Avoid gospendit gift cards at all costs!

MissTasmanian

I was really touched when a friend gave me a gift card after I looked after her cat for a week, but it's been worse than a nightmare trying to use the card.

I’ve tried several times to use it in online and after that wasn’t successful I had a horrendous experience at Tesco when progressively more senior staff members were called over to “help.” Eventually, they concluded that there was a problem with the card.

So, I bit the bullet and called gospendits premium number since there’s no other way to contact them. Eventually, I could speak to an Indian gentleman after waiting on hold and entering every single digit on the card into their automated service.

I’d lost all patience and a huge chunk of my phone balance; however, he quickly twisted my irritation into a sort of jaded, resigned acceptance when he kept repeating, as if on a loop, that there was no problem with the card and that I should “sue Tesco.”

Instead of suing Tesco I decided to try one last time in another shop but this time the card said it was declined because it was reported as lost.

Sometimes you just need to admit you’re beat in life and so I say kudos to gospendit : they managed to save themselves £50 and also make £8 from me for the privilege of calling them to tell them their card doesn’t work.

DavidFx

From http://www.saynoto0870.com

You can use the general VISA "Contact US" number (020 7795 5777) and navigate the options rather than dialing the 0870 number on the GOSPENDIT website.

DoaM

Is gospendit a UK company? If yes then they're breaking the law by only offering a premium rate customer service number.

reehsetin

Gift cards are a waste of time whatever they are, always more restrictive than cash I can't understand why people get them at all

Ian011

Using an 084, 087 or 09 number for this is illegal.

Listen to the first 8 minutes of this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0890kj6

fleshandbone

the gospendit webpage does not offer much information about the cards, seems like a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for the user.

MissTasmanian

http://imgur.com/a/bKXDW

This is a nightmare I was unable to call them with the "US Number," as they ask you to call the premium number, and so having spent the last of my credit I demanded they reimburse me for the money I've spent having to call their premium number. They're insisting on proof but I don't know of a way to get the individual calls to show with giffgaff without paying for a subject access request, if anyone knows I'd be very grateful.

Anyway, at least now they'll supposedly refund me for the gift card once I drop the request for my phone calls to be reimbursed.

But it really boils my blood that they're claiming that 0870 is a geographic number! The lies coming out of these people is awful.

DoaM

Screenshot the call history on your phone?

MissTasmanian

DoaM wrote: »

Screenshot the call history on your phone?

I need to show them how much the call cost me and unfortunately my phone only shows that I called their number and not how much it cost me.

Ian011

MissTasmanian wrote: »

But it really boils my blood that they're claiming that 0870 is a geographic number! The lies coming out of these people is awful.

You can report the false claims about call costs to ASA and to the Phone-paid Service Services Authority. This is a premium rate number operating outside of the relevant rules.

Call costs are explained here:
-https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/contacting-08-and-03-numbers

Call cost rules detailed here:
-http://ask.ofcom.org.uk/help/telephone/businesscalling
-https://www.cap.org.uk/Advice-Training-on-the-rules/Advice-Online-Database/Chargeable-08-numbers-General.aspx


The illegal usage of an 0870 number for after-sales enquiries can be reported to the Citizen's Advice national Consumer Helpline on 0345 404 0506. They can escalate to Trading Standards.

Regulations:
-http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/regulation/41/made

MissTasmanian

Many thanks Ian, I'll call the consumer helpline tomorrow