Coles gift card offers

[Chicken]

Looks like these mastercards are no longer sniip’able - “declined by issuer”. Keen to hear if there’s a workaround.

I encountered a similar issue when trying to add a card to Sniip (declined with 3DS authentication error). Reported to Sniip and they are investigating.
Same card was similarly rejected for council payment but was fine for local water authority payment.
Will post when i get an update from Sniip

Same here. Sent a screenshot to Sniip via e-mail.

Not only that, one of the cards I just opened had the 3rd and 4rd groups of the card numbers scratched off, and CCV also scratched off. The packaging looks perfectly OK.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Same here. Sent a screenshot to Sniip via e-mail.

Not only that, one of the cards I just opened had the 3rd and 4rd groups of the card numbers scratched off, and CCV also scratched off. The packaging looks perfectly OK.

What store? Or at least what area?

It might help others avoid stores the scammers have targeted.

 

[Chicken]

What store? Or at least what area?

North west Sydney

However, the packaging is perfect, so I don't think it's someone going into the store and mucking with them, I would say there are dodgy activities in the manufacturing facility.

 

[Happy Dude]

You get the bonus points for cards that fail to activate. The staff's pain is your score! Try to get the refund to another credit card for a 'lil cherry on top.

@Chicken: Had the balanced been reduced at all on the tampered-with cards? Hopefully you got them cancelled in time....

 

[lilkid28]

North west Sydney

However, the packaging is perfect, so I don't think it's someone going into the store and mucking with them, I would say there are dodgy activities in the manufacturing facility.

Did you cut open the packaging before paying or pay first then opened the packaging (and obtain a refund after) ?

 

[Happy Dude]

Seems to have been some unseasonably warm weather in my Coles. Cards melted and disappeared. Thankfully several located inside the cabinet when I inspected this morning.

Y'all might need to get a bit more creative with your hiding spots. Although I hid two lots yesterday, and when I returned this morning on the way to work, it took 5 mins to remember where I put one of them! I needn't have bothered though, there was still plenty on the display/rack anyway.

 

[Chicken]

You get the bonus points for cards that fail to activate. The staff's pain is your score! Try to get the refund to another credit card for a 'lil cherry on top.

But that means I would be paying my strata and ATO with no points and heaps of surcharge. I am using these to wash expenses thru, I'm not just after the 2000 points.

@Chicken: Had the balanced been reduced at all on the tampered-with cards? Hopefully you got them cancelled in time....

Can't tell, because the card number and CVV are already scratched off as you can see, I don't know what they are.

Did you cut open the packaging before paying or pay first then opened the packaging (and obtain a refund after) ?

The packaging was perfect when I bought them in the shop, I didn't open the packaging to check in store. Also, once you have opened the packaging, the barcode would be out of alignment, and would not be able to be scanned by the cash register?

I only found out after I got home. I opened a ticket on MyBalanceNow web site. Guess I would have to wait for 3 months like last time?

 

[ramamba]

Reported to Sniip and they are investigating.

Same here. Sent a screenshot to Sniip via e-mail.

I have a feeling that’s not on Sniip, but on the issuer side, i.e. Heritage bank stepping up the security. Happy to be proven wrong though.

 

[VantageXL]

Also, once you have opened the packaging, the barcode would be out of alignment, and would not be able to be scanned by the cash register?

You should scan the gift card first and then open it up. This morning I did just that and the very first card I scanned had been tampered with (digits 9-12 scratched off along with the security code on the back). However, since I hadn't yet paid I was easily able to try again with another card.

 

[Chicken]

You should scan the gift card first and then open it up.
since I hadn't yet paid I was easily able to try again with another card

Good planning!
I would have to bring a pair of scissors with me thou, I can't open these with bare hands.

 

[Happy Dude]

That's really interesting @VantageXL! No tampering to the packaging evident, I assume?

As @Chicken suggests, I reckon that's happening at production. You could still swipe that card in-store, assuming the balance hadn't been drained, but not if the security code is scratched off too though. I guess it buys the shonks heaps of time to use cards before you can.

Did not need more reasons to avoid these cards!!

 

[VantageXL]

No tampering to the packaging evident, I assume?

None whatsoever.

You could still swipe that card in-store

They usually wipe the magstripe so the cards are useless when swiped.

 

[SOPOOR]

Same here in north west Sydney. Bought 10, 2 failed. Went to service desk, and there was a man at the cash register trying to buy some and they also failed. The staff put my 2 failed cards into a box, and that box was already holding plenty of cards.



It is a lot of pain for the staff, and it wasn't 90 seconds. The staff did a refund for those 2, they got a stapler to staple the receipt with those 2 failed, then re-process the 2 replacement. It is not something they do day in day out, and it required staff to manually key $257 into the POS during refund process, it is a much slower process. It took a lot more than 5 minutes to activate the 2 replacements.

Not defending the decision to pull everything off the shelf, I have worked in retail for a long time and I would not have made that call; but I can understand why, especially when there are fewer and fewer staffs being put on in these large retailers.

There is also the risk , of the manager saying " sorry youll have to contact the card company"

And then its the next 2 weeks of being bounced up and back between them

 

[Chicken]

There is also the risk , of the manager saying " sorry youll have to contact the card company"

And then its the next 2 weeks of being bounced up and back between them

Sorry, not sure what you mean.

If you mean if the card is dodgy when I open it at home, then I have already opened a ticket on MyBalanceNow web site, just like what I did 4 months ago. This is just the way it is.

If you mean we check when we pay, then no, because "VantageXL" is saying, check the card first, before you pay, so if the staff won't void the transaction, you could simply walk out of the store without paying.