Consumer complaint received 2023-10-10
Company: Sezzle Inc.
State: VA
Product: Payday loan, title loan, personal loan, or advance loan
Sub-product: Installment loan
Issue: Getting the loan

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2023, I was in a XXXX store at a self-checkout, and I was attempting to purchase a {$200.00} XXXX XXXX  Gift Card . This card also has an activation fee of {$5.00}. So, my total for this purchase was {$200.00}. 
I was going to utilize my XXXX ( Buy Now Pay Later ) company called Sezzle to make this purchase through their app which is installed on my phone. It allows me to make purchases in stores and pay in XXXX installments over XXXX weeks ( XXXX upon purchase, XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) weeks later, XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) weeks after that, and the final XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) weeks later which would also be the last payment. 
When I went into the app, it asked me for the total of my order, which was {$200.00}. 
It then showed on my phone that the 1st installment was charged to my bank account card in the amount of {$51.00}. As I was going to bring my phone to the credit card reader to electronically scan, it said I have a XXXX gift card in the amount of {$200.00}. I was like what, this isn't right... so the manager saw me getting frazzled and she said to come to the regular register, and she would help me. So, we went to the register and when I tried to scan, it then said on the XXXX register that I can not pay for a gift card with a gift card .... I did not understand or know what was going on at the moment. The female manager said I could not get a refund either because they don't refund gift cards. I said I don't want t a XXXX gift card and I said I want to buy the XXXX XXXX Gift Card she was now holding in her hand and waiting for my transaction to be paid for. I told her to void the transaction in progress ( which was for the purchase of the XXXX XXXX Gift Card ) and I immediately called Sezzle to tell them there was a mistake with the processing of the order. After being disconnected 2 times I finally got someone on the phone and was told that they can not reverse it because they don't refund gift cards. I told the rep I was not trying to purchase a XXXX gift card, but I wanted a XXXX XXXX Gift Card. They said they couldn't help me but told me that gift cards never expire. Sezzle told me to take it up with XXXX because it was purchased in their store. I was not pleased with hearing that. I did not need a XXXX gift card let alone in such an odd amount. I never shop at XXXX, maybe 2 times a year ... and this was putting me into an awkward position at this point. No one noticed to say that stores such as XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and any other retail store NEVER CHARGES you for an activation fee on their own store gift cards, so this should have been a red flag that something in their system was not right. So, I then called XXXX customer service. 
I was basically told the same story about how the gift cards never expire ... I said to the rep, I DO NOT WANT A XXXX CARD AND I WAS TRYING TO PURCHASE A XXXX XXXX Gift Card. She told me that because it was paid through a 3rd party ( Sezzle ), Sezzle would have to process the refund. 

This is insanity because no one wants to take responsibility for this crazy error. I am also attaching ( if I can ) a picture of the voided transaction showing that I was indeed trying to purchase a XXXX XXXX Gift Card. This has been going on since XXXX. I have deleted Sezzle 's app from my phone and no longer want any part of this scam company. The XXXX gift card is also sitting unused on Sezzles app as well because I do not want it and I am NOT paying for something I DO NOT WANT FROM THE GET-GO! 

***PLEASE NOTE THEIR ARE 10 ATTACHMENTS OF PICTURES TO ASSIST YOU WITH EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE WITH TRYING TO CLEAR MY NAME***

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation