Crooks wipe out ten $50 Apple gift cards minutes after they were activated at a Target store
Blum commented on his game plan and said, “I had an ailing iPhone 6s, and since it wasn’t going to be a viable trade-in, I knew I was eventually going to have to buy a new phone at full price, which, you know… iPhones are a lot of money. It’s a big purchase for me,” Blum said. “This seemed like a good way to cut down on the cost a bit.”
Blum bought the gift cards to purchase a new iPhone as his iPhone 6s was aging
Mike admitted to feeling “freaked out” and “concerned.” So he called Apple and the company confirmed that all ten cards had a zero balance. Apple also noted that each card was wiped out within 5 to 30 minutes after Target activated them.
After an Apple supervisor suggested that Mike speak with Target, he called the retailer. The company sent an email that read, “After further research, we were able to confirm that your gift card was properly activated at the time of purchase. Due to this, we are unable to issue a refund for your purchase.”
Target, with a market cap of $118 billion, is not exactly poor. But like Apple, it refused to take any responsibility for what occurred and suggested that Blum call Apple. So round and round he went for weeks and even his credit card denied his dispute filing after the bank spoke with Target. A submission to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) was made and Mike joined a class action suit.
Don’t buy gift cards hanging on a rack inside a store
If you learn one thing from this story, it is that you should try not to buy gift cards that are easily accessible to browsers inside a store whether they are on a rack or in a point of sale display. Retailers should put them behind glass (like they do with razor blades) and let the consumer request one. It’s inconvenient to be sure, but it will protect consumers.
We’d love to tell you that Mike Blum got his money back and bought a new iPhone. We’d love to tell you that but we can’t. Target did send him an email that sounded hopeful and said, “We are working with Apple to replace the funds.” But as we write this article, the retailer is still awaiting a “gift card code” from Apple.
