romat-2290 · ‎11-17-2023

Hi Im having the same issue, did you get your money back? they also did 2 investigations and found nothing wrong, I'm dealing with complete idiots on thier side. is there any way to speak to someone with authority or an actual brain?

mrdutch1001 · ‎11-17-2023

you are responding to a thread from 2022 which may no longer contain relevant information to your situation and therefore best to start your own thread to bring attention to a current issue that can be addressed with any current applicable information.