[Oakwerks]

2 weeks ago I received my $20 rebate on my router.... It came in the form of a Visa gift card... I carried it until yesterday, and used it for breakfast.... The server brought it back to me and said there was only $16.66 left on it....
This is apparently a Visa scam.... So, if you get one of these cards from anyone, use it ASAP....

Sent to y'all offen' a iPad thing......

 

[dodgeboy77]

I have one of those rebate cards coming. Where was the scam? Was it that the card never had $20 on it as promised? How do you think using it immediately will help?

I'm not doubting you at all, just trying to figure out how you got cheated so I can avoid it myself.

Bill

 

[Oakwerks]

I believe visa deducts money from these over time.... I understood the government stopped the practice.... Maybe not....
Use it as soon as it comes, and you should be ok....



Sent to y'all offen' a iPad thing......

 

[rrich]

Here is the problem.

When you use a "gift" card at a restaurant, Visa has to assume that you are going to leave a tip. Therefore the pre-authorization tries to take the tip in account. The reason is that you'll put a number in the place for a tip and just leave.

So here is the way to use the card. You know that the card is $20. Just tell the server to deduct a specific amount (i.e. $20) from the card. It will go through w/o a problem.

I had a similar problem with a $50 Visa gift card. It was the clerk at a truck stop in Weed, CA that explained the problem. She said, "Visa is all effed up. Just go out and pump $50, not a penny more. Then come back and we'll do the transaction. I have to do it as a PURCHASE and not as a pre-authorization. She also said that she couldn't mix a debit and credit in the same transaction." So I did $49.95, closed the transaction and then did another credit transaction to fill the tank." That was almost 10 years ago. So Visa is still carrying the nickel because gift cards never expire in California. In the clerks word, eff em.

 

[rrich]

Yes, the town's name really is WEED.