Google Play gift card refund?

col32

Hi all, 

My husband was *nearly* caught out with a scam that started with an email purporting to be from his boss asking him to get some gift cards.  It looked legit, the management were out of the office, and as he's next in the food chain, it was plausible.  He bought the cards totalling £600 on a debit card for our current account, then got a text asking him to send pictures of the backs of the gift cards.  This is when he realised it was a scam.

We're in the process of reporting it to Action Fraud, and have confirmed with the stores involved (Tesco, Sainsbury's and Co-op) that they won't refund gift cards.  Google is being incredibly difficult to contact, so I'm just wondering what our options are (if any!)

We just can't afford to lose this money...

thanks

visidigi

Who/where did he buy the cards from?

They are who you need to approach with this.

Aylesbury_Duck

Speak to your bank to see if they can help.  None of the retailers or Google are at fault, so it's down to what, if anything, your bank is prepared to do.

P.S. The good news is that you haven't lost the money, you just now have it in gift card form, so it's a question of just spending it as you can.

col32

visidigi said:

Who/where did he buy the cards from?

They are who you need to approach with this.

He bought them from Tesco, Sainsbury's and Co-op - all of whom say they don't refund gift cards.  Interestingly, action fraud have said "that's a bit weird"...

k3lvc

Aylesbury_Duck said:

P.S. The good news is that you haven't lost the money, you just now have it in gift card form, so it's a question of just spending it as you can.

All depends whether he took the pics of the cards and sent them somewhere - if so he probably doesn't have the balance of the cards either

col32

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Speak to your bank to see if they can help.  None of the retailers or Google are at fault, so it's down to what, if anything, your bank is prepared to do.

P.S. The good news is that you haven't lost the money, you just now have it in gift card form, so it's a question of just spending it as you can.

Cheers - on hold to action fraud right now, bank is the next call.  

The bad news is that husband and I both have iphones and have no need for any google play credit!

Aylesbury_Duck

k3lvc said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

P.S. The good news is that you haven't lost the money, you just now have it in gift card form, so it's a question of just spending it as you can.

All depends whether he took the pics of the cards and sent them somewhere - if so he probably doesn't have the balance of the cards either

True. col32 - did he send those photos, or stop at that point?

Aylesbury_Duck

col32 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Speak to your bank to see if they can help.  None of the retailers or Google are at fault, so it's down to what, if anything, your bank is prepared to do.

P.S. The good news is that you haven't lost the money, you just now have it in gift card form, so it's a question of just spending it as you can.

Cheers - on hold to action fraud right now, bank is the next call.  

The bad news is that husband and I both have iphones and have no need for any google play credit!

How much of the £600 is with google?  Gift cards at Christmas for everyone...?!

col32

Aylesbury_Duck said:

k3lvc said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

P.S. The good news is that you haven't lost the money, you just now have it in gift card form, so it's a question of just spending it as you can.

All depends whether he took the pics of the cards and sent them somewhere - if so he probably doesn't have the balance of the cards either

True. col32 - did he send those photos, or stop at that point?

he stopped thank goodness!

col32

  Aylesbury_Duck said:

col32 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Speak to your bank to see if they can help.  None of the retailers or Google are at fault, so it's down to what, if anything, your bank is prepared to do.

P.S. The good news is that you haven't lost the money, you just now have it in gift card form, so it's a question of just spending it as you can.

Cheers - on hold to action fraud right now, bank is the next call.  

The bad news is that husband and I both have iphones and have no need for any google play credit!

How much of the £600 is with google?  Gift cards at Christmas for everyone...?!

LOL!  nah, sadly I can't afford to put that much on one side right now.   

Aylesbury_Duck

col32 said:

  Aylesbury_Duck said:

col32 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Speak to your bank to see if they can help.  None of the retailers or Google are at fault, so it's down to what, if anything, your bank is prepared to do.

P.S. The good news is that you haven't lost the money, you just now have it in gift card form, so it's a question of just spending it as you can.

Cheers - on hold to action fraud right now, bank is the next call.  

The bad news is that husband and I both have iphones and have no need for any google play credit!

How much of the £600 is with google?  Gift cards at Christmas for everyone...?!

LOL!  nah, sadly I can't afford to put that much on one side right now.   

Thinking about this again, I'm not sure your bank will intervene, because your husband bought the cards and still has them, so there's nothing amiss.  I suggest you think of a spending plan that does make use of them, because it's possible that google won't refund them - if they do, it will be on a goodwill basis, not because they have to do so.