An unactivated gift card as a gift - would you call them on it?

[laffnatu]

We had our Christmas party at work on Friday. We draw names and get $10 gifts for people. We also play Dirty Santa.

 

Well, I received a card to Walmart with a box of candy. My friends were teasing me saying it probably wasn't activated because there was nothing written on the back. I laughed and said how are you supposed to call someone out on something like that if it did happen? I wasn't sure how much was on the card, but I figured the candy cost a couple of bucks so there was probably something left on it.

 

DH and I stopped by Walmart to check on a case for my new phone. I couldn't find a case but decided to buy Resident Evil on blu-ray for $15. I gave the guy at the register my gift card and was going to pay the balance. He kept swiping the card. I said...it's not activated is it? LOL. He asked if I wanted to activated. I started laughing my butt off. I told him my gift card story and that no I didn't want to add my own money to it. He was laughing and started telling another employee.LOL. I bought my blu-ray anyways. :)

 

We left the store and DH told me I was taking it pretty well. My response was what could I do but laugh about it. LOL.

 

The gift card had a tree that you add sticker to so you can decorate it. I don't know if the girl thought it was a greeting card or what? But it did say Walmart across it. Maybe she bought it but didn't know it had to be activated but you would think she'd had noticed if they didn't charge her for it.

 

I know the gifts were only $10 but would you call someone out on it? My friends laughed their butt off when I told them what happened at Walmart. One asked me what I was going to do, I said IDK.

 

Sorry this is so long... I'm rambling..lol

[floridasun5]

I dont think I would necessarily confront the gift giver, but you could either make a joke out of it if you regularly talk to the girl. Maybe laugh to her about it and hopefully if she is a nice enough person, she should offer to fix it for you.

 

If you dont talk to her, maybe you can also tell another co-worker, even make a joke out of it and they could relay the information back to the gift giver.

 

Otherwise, if not, I would just write it off as a bad gift exchange. We had a $30 gift exchange at work, where people always buy something for $30, usually gift cards. I only got a $20 gift card this year. Just wrote it off as no big deal and spent my $20 yesterday lol

[conj]

hopefully she didn't pay to have it activated....

[mommyx3]

Why not say something like, "Hey I hung the card in my tree. I figured it was blank anyways, so I made it a cute decoration?" This way she will either say "No there is money on it" and you will have your answer and then can tell her later you tried to use it and it was blank. Or she will laugh and say "See I am one dirty Santa" and you'll know it was a trick. This way if she did put money on it and was charged, she can get it fixed and won't be out money.

[Swampbaby]

Why not say something like, "Hey I hung the card in my tree. I figured it was blank anyways, so I made it a cute decoration?" This way she will either say "No there is money on it" and you will have your answer and then can tell her later you tried to use it and it was blank. Or she will laugh and say "See I am one dirty Santa" and you'll know it was a trick. This way if she did put money on it and was charged, she can get it fixed and won't be out money.

I think you have the very best idea. :)

[Scanner420]

I'd make a joke of it since it was only ten bucks.

 

I'd probably be like, "Hey! I went to WalMart and used the gift card! And the reciept came back with Ha! Ha! Ha! You Must be Kidding! Pay up Deadbeat!"

 

Or something of that nature.

 

[Kandy]

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Well, I received a card to Walmart with a box of candy. My friends were teasing me saying it probably wasn't activated because there was nothing written on the back.

 

Maybe they already knew there was not money on it , where they (the friends) also coworkers?

 

I wouldn't call the person out on it, you could kid with the coworkers/ friends that said something about nothing being on it saying that you really did enjoy the ornament (maybe even place it on your tree and take a pic).

[tokanm]

I gave a gift card once to someone and had the same thing happen..it was not Walmart it

was to Best Buy. I no longer had my receipt so we were both SOL

 

Now if I buy a GC I always put the register receipt in with the GC..just in case

[leefamily23]

I had that happen to one I gave as a gift once too. It was for Sears though. I gave it to my BIL for his birthday ($50). He went to use it and it denied for no money on it. He was embarassed I believe and told my sister not to tell me. She did though, and I was glad she did. I still had my receipt and took it back to the store. They then activated it. From that point forward I always give the receipt w/ the gift cards too.

[MonsterMutts]

This happened to me at walgreens. I got a 25.00 gift card for a prescription and the next time I went back it was only .25....

 

Mistakes happen, I would mention it. If you sepnt the 10.00 and someone thought you were a bum you'd want to make it right....

[booga12345]

If it was given by somebody you know well, I would say something. If not, I wouldn't even bother, I doubt the embarrassment is worth 10 bucks.

[mesarobins]

I gave a gift card once to someone and had the same thing happen..it was not Walmart it

was to Best Buy. I no longer had my receipt so we were both SOL

 

Now if I buy a GC I always put the register receipt in with the GC..just in case

This happened to my mom with a birthday gift to my daughter to Aeropostale. Luckily we tried to use it soon after it was given and mom had the receipt. Took a final call and letter to corporate HQ to get it fixed but they did fix it (and gave us a % off coupon to boot).