Consumer complaint received 2024-01-04
Product: Prepaid card — Gift card
Issue: Trouble using the card — Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Company: Blackhawk Network Holdings Inc. (KY)

In early XX/XX/XXXX, I was given a XXXX gift card for {$200.00}. The card is branded XXXX. The receipt, which was given to me along with the card, is also branded XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I attempted to use the card to purchase a concert ticket through the XXXX XXXX. The App required that I provide a pin number, along with the gift card number. To access the pin, the instructions on the gift card say, " scratch gently to reveal PIN. '' This refers to a piece of foil tape that is affixed to the back of the XXXX gift card. The foil was very hard to remove. And when it did come off, it took the pin number off as well. There is only one legible number. A second number is blurred to the point of being illegible. and any other numbers, if there were any, are missing all together. 

I was unable to use the card through the XXXXXXXX XXXX to purchase concert tickets, due to not being able to provide a pin number. 

I went to the XXXX customer service website. There was no information about gift cards there, so I called the phone number provided. The agent I spoke with said she could do nothing for me. I asked her to escalate my complaint to a supervisor, which she did. She said that I would receive a call or email response within several days. I did receive an email response that same day. ( Attached ) The response states that the card was purchased through Cash Star, a third party vendor. The written response also provided customer service contact information for Cash Star.

I called the number provided for Cash Star. The agent there said that they do not/ can not replace my defective gift card. The only solution they offered was to have the " card holder '' contact them for a refund. But it turns out by " card holder '' they mean " card purchaser. '' Even though the nature of a gift card is- by design - that it is something of value that is given to someone other than the person who purchased the card. After discussion, the agent said that I could also contact XXXX Customer Service to receive a replacement card. They said that only XXXX could do that. 

I called the XXXX number again. Again they told me that their system can not provide me with any information about the gift card, since it was purchased through their 3rd party vendor. I asked for the complaint to be escalated to a supervisor. They said they couldn't do that since I had already escalated it once. But they assured me that Cash Star customer service has full access to the information about my gift card and that they were the only entity that could provide me with a replacement card. 

I called Cash Star again. Again they said they do not/ can not/ will not provide a replacement card. Even though the card they designed and distributed is defective by design. When used exactly as the instructions say, their own card destroys the information a consumer needs to access the value of the card. Rendering the card worth {$200.00} for them and {$0.00} for me, the consumer. That's a pretty good return on investment - for them! Cash Star again recommended that I call XXXX customer service to resolve my complaint. 

I did, for some foolish reason, call XXXX a final time. The answer was no different. They will do nothing for me. I'm left with a card that is worth {$0.00} to me but {$200.00} to them. 

I will note that the solution offered by Cash Star- for the purchaser of the card to contact them for a refund- is unacceptable. Many people who receive gift cards never know who the purchaser of the card was. In this case I do know who purchased the card. But for private reasons I have no intention of contacting them about this matter, nor should I have to. 

The gift card was given to me, as the product is designed to be given. I was provided with the order number and a receipt, both branded with XXXX logos and contact information. I have provided that documentation to both XXXX and Cash Star representatives. I used the card in the manner it is designed to be used, by gently scratching off the foil to supposedly reveal a pin number, but in actuality, there is no pin number waiting behind the curtain. Without the pin number, I am unable to use the value of the card to make a purchase through the XXXX XXXX. And the two companies simply pass my complaint back and forth without addressing it in any way.