PC GC balance stolen; PC sent replacement card with 0 balance, continue to bungle response
I bought a $200 President Choice Gift Card at a Loblaws (so I get points on visa card). I went to No Frills (at Yonge/Finch) to shop, where I had to scratch the card for the pin, and ended with $164 balance on the GC.
A week later I went to another No Frills to shop, and was told the GC had 0 balance. I went on giftofchoice.ca to check the balance, it was 0. I called PC, they said the day after I used it at NF, there were 3 balance checks, and then it was used up that same day at a No Frills far away from me. I told them I had the physical card with me this whole time and did not go out to shop with this GC, and that NF was far from me. They opened a case, asked me to send in pics of the card, receipt, etc.
Two weeks later, I got an email saying they are sending me a replacement card. I replied it's good they'll send a card, but what happened, how can I have confidence when the balance can be stolen. There was no response for many days.
Today I got the replacement card, with instruction that the cards must be activated before they can be used. I went on giftofchoice.ca, but there is no where to activate the card. I called, and after a long wait, a lady CSR answered. She said the card should already be activated and I didn't need to activate. I replied they need to change the instruction then. But she then confirmed the card had 0 balance. She asked for the original case number, reviewed, then said she will escalate and transfer me to a supervisor -- then dropped me.
I called again, and waited long. Another lady CSR answered, said she sees the notes this is escalated to a supervisor. She said I'll need to wait for a call back from the supervisor, as they cannot transfer to a supervisor?!? I said the other lady shouldn't say she was transferring me. She can't do anything, and I have to wait.
So my PC GC balance can be stolen even though I have the physical card. PC sent a 0 balance replacement card, with wrong instruction, and CSRs cannot rectify and gave wrong instruction (about waiting for transfer). This gives no confidence in the security of PC GCs, and how PC handles problems.
A week later I went to another No Frills to shop, and was told the GC had 0 balance. I went on giftofchoice.ca to check the balance, it was 0. I called PC, they said the day after I used it at NF, there were 3 balance checks, and then it was used up that same day at a No Frills far away from me. I told them I had the physical card with me this whole time and did not go out to shop with this GC, and that NF was far from me. They opened a case, asked me to send in pics of the card, receipt, etc.
Two weeks later, I got an email saying they are sending me a replacement card. I replied it's good they'll send a card, but what happened, how can I have confidence when the balance can be stolen. There was no response for many days.
Today I got the replacement card, with instruction that the cards must be activated before they can be used. I went on giftofchoice.ca, but there is no where to activate the card. I called, and after a long wait, a lady CSR answered. She said the card should already be activated and I didn't need to activate. I replied they need to change the instruction then. But she then confirmed the card had 0 balance. She asked for the original case number, reviewed, then said she will escalate and transfer me to a supervisor -- then dropped me.
I called again, and waited long. Another lady CSR answered, said she sees the notes this is escalated to a supervisor. She said I'll need to wait for a call back from the supervisor, as they cannot transfer to a supervisor?!? I said the other lady shouldn't say she was transferring me. She can't do anything, and I have to wait.
So my PC GC balance can be stolen even though I have the physical card. PC sent a 0 balance replacement card, with wrong instruction, and CSRs cannot rectify and gave wrong instruction (about waiting for transfer). This gives no confidence in the security of PC GCs, and how PC handles problems.
