Freeola - Amazon vouchers not arriving in post, code used!

PopeSock

I do a few reviews for a website (Freeola) that picks a winner every so often and I've won a fair few times, usually choosing Amazon vouchers as a prize.

However, three times so far, I've had codes arrive that were already used.

At least one of the codes arrived in a letter, still sealed, but was down as being used when I tried to apply it to my account.

The same thing happened with another code.

The third code didn't turn up at all, and I contacted the company who emailed me it. Again, I tried apply it, only to be told it had been used.

The second time this happened, I contacted Amazon who confirmed the voucher wasn't applied to my account.

I contacted them again today, who confirmed that two of the codes - I didn't keep a record of the third - were applied to the same account, definitely not mine.

The first couple of times the company replaced the code, but the third time they've said they won't and advised me to contact my local sorting office.

I'll probably ask at the weekend, but Royal Mail's ever so friendly auto-line said they had no way of tracking 1st class non-recorded mail.

Thing is, I have had vouchers arrive okay, and can't see how this could be a case of pilfering going on at my end. The envelopes are fairly innocuous, with nothing to identify them as arriving from the company. And I know at least one of the 'used' codes arrived still sealed in the envelope.

Amazon can't/won't disclose the person who redeemed the codes, presumably due to data protection.

All of which leaves me one thirty quid voucher down.

Any advice?

EDIT: I've emailed the company whose website I won the prize on, explaining I find it unlikely it got intercepted somewhere in the chain. They got back to me basically saying they aren't issued by a third party company, and there's nothing they can do. Apparently they haven't had any problems with vouchers other than mine.

SeduLOUs

Sounds like it's nothing to do with RM to me.

Have you raised a concern/complaint with the company who issues the codes?

Possibly Amazon would be able to divulge the name of the person redeeming them to the purchaser of the code? Either way I think it's up to the issuing company to sort out, not up to you to be phoning around RM which will obviously get you nowhere.

PopeSock

SeduLOUs wrote: »

Sounds like it's nothing to do with RM to me.

Have you raised a concern/complaint with the company who issues the codes?

Possibly Amazon would be able to divulge the name of the person redeeming them to the purchaser of the code? Either way I think it's up to the issuing company to sort out, not up to you to be phoning around RM which will obviously get you nowhere.

I have, and didn't get far. I got onto Amazon again who said they could pass on the details of the person who redeemed the code to the purchaser, and have asked the company to do so. They didn't seem all that willing to get involved initially. Amazon have confirmed the three codes - I found the third one - have been used by the same person, who isn't me.

SeduLOUs

PopeSock wrote: »

I have, and didn't get far. I got onto Amazon again who said they could pass on the details of the person who redeemed the code to the purchaser, and have asked the company to do so. They didn't seem all that willing to get involved initially. Amazon have confirmed the three codes - I found the third one - have been used by the same person, who isn't me.

Well the issuing company are perfectly capable of investigating but it sounds like they don't want to.

Might be time for a formal complaint, and if that gets nowhere you could always go down the route of complaining to the ASA who cover competitions.

PopeSock

SeduLOUs wrote: »

Well the issuing company are perfectly capable of investigating but it sounds like they don't want to.

Might be time for a formal complaint, and if that gets nowhere you could always go down the route of complaining to the ASA who cover competitions.

I think I've got as far as I'm going to with a complaint. The company in question doesn't seem to have any obvious structure to escalate things. I've had no response to my last email asking to them contact Amazon.

sheramber

Can you not get the vouchers emailed to you instead of sent by post?

PopeSock

sheramber wrote: »

Can you not get the vouchers emailed to you instead of sent by post?

They used to email but at one point they said they'd only post them - I can't remember why. The last voucher was emailed to me after it didn't arrive in the post. I've still heard nothing back from Freeola (the company in question) since asking them to contact Amazon.

SeduLOUs

PopeSock wrote: »

They used to email but at one point they said they'd only post them - I can't remember why. The last voucher was emailed to me after it didn't arrive in the post. I've still heard nothing back from Freeola (the company in question) since asking them to contact Amazon.

I'm probably just being cynical, but perhaps whoever made the decision to post them instead of emailing saw an opportunity and has been doing a lot of online shopping recently.

It doesn't make sense to me why the company wouldn't want to investigate when there's a high probability that one of their staff is stealing.

PopeSock

SeduLOUs wrote: »

I'm probably just being cynical, but perhaps whoever made the decision to post them instead of emailing saw an opportunity and has been doing a lot of online shopping recently.

It doesn't make sense to me why the company wouldn't want to investigate when there's a high probability that one of their staff is stealing.

Yeah, I did wonder about that. I can't see them having been intercepted in the post give they're in innocuous white envelopes.

EDIT: I actually got someone at Amazon who was more helpful than usual and said they would contact Freeola. Interesting to see if this goes anywhere.

Mike_Tumble

Sounds like something to be careful with as Amazon sound like they are dropping it. They physically can't provide info I imagine due to data protection.

If they did ring this company and give it them, that would be catastrophic for them if it were reported. So don't be too harsh on them, or pursue that avenue too hard. They simply can't.

I've had a dud from Amazon before, the company were kind enough to re-issue though. Maybe just email Freeola and say you'll stop if they re-issue? What's 30 quid to a big company anyway?

Try talking to an admin or moderator or something directly?

GreatBeyond

In this case there is nothing really Amazon Customer Services can do unfortunately.

Someone has bought probably corporate gift certificates and they will then give out the codes.

From Amazons point of view the only real information they will have is that the gift card has been applied to a certain account which they will definitely not disclose.

It's not so much Amazon dropping it but as far as they know the OP has got hold of an old gift card and is claiming it was supposed to go to them but has been redeemed.

It's completely the responsibility of the issuer rather than Amazon.