For some context here...My wife's 89 year old mother bought a Gift Card at Home Depot for my wife. The sentiment was a Birthday gift for my wife so she could go out and buy some flowers for her garden. It really doesn't get any more innocent and kind than this. It really doesn't.
BUT...when my wife went to use the card, Home Depot said it was "invalid", so she paid in cash. Let the games begin!!!
1. Home Depot Customer Service (in the store) says they have no way to look into anything about the card because it shows as "invalid", so there's no account to check.
2. Telephone call to the number on the back of the card (some fucking 3rd party selling these cards, who contracts their Customer Service out to a Call Center in Mumbai, India) results in them saying you'll have to take it up with the place who sold the card. Oh, and the reason is "Because there are lots of scams out there on these cards right now". How convenient. (So, what is your entire purpose in any of this??? Oh, I get it, just to blow people off! You serve ZERO other purpose otherwise because there is literally nothing you can do...so why exist at all???)
3. Telephone call to the store who sold the card. "Yep, that's our Head Cashier, but we can't do anything without seeing the card itself...and the receipt for the purchase...AND by the person who made the purchase (not anyone else, because we can't talk to them, oh, and (you guessed it)...there's lots of scams out there right now)". Well, we are in Colorado. 89 year old MIL is in Maryland.
4. Telephone call to local HD (Manager). "Yeah, I get it. We hate these cards, and I'm really sorry. Best I can do is offer you 50% off on a purchase just out of our cost. I really don't have any way to look up one of these damn cards...even if it's a valid card, unfortunately. Only the store who sold it can. These cards are nothing but a headache to us, they're a customer service nightmare and we hate them!" (Finally! At least someone who is honest).
...and the fight goes on.
To me, now it is the principle of the whole thing. I'm not going to give up this fight now, even if there were only $0.05 cents balance on this card!! This is WAR!!!
They are preying on the fact that this 89 year old woman in Maryland won't fight (bad idea! One, she's Italian, and. Two, she's Italian!!), BUT I'm not giving up that easy. And she doesn't even know about this yet (and I'd like to keep it that way).
BUT...when my wife went to use the card, Home Depot said it was "invalid", so she paid in cash. Let the games begin!!!
1. Home Depot Customer Service (in the store) says they have no way to look into anything about the card because it shows as "invalid", so there's no account to check.
2. Telephone call to the number on the back of the card (some fucking 3rd party selling these cards, who contracts their Customer Service out to a Call Center in Mumbai, India) results in them saying you'll have to take it up with the place who sold the card. Oh, and the reason is "Because there are lots of scams out there on these cards right now". How convenient. (So, what is your entire purpose in any of this??? Oh, I get it, just to blow people off! You serve ZERO other purpose otherwise because there is literally nothing you can do...so why exist at all???)
3. Telephone call to the store who sold the card. "Yep, that's our Head Cashier, but we can't do anything without seeing the card itself...and the receipt for the purchase...AND by the person who made the purchase (not anyone else, because we can't talk to them, oh, and (you guessed it)...there's lots of scams out there right now)". Well, we are in Colorado. 89 year old MIL is in Maryland.
4. Telephone call to local HD (Manager). "Yeah, I get it. We hate these cards, and I'm really sorry. Best I can do is offer you 50% off on a purchase just out of our cost. I really don't have any way to look up one of these damn cards...even if it's a valid card, unfortunately. Only the store who sold it can. These cards are nothing but a headache to us, they're a customer service nightmare and we hate them!" (Finally! At least someone who is honest).
...and the fight goes on.
To me, now it is the principle of the whole thing. I'm not going to give up this fight now, even if there were only $0.05 cents balance on this card!! This is WAR!!!
They are preying on the fact that this 89 year old woman in Maryland won't fight (bad idea! One, she's Italian, and. Two, she's Italian!!), BUT I'm not giving up that easy. And she doesn't even know about this yet (and I'd like to keep it that way).