Gift cards not working

Nurtle

Hello
I received 2 x £20 gift cards for Christmas,  for Clarks but bought at Tesco. 
The activation receipts were enclosed.
Upon trying to spend in Clarks they said the cards were not active and provided screenshots of their system. They also provided me with screenshots of their in house guidance that said activation queries were to go back to Tesco. 

2 weeks later and I have reached stalemate. 5 in person visits to both stores and endless hours on their chat/email support for both stores has ended with each store blaming the other and a 'we can't help' statement. 
Both companies said nothing more they can do 
I asked Tesco if a refund could be provided to the purchasing cards they replied ' they are active, it's clarks problem '.
Does anyone have any advice as to what I can do, feels wrong that £40 has been paid on gift cards that cannot be used?

Thank you very much 

Aylesbury_Duck

You need to get the person who bought the cards to sort it out.  They're the one with the consumer rights for the purchase, and the only one who can escalate it if the companies involved won't play ball.

Okell

The person who bought the cards needs to sort it out with who they bought it from - Tesco - and not be fobbed off.

Tell all your family and friends - in fact everybody you know - not to buy gift cards and gift vouchers

TELLIT01

Okell said:

The person who bought the cards needs to sort it out with who they bought it from - Tesco - and not be fobbed off.

Tell all your family and friends - in fact everybody you know - not to buy gift cards and gift vouchers

The OP says that Tesco have stated that the cards have been activated, and the problem is somewhere in the Clark's systems.  That being the case there is nothing for Tesco to sort out.

Nurtle

TELLIT01 said:

Okell said:

The person who bought the cards needs to sort it out with who they bought it from - Tesco - and not be fobbed off.

Tell all your family and friends - in fact everybody you know - not to buy gift cards and gift vouchers

The OP says that Tesco have stated that the cards have been activated, and the problem is somewhere in the Clark's systems.  That being the case there is nothing for Tesco to sort out.

It's just knowing what to do when clarks sat it's not their problem to fix. 

RefluentBeans

TELLIT01 said:

Okell said:

The person who bought the cards needs to sort it out with who they bought it from - Tesco - and not be fobbed off.

Tell all your family and friends - in fact everybody you know - not to buy gift cards and gift vouchers

The OP says that Tesco have stated that the cards have been activated, and the problem is somewhere in the Clark's systems.  That being the case there is nothing for Tesco to sort out.

No contract with Clarks, contract with Tesco. Tesco and Clarks systems clearly failed to communicate. Doesn’t matter to the OP what backend ‘jiggery pokery’ goes on to get the systems to communicate, but the simple fact is product has failed to be delivered. 

Unfortunately OP has no rights here - only the purchaser does, hence why it’s whoever bought the gift card that needs to sort out. 

If I paid for a contractor for a new bathroom and the contractor pays an electrician to install lighting but the lighting doesn’t get installed; the contractor can’t be ‘sorry mate that’s between you and the electrician - I asked him to do it but he didn’t’. 

Okell

TELLIT01 said:

Okell said:

The person who bought the cards needs to sort it out with who they bought it from - Tesco - and not be fobbed off.

Tell all your family and friends - in fact everybody you know - not to buy gift cards and gift vouchers

The OP says that Tesco have stated that the cards have been activated, and the problem is somewhere in the Clark's systems.  That being the case there is nothing for Tesco to sort out.

It's Tesco's problem.  They've sold gift vouchers that are not valid because they've previously been activated (or whatever - in any case they don't work)

If there is a problem with Clarks systems that is for Tesco to argue the toss with Clarks, not the OP's problem.

The vouchers were bought in good faith from Tesco on the basis they would operate as gift vouchers