| Author |
Message |
    
Ignatius J
Citizen
Username: Ignatius_j
Post Number: 156
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 10:26 pm: |     |
This has happened to me about three or four times in the last few months down at Home Depot where some guy or guys approach me and offer to "save me a few bucks" by letting them pay for my items on their gift card (which they are trying to get rid of or use up or whatever) and as an incentive for helping them out they will take some money off the bill so everybody wins. Yeah, right.
It has all the earmarks of one of those confidence games where you have to give someone collateral for something they have of value only to be skunked in the end but I just can't figure out the angle but as a con man once said "I was never able to take advantage of anyone who didn't think they were taking advantage of me first"
Anyone else ever been asked to do this??? |
virgilian
Citizen
Username: Virgilian
Post Number: 227
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 10:29 pm: | |
Hm.
And this before the required humiliation of having to verify every item with your receipt before leaving. What a wretched wretched store. |
jab
Citizen
Username: Jab
Post Number: 157
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 15, 2004 - 11:11 pm: | |
I don't remember where I heard this, but I heard that some stores have a big problem with people walking in, picking up merchandise, then "returning" it for store credit. The person, who received store credit for something he never owned, can then try to sell the store credit at a discount to end up with cash. Actually, I think I also heard that you can find store credit or gift cards in odd amounts on ebay for exactly this reason. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4326
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 16, 2004 - 5:21 am: | |
My guess is that the amount on the card isn't enough to pay for your purchase and the person offering is going to get a good look at your credit card and may even ask for the receipt.
I hate to be so damn suspicious.... |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 2359
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, January 17, 2004 - 12:12 pm: | |
If you are truly suspicious of the motives of these individuals, you should bring the situation to the attention of the store manager so the store management can track the situation.
If you really believe there is a scam being operated in the area, you should notify the police department that covers the town in which the store is located.
Please let us know what the catch is here if you ever figure it out. |
eliz
Citizen
Username: Eliz
Post Number: 666
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, January 17, 2004 - 1:32 pm: | |
I wouldn't be surprised if it is a way for them to get cash - they can probably buy the gift card with a credit card as a purchase (as opposed to a cash advance) and then sell the gift card for the cash value or a little less to get cash in hand.
Whether the credit cards they use are legit is a whole other thread. |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page