What is the deal with $0 value gift card lots selling for $$?

Tagged: Scam

This topic has 11 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 7 months ago by bcfol440.

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- 04/21/2018 at 3:39 pm #38073
  ChristineK
  Participant
  Location:
  @christinek
  Today I was dumpster diving for shipping boxes and I found a box full of inactivated gift cards from various stores. I assume that the dumpster was a store that sells various gift cards. Anyways, they are all definitely inactive…for kicks I looked up “gift card lot no value” and some really absurd selling prices came up. Is there any non-sketchy reason that someone would pay $54.95 for 58 0 value itunes cards? I kinda get the Starbucks and Toys R Us cards selling for a lot (Starbucks anything seems potentially collectible, and TRU is going out of business so maybe people have nostalgia?). While it seems like I could sell some of these for a good amount, I’m really hesitant as it seems rather sketchy. Am I overthinking it? Here are some examples of the sold auctions I found:
  
  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Music-ITunes-UNCHARGED-NO-VALUE-Collectible-Gift-Cards-Lot-58-New-On-Card/173067145595?epid=2168589316&hash=item284b9b117b:g:xXMAAOSwWHBaSUdm
  
  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-Apple-Music-ITunes-UNCHARGED-NO-VALUE-Collectible-Gift-Cards-Lot-New-On-Card/173186324602?epid=2168589316&hash=item2852b5987a:g:wfkAAOSwk25alvzp
  
  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Toys-R-Us-Geoffrey-Gift-Card-NO-VALUE-Lot-Of-13/302683035962?hash=item467950993a:g:MMoAAOSwi4dauA3t
  
  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-48-Collectible-Gift-Cards-8-diff-kinds-No-Cash-Value-crafts-DIY/202273376728?hash=item2f186ec9d8:g:wiMAAOSwicpaekwd
- 04/21/2018 at 7:06 pm #38084
  Jay
  Keymaster
  Location: Virginia
  @jay
  My gut reaction is that scammers buy them. They resell them promising they have value and just split the scene (using new accounts, etc) before the buyer realizes they’re worthless.
  
  But maybe someone knows how to turn the back on?
- 04/21/2018 at 7:15 pm #38086
  sonia
  Participant
  Location: Northeast US
  @sonia
  I clicked on the first listing and maybe I’m gullible, but it seemed legit to me. It said “for collecting or crafting purposes only,” and even described some cosmetic flaws on several of the cards. I tend to believe the crafting story, once I learned from ThePaperCastle on youtube that crafters buy lots of scrabble tiles (and other types of game tiles) on ebay. Those apple cards are kinda cool looking.
  But who knows.
  - 04/21/2018 at 7:20 pm #38089
    Jay
    Keymaster
    
    Location: Virginia
    @jay
    Maybe you’re right:
    https://craftingagreenworld.com/articles/diy-crafts-33-ways-recycle-gift-cards-credit-cards-plastic-cards/
    - 04/21/2018 at 7:25 pm #38094
      sonia
      Participant
      
      Location: Northeast US
      @sonia
      
      Now I just gotta get me one of those gift card necklaces!
- 04/21/2018 at 7:22 pm #38091
  sonia
  Participant
  Location: Northeast US
  @sonia
  OK, did some more Google research, and it turns out they are collectibles now, for real. People with collect anything, I guess. But some of them are nice looking, you have to admit.
  http://www.ecommercebytes.com/cab/abu/y207/m01/abu0182/s06
  
  Check out the collector’s forum
  http://www.giftcardcollector.com/viewforum.php?f=12&sid=64bff0ad7471c10f265d30fa3a589743
  
  “Looking for 2012 Nordstrom Blades of Grass Card. Will pay top dollar!!”
  
  wow
  - 04/21/2018 at 7:27 pm #38096
    Jay
    Keymaster
    
    Location: Virginia
    @jay
    People are nuts.
- 04/22/2018 at 1:47 am #38105
  AdventureE
  Participant
  Location:
  @adventuree
  While the cards may be used for crafting purposes, what comes to mind is the possiblity of scam and not wanting to be the one having sold/provided the cards if they are used in a scam. With today’s technologies, what was once thought impossible is now commone day practice.
- 04/22/2018 at 2:54 pm #38126
  ChristineK
  Participant
  Location:
  @christinek
  Clicking on that forum made me laugh. That’s an…interesting…thing to collect. I am going to chuck out the ones I found. Not worth the possibility that someone will do something sketchy with them.
  
  Now if I find that 2012 Nordstroms blades of grass card, I’m selling that bad boy lol!!
- 04/22/2018 at 11:45 pm #38137
  BigSally
  Participant
  Location: Washington State
  @bigsally
  Some of those Gift Cards make great Uke and Guitar picks, Just the perfect flex and feel. There is a craft punch you can buy- or use tin snips if you’re a scavenger….
- 06/03/2018 at 3:50 pm #41580
  Jenn
  Participant
  Location:
  @jenn
  The VERY first thing I sold on eBay in 1998 was a phone card with no time left on it. For real! Sold for $6. Been selling ever since. 🙂 Back in the late 90s I had a lot of pre-paid phone cards I used that I had gotten free from various companies and I actually sold repeatedly to the same buyers.
  
  I still have hundreds in my death piles. 🙂
- 06/04/2018 at 10:18 am #41616
  bcfol440
  Participant
  Location:
  @bcfol440
  Hi, during my higher end retail stint we dealt with gift card fraud constantly. It really is problematic and the scammers are always 2 steps ahead of the company. We could look up the issued gift card number to see where it was sold and where it was redeemed (which store).
  
  I would get calls “I loaded $100 on this card yesterday!’ all of the time. Meanwhile, the gift card was 5 years old based on the bar code. Yes, it could happen. But probably not.
  
  I guess if you really wanted to prevent fraud you could X out the bar code or number on back.
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