Coles gift card offers

[HappyFlyerFamily]

From Wednesday November 12:

View attachment 480964

Just a word of warning./caution.

No tampering evident with my cards and used them within minutes.

I was just checking the card history, and one of them had a declined transaction (about 7 hours later).

 

[Chicken]

I went to a Coles in north west Sydney, but already pretty much fringe / rural, bought 5 cards, 1 could not be activated, so I had to get another one. Went to another Coles also semi-rural, bought 5, 3 could not be activated. Never seen this before.

 

[VantageXL]

1 could not be activated, so I had to get another one

When they fail to activate you should still earn the bonus points so there's no need to buy more with the same account.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I went to a Coles in north west Sydney, but already pretty much fringe / rural, bought 5 cards, 1 could not be activated, so I had to get another one. Went to another Coles also semi-rural, bought 5, 3 could not be activated. Never seen this before.

Could you explain the process of what happened? eg Did a message come up stating that it failed to activate and still charged you for the purchase - leading to need to getting an immediate refund. I probably wouldn't even be paying attention closely when the check out is going through the motions. s

 

[Chicken]

When they fail to activate you should still earn the bonus points so there's no need to buy more with the same account.

Um, no!

If I buy $x of gift cards, that's because I want to push $x thru my AmEx Edge into gift cards which then in turn gets pushed into ATO / strata / Service NSW / insert anything here.

If I am entitled to push $250 x 5 into ATO via AmEx Edge, but I only push thru $250 x 3, then I would be pushing the balance of $250 x 2 via some other method, which earns me less or no points. I would be losing $250 x 2 of AmEx Edge points.

Bad outcome!

Could you explain the process of what happened?

Normally, you scan all the cards, scan FlyBuys, insert your AmEx Edge to pay, AmEx approve, then the cash register would activate each gift card, then the receipt would be printed with:
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx American Express $1285 approved

Today, no.

Scanned all the gift cards, scanned Flybuys, insert AmEx Edge, AmEx Edge approved.

Then cash register would pop up saying activating.
Then cash register would pop up saying to the effected of (can't remember exact to the words, but keywords were) "Card xx_x could not be activated, please follow refund process"
The cash register would stop here.

So I got the staff, they noted down the gift card number on screen, dismissed the pop up message. Cash register would continue, until it's done.

It would print out a receipt, and the first receipt says:

xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 declined
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx American Express $1285 approved

In this order.

And of course, the receipt from my second purchase was

xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 declined
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 declined
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 declined
xx_xx American Express $1285 approved

At the first store, the staff brought up the original sale at the service desk, scanned the 'declined' gift card, got me to present my AmEx, and $257 was refunded to my AmEx. I then went to the shelf, got another $250 card, and then went thru.

At the second store, the staff brought up the original sale at the service desk, just like the first store did, scanned the declined gift cards, then they just did a cash refund and the cash register allowed it! They took out a stack of $50 then started counting I was like "Are you trying to give me a cash refund?" They went "Yeah". So I said "Don't need to count, I want to buy 3 more because these 3 didn't work, so you don't need to give me the cash, just push it thru". They went "OK". I guess I should have taken the cash, and pay with AmEx again, hey?

I probably wouldn't even be paying attention closely when the check out is going through the motions

You should pay attention, you are not buying $2.5 mangos!

 

[VantageXL]

Um, no!

If I buy $x of gift cards, that's because I want to push $x thru my AmEx Edge into gift cards which then in turn gets pushed into ATO / strata / Service NSW / insert anything here.

You can still buy the gift cards, just do it with another account (e.g. one belonging to a friend or family member) so you're not leaving any points on the table.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Um, no!

If I buy $x of gift cards, that's because I want to push $x thru my AmEx Edge into gift cards which then in turn gets pushed into ATO / strata / Service NSW / insert anything here.

If I am entitled to push $250 x 5 into ATO via AmEx Edge, but I only push thru $250 x 3, then I would be pushing the balance of $250 x 2 via some other method, which earns me less or no points. I would be losing $250 x 2 of AmEx Edge points.

Bad outcome!



Normally, you scan all the cards, scan FlyBuys, insert your AmEx Edge to pay, AmEx approve, then the cash register would activate each gift card, then the receipt would be printed with:
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx American Express $1285 approved

Today, no.

Scanned all the gift cards, scanned Flybuys, insert AmEx Edge, AmEx Edge approved.

Then cash register would pop up saying activating.
Then cash register would pop up saying to the effected of (can't remember exact to the words, but keywords were) "Card xx_x could not be activated, please follow refund process"
The cash register would stop here.

So I got the staff, they noted down the gift card number on screen, dismissed the pop up message. Cash register would continue, until it's done.

It would print out a receipt, and the first receipt says:

xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 declined
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx American Express $1285 approved

In this order.

And of course, the receipt from my second purchase was

xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 approved
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 declined
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 declined
xx_xx 3rd party gift card $257 declined
xx_xx American Express $1285 approved

At the first store, the staff brought up the original sale at the service desk, scanned the 'declined' gift card, got me to present my AmEx, and $257 was refunded to my AmEx. I then went to the shelf, got another $250 card, and then went thru.

At the second store, the staff brought up the original sale on the service desk, just like the first store did, scanned the declined gift cards, then they just did a cash refund and the cash register allowed it! They took out a stack of $50 then started counting I was like "Are you trying to give me a cash refund?" They went "Yeah". So I said "Don't need to count, I want to buy 3 more because these 3 didn't work, so you don't need to give me the cash, just push it thru. They went "OK". I guess I should have taken the cash, and pay with AmEx again, hey?



You should pay attention, you are not buying $2.5 mangos!

Thanks for the explanation - at least there is a pop up indication!

You're braver than me. I usually buy one at a time - yes time consuming, and I just hang around there using the gift card. I haven't gone through my limit, so I'll be back later this week to run the gauntlet.

......and yeah, you should have taken the cash of $771 and get more points lol

 

[Chicken]

You can still buy the gift cards, just do it with another account (e.g. one belonging to a friend or family member) so you're not leaving any points on the table.

I think you may have missed my point. Your suggestion would still means losing points I should be getting.

My focus is not the bonus points, I don't care about the bonus points that much. What I'm focusing on is the money laundering using AmEx aspect of this exercise:

• If I pay $100 to ATO via most methods, I don't get any points.
• If I send $100 from AmEx > Coles > ATO, AmEx generate SQ / VS miles, and Coles generates VA points.

And let me stress, I don't really care about the Coles generating Flybuys bit, that's not my focus, my focus is the bit where AmEx generating SQ / VS miles

You're braver than me. I usually buy one at a time - yes time consuming, and I just hang around there using the gift card.

Having to pay ATO, having to pay stratas, thousands of dollars every quarter (thanks to the Australian superiority of building apartments which leaks everywhere). If we buy one card at a time, it would take forever, or we would be asked to leave the stores