Ugh... stupid Chapters *updated*

[Mucman]

I recently lost my wallet, and inside of it was a $100 GC to Chapters.

My Dad still had the receipt so I got it from him and went to a local store to see if I can get a replacement. According to them it's like I lost $100 cash! I couldn't believe they didn't have any simple card de-activation setup. What's worse is that they said that if I knew the number on the card I wouldn't have any problems. On the receipt I have the following :

GIVEX CERT. # xxxxxxxx
Certificate Security Code: xxxxxx OP ID: xxxxx
TRANS EF #: xxxxxxxx

The won't use this info deactivate the card and issue me a new one. None of these numbers seem to work online either. There's supposed to be a PIN inside the envelope, but it looks like the sales person did not write it down in there.

Anyone have any advice? I'm going to write Chapters and let them know that their GC has a serious technical flaw.

UPDATE
Here's what I sent to a special support rep after bringing up my problem with two local stores:

Hi Donna,

I was given your address by the manager of the Chapters store located in
Coquitlam, BC (Pinetree Village).

For Christmas I received a Chapters Gift Card values at $100. Shortly
after on Boxing Day, I lost my wallet (for the first time in my life!).
I went through the motions and got everything replaced without any
problems except for the cash and the Gift Card.

I can understand that my cash will be lost forever. The Gift Card on the
other hand is a peculiar issue. The Gift Card contains a key (the card
number), and the receipt my Dad gave me contains the following:

GIVEX CERT #: 17506006
Certificate Security Code: 96142 OP ID: 51556

The manager at the store kept on reciting that the Gift Card is just
like cash. Even with a proof of purchase she told me that she cannot
even do a simple lookup in the database to tell me if my card had been
used! Why is that? What makes that piece of plastic so important? Heck,
Chapters gives out PIN numbers with the card (unfortunately the clerk
never wrote mine down in the booklet). This PIN number has cash value
when purchasing on-line. This really defeats the argument that the card
is like cash. It's the number that is like cash.

Why can't anyone at any Chapters stores do a simple lookup to see if the
card is being used (using the codes on the receipt)? And if the card has
not been used, deactivate the card and issue me a new one. If there is a
technical reason why, then there is a huge design flaw in your Gift Card
system. If it's not a technical reason, and it's a business reason...
then I guess it's a shrewd tactic because Chapters now has $100 of my
Dad's money, and him nor I have received any service or product from the
store.

Thank goodness my bank doesn't have the same technical deficiencies with
their bank cards as Chapters does with their Gift Cards. Or else I would
have lost my life savings!

I also lost my Chapters card with my wallet. I spend several hundred
dollars (perhaps thousands) on books a year. As of right now, I have no
plans on getting a new Chapters card; And I have no plans on shopping at
Chapters ever again.

Hope to hear from you soon,
Scott Muc

I got a reponse back today saying that she can deactivate my card, and she's mailing me a new one. Took them a while, but I am happy to achieve the result I wanted.

 

[krunchykrome]

What kind of store is Chapters?

 

[Mucman]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
What kind of store is Chapters?

I guess it doesn't exist south of the border

 

[krunchykrome]

Hahaha, I've never heard of it, seriously. I live in Maryland. Kinda reminds me of a Sears.

 

[Mucman]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Hahaha, I've never heard of it, seriously. I live in Maryland. Kinda reminds me of a Sears.

I think they are the equivalent of Barnes and Noble.

 

[TwinkleToes77]

yeah its just a book store. ...


but besides that.. it is basically the equivalent of losing cash. It sucks.

 

[Mucman]

Originally posted by: TwinkleToes77
yeah its just a book store. ...


but besides that.. it is basically the equivalent of losing cash. It sucks.

I know

I still believe their GC implementation is technicaly flawed if they cannot deactivate the card given the receipt.

 

[Mucman]

Here's what I sent to a special support rep after bringing up my problem with two local stores:

Hi Donna,

I was given your address by the manager of the Chapters store located in
Coquitlam, BC (Pinetree Village).

For Christmas I received a Chapters Gift Card values at $100. Shortly
after on Boxing Day, I lost my wallet (for the first time in my life!).
I went through the motions and got everything replaced without any
problems except for the cash and the Gift Card.

I can understand that my cash will be lost forever. The Gift Card on the
other hand is a peculiar issue. The Gift Card contains a key (the card
number), and the receipt my Dad gave me contains the following:

GIVEX CERT #: 17506006
Certificate Security Code: 96142 OP ID: 51556

The manager at the store kept on reciting that the Gift Card is just
like cash. Even with a proof of purchase she told me that she cannot
even do a simple lookup in the database to tell me if my card had been
used! Why is that? What makes that piece of plastic so important? Heck,
Chapters gives out PIN numbers with the card (unfortunately the clerk
never wrote mine down in the booklet). This PIN number has cash value
when purchasing on-line. This really defeats the argument that the card
is like cash. It's the number that is like cash.

Why can't anyone at any Chapters stores do a simple lookup to see if the
card is being used (using the codes on the receipt)? And if the card has
not been used, deactivate the card and issue me a new one. If there is a
technical reason why, then there is a huge design flaw in your Gift Card
system. If it's not a technical reason, and it's a business reason...
then I guess it's a shrewd tactic because Chapters now has $100 of my
Dad's money, and him nor I have received any service or product from the
store.

Thank goodness my bank doesn't have the same technical deficiencies with
their bank cards as Chapters does with their Gift Cards. Or else I would
have lost my life savings!

I also lost my Chapters card with my wallet. I spend several hundred
dollars (perhaps thousands) on books a year. As of right now, I have no
plans on getting a new Chapters card; And I have no plans on shopping at
Chapters ever again.

Hope to hear from you soon,
Scott Muc

I got a reponse back today saying that she can deactivate my card, and she's mailing me a new one. Took them a while, but I am happy to achieve the result I wanted.

 

[KarenMarie]

Good, I am glad you will not have to take that loss.

I would go back and tell the store manager what happened and tell him he is lazy.

 

[cyclistca]

Sorry to hear that Mucman. Hope things work out for you.

<--- Goes and reads new book that he bought with GC that he found in someone wallet

 

[Mucman]

Originally posted by: cyclistca
Sorry to hear that Mucman. Hope things work out for you.

<--- Goes and reads new book that he bought with GC that he found in someone wallet

Read my latest post

 

[imported_Mike]

eh