Google Play gift card refund?

col32

OK folks - just to update:

Stores won't refund for reasons best known to themselves.

Bank not interested as Husband presented his card, put his pin in and the transactions were legitimate as far as they're concerned (which I guessed would be the case)

Google - don't get me started...  Google are pretty much impossible to get hold of unless you have a google play account, I've tried so many things!  I've: tweeted them, searched both google and bing (lots of permeations of "contact google support") I've tried just emailing "support @ google.com" and ".co.uk" and they've both bounced back.  I've even rung Citizen's Advice to see if they have a contact.  It's ridiculous, and although I know I can try and sell them, it seems crazy that this happens so easily and the only ones who profit are google...

mattyprice4004

To be fair, they're under no obligation to refund. He bought something as part of a scam, and at least you have the cards left! 
Unfortunately no one owes you a refund - the best you can do is sell them on. 
I use a site called AVForums that has a classifieds section, and I did sell some gift cards for 80% of their value on there last year.

Aylesbury_Duck

col32 said:

OK folks - just to update:

Stores won't refund for reasons best known to themselves.

Bank not interested as Husband presented his card, put his pin in and the transactions were legitimate as far as they're concerned (which I guessed would be the case)

Google - don't get me started...  Google are pretty much impossible to get hold of unless you have a google play account, I've tried so many things!  I've: tweeted them, searched both google and bing (lots of permeations of "contact google support") I've tried just emailing "support @ google.com" and ".co.uk" and they've both bounced back.  I've even rung Citizen's Advice to see if they have a contact.  It's ridiculous, and although I know I can try and sell them, it seems crazy that this happens so easily and the only ones who profit are google...

Well to be honest, none of those organisations are being unfair.  As far as they're concerned, your husband was a willing and genuine customer.

As for it being a crazy situation, it's not really.  And how would you stop it happening so easily - make genuine customers jump through all sorts of hoops and obstacles before letting them buy something?  It's simply not practical, and there were plenty of points at which your husband might have paused and considered what he was doing.  Be thankful that he had the presence of mind to go no further and spotted it for the scam it was - most probably wouldn't have done.

I'm afraid you've exhausted your consumer rights options, so it's a question of making the best of it, whether that's spending the vouchers as you can, or selling them on and accepting a small loss on them if you can't or don't want to spend them yourselves.

born_again

col32 said:

This first bit is actually a good point - but I suspect it's the same reason we could do a charge back on a credit card but not a debit card - the former is the bank's money, and they have more of an interest in getting it back!

Chargebacks are card regulations & are exactly the same on Credit & Debit cards So who's money it is makes no difference.