M & S voucher showing no money on it !

tomtomo8030

Hi All I was just wondering if anyone had experienced the same issue as me I purchased a voucher at Christmas for a family member and this was wrapped up under the tree until it was opened when it was gifted and our family member  went to spend. There was zero money on the card I told her to check the gift receipt and it said the correct amount she contacted  Customer Service who said there was nothing they could do so I then contacted them myself and asked to speak to someone higher. They  put me through to customer relations who said that it had been spent a couple of weeks later in a London store?? I couldn’t understand that it was possible and said I wanted this escalated as you have already  had cyber crime and I’ve read on Google that other people. Have had the same issue. they then sent me an email with an E gift voucher. I then asked for why this has happened how this is possible and they said that they were gonna keep the reason internally. I said again this is not acceptable. It was not only embarrassing for the family member who went to use it. It is Also very concerning that this is happening. And then received another email saying it was probably an issue at the till which I don’t understand because the money was loaded onto the card and they’re telling me  that Card was spent somewhere in London nowhere near me This seems very fishy to me. Why won’t they give a reason . This is a story for Martin Lewis I think !!

p00hsticks

They won't give a reason because it's presumably down to some sort of flaw in their systems and / or wrongdoing and they don't want to publicise how it was done in case it gives you and others ideas......

Next time just wrap up some money instead - no expiration date, far more choice of what to spend it on and far less chance of someone else spending it....

katejo

tomtomo8030 said:

Hi All I was just wondering if anyone had experienced the same issue as me I purchased a voucher at Christmas for a family member and this was wrapped up under the tree until it was opened when it was gifted and our family member  went to spend. There was zero money on the card I told her to check the gift receipt and it said the correct amount she contacted  Customer Service who said there was nothing they could do so I then contacted them myself and asked to speak to someone higher. They  put me through to customer relations who said that it had been spent a couple of weeks later in a London store?? I couldn’t understand that it was possible and said I wanted this escalated as you have already  had cyber crime and I’ve read on Google that other people. Have had the same issue. they then sent me an email with an E gift voucher. I then asked for why this has happened how this is possible and they said that they were gonna keep the reason internally. I said again this is not acceptable. It was not only embarrassing for the family member who went to use it. It is Also very concerning that this is happening. And then received another email saying it was probably an issue at the till which I don’t understand because the money was loaded onto the card and they’re telling me  that Card was spent somewhere in London nowhere near me This seems very fishy to me. Why won’t they give a reason . This is a story for Martin Lewis I think !!

There was a feature on this problem on the BBC Morning Live programme today. It may be available to watch on iPlayer. They gave a specific name to this type of fraud. I don't remember enough detail to explain it here. It was to do with a fraudulent procedure being applied to gift cards when they are still in the store! 

born_again

Where was voucher bought from?
did you check that it had not been tampered with?

eskbanker

tomtomo8030 said:

This is a story for Martin Lewis I think !!

Doubt it, not least because he's widely quoted pouring scorn on gift cards/vouchers and how they're best avoided, given risks such as retailer failure and expiry dates.

tomtomo8030

born_again said:

Where was voucher bought from?
did you check that it had not been tampered with?

Purchased in bluewater and apparentley xpent in a store in London hoes that possible?!

Aylesbury_Duck

tomtomo8030 said:

born_again said:

Where was voucher bought from?
did you check that it had not been tampered with?

Purchased in bluewater and apparentley xpent in a store in London hoes that possible?!

Quite easily, if the card was previously tampered with and cloned.

born_again

tomtomo8030 said:

born_again said:

Where was voucher bought from?
did you check that it had not been tampered with?

Purchased in bluewater and apparentley xpent in a store in London hoes that possible?!

Bluewater?

M/s or some other shop?

tomtomo8030

born_again said:

tomtomo8030 said:

born_again said:

Where was voucher bought from?
did you check that it had not been tampered with?

Purchased in bluewater and apparentley xpent in a store in London hoes that possible?!

Bluewater?

M/s or some other shop?

It M&S voucher was purchased in the bluewater M&S store and then apperently spent a few days later in a london store all whilst it was wrapped up under my xmas tree ? Work that one out ?

tomtomo8030

Aylesbury_Duck said:

tomtomo8030 said:

born_again said:

Where was voucher bought from?
did you check that it had not been tampered with?

Purchased in bluewater and apparentley xpent in a store in London hoes that possible?!

Quite easily, if the card was previously tampered with and cloned.

How do they clone them ?

Aylesbury_Duck

tomtomo8030 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

tomtomo8030 said:

born_again said:

Where was voucher bought from?
did you check that it had not been tampered with?

Purchased in bluewater and apparentley xpent in a store in London hoes that possible?!

Quite easily, if the card was previously tampered with and cloned.

How do they clone them ?

1. Scammers steal unactivated gift cards from store displays.
2. They use a device to copy the card's magnetic stripe information.
3. They return the tampered, but still sealed, card to the shelf.
4. When you buy the card and activate it at checkout, the scammer gets notified and immediately uses the card's funds before you can.