mark,  With the Woolies ones, it should say after you put in the 19 pins, e.g.  Balance $18.67   or Balance $0.00  and there should be a 1300 number there for you to call, and get a on-line History of the Transactions for that said "Gift Card".

 

It could be some one has Sold you a Doggy Card, or a used one. Try to talk to a Woolies Supv.  Hope it works out for you.

I called the 1300 number and got the automated message: "this card is cancelled" There was no option to talk to anyone. I've emailed them

 

Okay, now we are getting somewhere. You see when the card has zero Balance on it, means that all purchases have used up the Credit of your card.  NOW, when it said to you that the card has been Cancelled, well, that is a different matter.  The only two persons who can cancel the card you have are 1)  The Original Purchaser (not you.)  & 2)  Woolies themselves, due to a Card Reported Lost, Stolen, or could even be by internal Staff Theft, (not unheard of)

 

What area & State are you in ?   Please do not give me your address, l do not need it.  What is the closest Woolies to you ?

 

I will try to put you in contact with your Local Woolies Operations Manager, it is the least l can do for you. 

Here's some interesting information for anyone buying GIFT CARDs on eBay: Google "cloning gift cards" to see how you can get ripped off.
https://www.google.com/search?as_q=cloning+gift+cards

If the eBay listing makes the card number visible, in any way (even if it is blurred or not completely blurred) someone will clone it and you will get a dud card.

Thanks, I am in a rural area but I can ask my local Woolies manager, whom I know well.

This case is already with eBay and I think it's up to the seller to simply refund me now. He sold me a cancelled card ... what more it there to say?

 

Okay mark, all good, will leave it in your hands.  Please come back here to tell us the outcome, so that we all may learn for the future.

 

Sorry that you have had to go through this.  Go Get The Seller !!!!!  At the very least, an explanation is due to you, if not more.

 

Follow it through though, do not let up.  Hope that the outcome is a good one for you.

Your original post was more a statement asking others to comment.

You already had your answer on what to do when things go wrong with these transactions & you informed posters of how it was going to go.

It's an odd thread.

 

So you know the local Woolies manager & you claim to get these gift cards at a bargain yet sometimes pay more than the face value of the card.

 

Why do a large amount of gift cards sell for above the face value?

50% of these above price cards are BIN,not my figures but University of Chicago study on this phenomenon.

 

I never buy above price BIN, afaik. Maybe sometimes on auctions ... get caught up with it. I am continuing the thread because I said I would relate how these problems pan out. Others have asked for updates.

Nov 15 Woolies Wish Card,Value $478 but you paid $500

Nov 19 Coles Gift Card,Value $50 & you paid $52.11

 

Postage perhaps on top of that.