ALERT: My $500 eBay Gift Card VANISHED Overnight—Is eBay is trying to Steal Our Money?

[intelitanium]

Hey everyone,

I have to vent about an absolute NIGHTMARE I’ve been experiencing with eBay lately. It’s beyond belief! Picture this: I had nearly **$500** sitting on my eBay gift card, ready to treat myself. But overnight, my entire gift card balance DISAPPEARED from my account! Just poof—gone. 😡

I had just bought another item for nearly $400, and now I'm stuck unable to pay the seller because of this disappearance. I can’t even express the frustration I felt as I frantically contacted eBay customer care multiple times. I’ve spoken to several representatives, and let me tell you, none of them were remotely helpful. It’s like they were reading from a script and had no clue about my situation. Some were even downright rude when I called out their awful service!

It’s been DAYS since this incident, and I have received ZERO communication from eBay about what’s happening. Today, they finally decided to tell me they’re hiding my gift card for “security reasons.” Really, eBay?! After pressing them for answers, one customer service officer finally asked me to submit proof of purchase, email details, and all that nonsense. OF COURSE, I complied, but where’s my money???

Honestly, it seems like eBay is using sneaky tactics to keep customers' hard-earned money. This disappearing gift card balance smells fishy to me!

And don’t get me started on their so-called **promotional vouchers**—you buy an item, thinking you’ll snag a discount, but suddenly, when you go to check out, the voucher code disappears! It’s completely maddening! I feel like eBay is playing games with us.

If you’re experiencing similar issues or if this sounds all too familiar, beware! We need to look for alternative selling platforms where they don’t pull these shady tricks.

I just wanted to share my story to warn others. Let’s spread the word about these ridiculous practices! Check your gift card balance regularly, Stay vigilant, everyone!

George from Ebay Australia

[twyngwyn]

Go to Help top of page, and type in eBay gift cards

[intelitanium]

Thank you for your reply. However, I’m not entirely clear on your request. I used a small portion of that gift card for a minor purchase earlier, but the remaining balance seems to have disappeared without a trace!

[twyngwyn]

It says (in part) that the balance is saved to your account.

Have you tried purchasing without it?

What options are you given at checkout?

[intelitanium]

You're correct—the remaining balance of the gift card should have been permanently linked to my account. I’ve been using gift cards for many years, but unfortunately, in this case, the entire balance has vanished without a trace. Now my remaining options are only pay by Paypal etc.

[twyngwyn]

Then they owe you money….you’ve uploaded the paperwork, so I imagine there will be a time lag in getting it 😵‍💫

[twyngwyn]

Can you send the seller of the $400 item, a link to this thread…..they may cancel for you, and ‘hold’ until this is sorted?

[intelitanium]

I uploaded all the proof of purchase documents the day before yesterday (sorry for the mix-up regarding the date in my initial post). My main issue with eBay isn't just that my gift card is hidden and frozen.

The real problem is the lack of communication about the freeze for so-called security reasons—there have been no messages or emails from eBay after my gift cards were frozen. I also noticed that smaller balances from older gift cards are missing, and now there’s no trace of any gift card balances in my account. If I hadn’t caught it in time, I could have lost all that money due to eBay's silence. I only received requests for proof of purchase after I pressed them repeatedly and after several customer service chats.

[lezned-toycollector]

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@intelitanium wrote:

I just wanted to share my story to warn others. Let’s spread the word about these ridiculous practices! Check your gift card balance regularly, Stay vigilant, everyone!

George from Ebay Australia

---

As long as you are impersonating eBay employees, you'll never get anywhere. As you are well aware, that's a strict no-no 😯

[intelitanium]

Thank you for your comment. You might have a point. As I mentioned earlier, I uploaded the requested proof of purchase documents a few days ago for my digital eBay gift card. However, yesterday they asked me for the same information again, and I complied by sending it once more. Today, they requested a photo of the "back side of the gift card." Unfortunately, as is well known, digital gift cards do not have a back side! eBay's guidelines specify that a photo of the back is only required for physical gift cards. It seems the customer service representatives are either not reading my emails or are unclear about what they're asking for. Your comment is certainly valid; I feel like I'm getting nowhere if they continue to request a photo of the back of this digital gift card. I have been with eBay for many years, and customer service was much better when it was based in Australia. Since they subcontracted it, the service has noticeably declined. If I don't find a resolution soon, I plan to discuss this issue in my favorite online forums, where I hope to get advice from others. Alternatively, I may consider reaching out to the financial ombudsman or media outlets like Current Affairs for further assistance.

[twyngwyn]

It’s a known issue…

from the U.S. boards:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Gift-Card-Issues/m-p/35032549

[intelitanium]

Hi Twyngwyn, Thank you for your time and advice. I understand the need to freeze cards for security reasons, but the lack of communication and no transparency is concerning. There’s no indication in my account that my gift card is frozen or requiring any action on my part—it has simply disappeared. In the meantime, I’ve kept the seller in the loop, and he is currently holding the item for me. However, the network devices I purchased were supposed to be picked up and installed at a customer location yesterday. Unfortunately, this has disrupted our plans and will likely lead to further delays over the holiday period.

[twyngwyn]

Good luck!

[intelitanium]

Update: 01 May 2025

Hi everyone,

On the 28th of April 2025, I was relieved to hear that Ebay had unfreeze my funds after 2weeks. But that relief was short-lived — today, I found that the remaining balance has vanished again, as eBay has frozen it **once more**, without any warning or explanation.😡😠

What’s worse is that eBay never notified me when they froze my funds. When I contacted customer support, they couldn’t provide any concrete reason and simply told me it could take **up to another 35 days** to unfreeze the account. This lack of communication, transparency, and respect for customers’ funds is completely unacceptable.

I’m extremely disappointed and frustrated with eBay’s handling of this matter. It’s a clear indication of poor customer service and disregard for user trust.

I strongly advise anyone with gift card balances to check their accounts regularly; otherwise, you might lose your funds forever. eBay’s handling of this issue has been nothing short of disappointing.

This experience has seriously damaged my confidence in their platform.

[twyngwyn]

If it was me, I would once again contact eBay and tell them you’re going to the ombudsman …. See if that makes a difference

[intelitanium]

Update : (27Apr):

During a recent follow-up call, another Ebay CSR informed that it could take an additional 30 to 40days to resolve the matter. (***) How on earth Ebay?

I believe eBay must address the following critical concerns:

1.

Customers must be promptly notified whenever a gift card is frozen for any reason, including details about the remaining balances.

2.

After verifying proof of purchase documents, eBay should expedite the release of the gift card. These gift cards are equivalent to physical money, and eBay does not have the right to withhold them for an extended period. Customers rely on these funds to make purchases quickly and efficiently.

[intelitanium]

Update : (28Apr) Issues Resolved: eBay Customer Service Unfroze My Gift Cards. I had a final chat session with an eBay customer service representative who requested that I have t re-submit original documents, as I had initially provided only photos of printouts containing my eBay username and the date. I explained that my submission adhered to eBay's guidelines and declined to resubmit anything further. To my surprise, they informed me a few minutes later that my gift card had been unfrozen, and I confirmed that it is now back in my account. Regarding the order, as @JimmyF pointed out, the seller didn't cancel it; it was automatically canceled by eBay. The seller then relisted the item for me, and I proceeded with the purchase. I was also able to reclaim the initial order for installation, which is a great relief. I'm not sure why the issue was resolved sooner than the expected 30-40 days. During previous chats, I shared a link to the forum posts, which might have played a role. Thank you to everyone who read and commented on this post. Have a great time! Cheers!

[countessalmirena]

I’m pleased to see that this awful kerfuffle (well, worse than a kerfuffle) has been resolved. It should have been dealt with more swiftly, of course…