Gift Card Fraud

Cirensaver

Hi

I am looking for some help with getting a response from Argos regarding a gift card used fraudulently. It was a gift, provided via giftsandvouchers.co.uk. When I received the voucher it showed £50 available. I didn't use it immediately but when I went to use it the balance was showing as £0.

I contacted Argos Customer services who told me the card had been used fraudulently. This was clear as there were two separate transactions, within minutes of each other for strange amounts £21.51 and £28.49, conveniently totaling £50. The customer service advisor checked the Argos system to see what was purchased and said that the money was used yet nothing was showing on the system as being purchased. This to me indicates internal fraud. She said she couldn't give me more information due to data protection laws which suggests there was more detail about the transactions available.

So Argos have received £50 without providing any goods and I am without the £50. I was told to write to Argos Head Office in Widnes, and that once they had investigated would refund me. I have written to head office and they have failed to respond. I know they received my letter as I sent it signed for and it has been delivered.

I have subsequently called Argos Customer Services to chase and have been given conflicting advice. My most recent call I was told that I wouldn't be refunded. I pointed out that I was told I would be refunded when I first called Customer Services. They basically don't care and I am without the £50 I was gifted.

I would appreciate your help in getting a response from Argos but would also appreciate advice on how the gift card came to be used. I had etickets to concerts and egift cards for John Lewis. These haven't been used. Surely if my account was hacked these would have been used too?

TELLIT01

When did you contact Argos Head Office and have confirmation that the letter had been received?  After contacting them I wouldn't be dealing with Customer Services any more.

Unknown

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elsien

I’m wondering as you didn’t buy it so you don’t have a contract with anyone, whether whoever gave it to you needs to follow up with the people that they bought the voucher from, as a starting point? 

When you say that your account can’t have been hacked, what account are you talking about? 

Cirensaver

TELLIT01 said:

When did you contact Argos Head Office and have confirmation that the letter had been received?  After contacting them I wouldn't be dealing with Customer Services any more.

Hi. I sent the letter on 12th July, signed for and have confirmation it was received but have heard nothing from them. They have no email or phone number just the postal address hence chasing it up with customer services.

Cirensaver

powerful_Rogue said:

Cirensaver said:

Hi

I am looking for some help with getting a response from Argos regarding a gift card used fraudulently. It was a gift, provided via giftsandvouchers.co.uk. When I received the voucher it showed £50 available. I didn't use it immediately but when I went to use it the balance was showing as £0.

I contacted Argos Customer services who told me the card had been used fraudulently. This was clear as there were two separate transactions, within minutes of each other for strange amounts £21.51 and £28.49, conveniently totaling £50. The customer service advisor checked the Argos system to see what was purchased and said that the money was used yet nothing was showing on the system as being purchased. This to me indicates internal fraud. She said she couldn't give me more information due to data protection laws which suggests there was more detail about the transactions available.

So Argos have received £50 without providing any goods and I am without the £50. I was told to write to Argos Head Office in Widnes, and that once they had investigated would refund me. I have written to head office and they have failed to respond. I know they received my letter as I sent it signed for and it has been delivered.

I have subsequently called Argos Customer Services to chase and have been given conflicting advice. My most recent call I was told that I wouldn't be refunded. I pointed out that I was told I would be refunded when I first called Customer Services. They basically don't care and I am without the £50 I was gifted.

I would appreciate your help in getting a response from Argos but would also appreciate advice on how the gift card came to be used. I had etickets to concerts and egift cards for John Lewis. These haven't been used. Surely if my account was hacked these would have been used too?

Is that the correct site? Or did you mean giftsvouchers.co.uk?

When did the person buying it send it to you, when did you check the balance and when did you notice the £50 was missing?

Hi. It is gifts & vouchers (giftsvouchers) I received it on 21st June and checked that the balance showed £50. When I went to spend it in July the balance was £0. Argos confirmed it had been used on 27th June.

Cirensaver

elsien said:

I’m wondering as you didn’t buy it so you don’t have a contract with anyone, whether whoever gave it to you needs to follow up with the people that they bought the voucher from, as a starting point? 

When you say that your account can’t have been hacked, what account are you talking about? 

When I got in touch with Gifts and Vouchers they contacted Argos and were told the £50 had been spent, so from their end they consider that it's not their problem. They supplied £50 which has been spent.
The voucher was emailed to me, to my yahoo account. Argos initially suggested my account must have been hacked. I don't think this is possible given I have other egift vouchers which are untouched as well as econcert tickets worth way more that weren't used / stolen - unless of course they don't share my taste in music!!

Unknown

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Cirensaver

powerful_Rogue said:

It's a unique one for the following reasons:

1) You didn't purchase the voucher, so you have no consumer rights

2) It wasn't purchased direct from Argos, so the person that purchased it needs to exercise their rights against the voucher website.

I certainly wouldn't be 'indicating internal fraud' in any communication you have with Argos. You want Argos to help you, and stating that will hinder any type of assistance they may offer.

Your friend needs to contact the voucher company (who says there isn't internal fraud there?)

Thanks for your thoughts. I didn't raise the issue of internal fraud in my letter to Argos on during phone calls. I have only mentioned it here. The reason I thought internal fraud is that no goods were purchased yet the money used. Not sure how you can benefit without buying anything unless you are within the company? However I know nothing about how these scams work. Yes I think it's possible the other company might be responsible. I have flagged it on the Action Fraud website. Argos could certainly see more information when they looked into the usage but couldn't share more information other than the transaction amounts and times as they cited data protection. I will go back to the company that gifted me the voucher. Thanks

Alderbank

Cirensaver said:

TELLIT01 said:

When did you contact Argos Head Office and have confirmation that the letter had been received?  After contacting them I wouldn't be dealing with Customer Services any more.

Hi. I sent the letter on 12th July, signed for and have confirmation it was received but have heard nothing from them. They have no email or phone number just the postal address hence chasing it up with customer services.

Argos have been part of Sainsburys for some years now.
https://www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/contact-us
https://www.argos.co.uk/help/contact-us/
There are lots of ways to contact them including Signvideo (British Sign Language). The Widnes address dates back to when they were owned by Great Universal. 
Sainsburys say:

Argos Head Office

489-499 Avebury Boulevard

Saxon Gate West

Central Milton Keynes

MK9 2NW

Cirensaver

Alderbank said:

Cirensaver said:

TELLIT01 said:

When did you contact Argos Head Office and have confirmation that the letter had been received?  After contacting them I wouldn't be dealing with Customer Services any more.

Hi. I sent the letter on 12th July, signed for and have confirmation it was received but have heard nothing from them. They have no email or phone number just the postal address hence chasing it up with customer services.

Argos have been part of Sainsburys for some years now.
https://www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/contact-us
https://www.argos.co.uk/help/contact-us/
There are lots of ways to contact them including Signvideo (British Sign Language). The Widnes address dates back to when they were owned by Great Universal. 
Sainsburys say:

Argos Head Office

489-499 Avebury Boulevard

Saxon Gate West

Central Milton Keynes

MK9 2NW

Thank you. I have recently emailed Sainsbury's as well and included a copy of the letter I had sent to Argos Customer Services. I emailed customer.enquiries@sainsburys.co.uk and am waiting for a response. I will send another copy of the letter to the Argos Milton Keynes address. The Argos 'message us' option is only via Facebook or Twitter. The call centre is terrible and I have waited over an hour and 20 minutes to connect!