Responsibility of gift card scams

[alanjh595]

Is there a technological solution?

We are going to give cash instead.

QueenK will be happy!

Sudsy, you know that I am very fashion conscious, and so I would like to wear the appropriate outfit when I accept you kind and generous gift.
Shall I wear red or brown when you present me with my gift?

[Jlabute]

Cash, real-estate, direct-deposit, gold bars, are all good at Christmas, lol.

[my5cents]

Shoppers should honor the mistake since the card was altered while in their possession. That's my opinion since basically the theft has been perpetrated on their premises.

Might be time surveillance cameras were aimed at the card racks to catch the crooks.

Agreed.

Shoppers (owned by Justin's pals at Loblaw) sold the consumer a defective product.

If you bought a bottle of Aspirin and found that the it had already been emptied by a thief in the store, it's not your loss, it's the failure of the store to provide a merchantable product. It's right in the Sale of Goods Act - you contracted the store to sell you the item for which you tendered payment.

Duties of seller and buyer
31 It is the duty of the seller to deliver the goods, and of the buyer to accept and pay for them, in accordance with the terms of the contract of sale.

I'm concerned that it took until the second page for a poster to identify the actual problem.

Unless there is more to the story, if the victim purchased a gift card at a Shopper's Drug Mart and upon use found that there actually was no money available in the card, that is a breach of contract.

The seller contracted with the buyer that for the sum of $200, they would supply to the buyer with a gift card of the value of $200.

If the buyer had purchased a box that appeared to contain a certain electronic device, when the buy got home and opened the box and found a block of wood inside instead of the electronic device, the contract would not be complete and the buyer would have the right to repudiate the contract and get their money back. Basic contract law.

Shoppers managed to purchase a million dollars of bad press for only $200. Great business plan, but again they are the ones sending out the ridiculous flyer, overfilled with sales items with pages of different sizes. Mine goes straight to recycling.

[Bsuds]

Sudsy, you know that I am very fashion conscious, and so I would like to wear the appropriate outfit when I accept you kind and generous gift.
Shall I wear red or brown when you present me with my gift?

Something warm because Hell would have frozen over...

[ferri]

[Urban Cowboy]

I would think that they should also be able to scan the purchased card, to ensure it is worth what was paid, before the customer even leaves the store.

Wouldn't it be too late by then? The scammer would already have the money.

Well quite possibly but the point would be they'd know the customer wasn't at fault, whereas once he leaves the store they could argue that he spent it. They can't take $200 bucks from the person at the till, and check the card to see a zero balance, then assume it isn't their responsibility.

[Steve-O]

Not really the retailers responsibility. They are also out the sale of the card as well. Frustrations for both parties. Hold the scammer responsible.

Best suggestion on here was have blanks on the sales floor and the cashier has the actual cards to load behind the counter.

[Hmmm]

Not really the retailers responsibility. They are also out the sale of the card as well. Frustrations for both parties. Hold the scammer responsible.

Best suggestion on here was have blanks on the sales floor and the cashier has the actual cards to load behind the counter.

I strongly disagree. It is simple to tell if the card is tampered with. You look at the back and check it.... If there appears to be a sticker over the bar code thats it... Bad card. Shoppers should have checked and needed to have checked. They didn't check. Its their fault period.

[Bsuds]

Its their fault period.

I disagree, the retailer has to take some responsibility for not keeping the cards secure.

[Hmmm]

Its their fault period.

I disagree, the retailer has to take some responsibility for not keeping the cards secure.

Actually that’s what I said. It’s shoppers drug fault. Simple to just check the back barcode since it’s well known they can be tampered with.

[Urban Cowboy]

Not really the retailers responsibility. They are also out the sale of the card as well. Frustrations for both parties. Hold the scammer responsible.

Best suggestion on here was have blanks on the sales floor and the cashier has the actual cards to load behind the counter.

So in essence you are saying it's the retailers fault for having the cards unsecured to where scammers can tamper with them.

After all it's a known problem, just as is theft of expensive razor blades, and electronics, that they keep under lock and key in many stores.

[Steve-O]

So in essence you are saying it's the retailers fault for having the cards unsecured to where scammers can tamper with them.

After all it's a known problem, just as is theft of expensive razor blades, and electronics, that they keep under lock and key in many stores.

*removed*

That is not at all what I'm saying. Not the retailers fault. Not the consumers fault. But, yes it is a problem that someone earlier in the thread offered a that stops both parties from getting shafted by the scammer. I just shared that along with the observation that the retailer loses here as well. Heck, there is a third victim too; the brand on the card. Now no one is going to their place to shop or eat.

The argument about an empty bottle of aspirin doesn't hold water. If you picked it up and it didn't weigh anything or rattle, are you still buying it? In addition, once found, the retailer will get credit back for it. Not so with a tampered card.

There is always caveat emptor.

[Urban Cowboy]

Where exactly did I say anything about aspirin ever?

*removed*

Looking over the thread it seems most agree it's the retailers fault and rightly so. They're obligated to address known problems that affect their customers.

[Bsuds]

I disagree, the retailer has to take some responsibility for not keeping the cards secure.

Actually that’s what I said. It’s shoppers drug fault. Simple to just check the back barcode since it’s well known they can be tampered with.

Sorry I read that wrong.

[normaM]

I have asked ppl not to get me the GC anymore. Ike I said I had to mail back the dud card, then he made another trip... LD said " guess the balance was used" oh well, lesson learned