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Call Kurtis: Inactivated Gift Card

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Aug 14, 2008 9:29 pm US/Pacific

Call Kurtis: Inactivated Gift Card

Folsom Woman is Embarrassed When Her Gift Card Doesn't Work

Reporting
Kurtis Ming
FOLSOM (CBS13) ― A Folsom woman says the restaurant gift card she gave her co-worker didn't work.  When Wal-Mart didn't seem willing to fix it, she called Kurtis Ming.

When you see those kiosks of gift cards at Wal-Mart and other stores, the actual cards won't work until you pay and they're activated. This woman was trying to do something nice for her new co-worker.

But her nice gesture turned quite embarrassing!

"If they're going to sell a product, you have to be responsible for that product", Theresa Grant told Kurtis.

She bought a $25 gift card from the Wal-Mart on Watt Avenue. It was good at several restaurants.

She gave it to her co-worker Becky who tried to use it at the Macaroni Grill.

The restaurant declined the card saying there was no money on it.

Becky told Theresa the next day.

"I was like so embarrassed" said Grant. "I gave her the $25 and said here, here's the cash".

Fortunately Grant still had her receipt. When she returned to Wal-Mart, the manager told her there was nothing they could do once the card leaves the store. She was instructed to call the number on the back of the card. That number doesn't give you the option of speaking with anyone. When she enters the card's information, an automated voice is heard saying, "you must activate this card before performing the transaction".

Grant returned to Wal-Mart three times trying to get this straightened out. Each time she says she was told there was nothing they could do.

Kurtis called Wal-Mart's corporate offices in Arkansas, and sent them copies of the gift card and receipt.

They investigated.

It turns out, the information on the card's packaging which is used to activate the card... Didn't match the information on the actual gift card.... that's why it never worked.

They assured Kurtis this is a rare problem.

Wal-Mart apologized for their customer service dropping the ball and agreed to refund the $25 and activate Grant's gift card so she can have a meal on them!

She plans to take Becky to dinner.

Always hold onto your receipts after buying a gift card.

It's proof you paid for the gift card, which is a worthless piece of plastic when not activated.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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