|
Home Depot's System Can't Track Gift cards
|
Oct 8, 2008 Home Depot complaint by Englishlass |
|
|
I'll keep it as brief as possible.
September 2007 I used my American Express 'Points' to buy Home Depot Gift Cards.I used a $500 card and had just over $400 left on it. In January this year I wanted to buy something else but the card wasn't in my wallet, it was missing.
I assumed Home Depot could track the card, cancel it and issue me a new one if it hadn't been found and used. I thought they could do this by using the last four numbers printed on my receipt from the first time I used it.
Boy was I wrong to assume that Home Depot could possibly be that smart. They told me they don't keep track of Gift Cards, it's American Express that should keep track!
Now if I found the card and went to use it, how could Home Depot possibly debit my card if they 'don't keep track of gift card numbers'? Also, how on earth do they expect American Express to do this?
I've been trying to find someone to help me for the past ten months since I lost the card. Is Home Depot's system really so antiquated that they can't keep track of their Gift Cards or are the Corporate staff just a bunch of pathetic morons?
Writing this may help get it off my chest but it doesn't solve the problem. I'm sure someone somewhere has some common sense and can actually get to the bottom of this.
Until then, I'll be shopping at Lowes or the Do It Center.
Pissed in Thousand Oaks, California
 Quote this article on your site | Views: 237
Home Depot Complaints
1. Written by hd 2, on 08-01-2009 18:51
From Phila is right. We have a system to look up certain aspects of gift card usage. And gift cards can be cancelled if a store calls the corporate office, assuming the balance on the card hasn't been used. But realize that gift cards are the same as cash. If you lose it, it is like losing a $20 bill. Home Depot is not responsible to keep your gift cards, receipts or warranty info. The consumer should accept responsability to maintain their records not the retailer. Its a little annoying when customers complains they can't get refunded in the media in which the product was paid for. when they can't provide a "proof of purchase" which is what the receipt essentially is. Like any employer, most associates are very hard working while some lack higher standards, but nobody deserves to be verbally abused because a consumer doesn't provide the proper information to process a return or purchase. Retail is fun dealing with 99% of the public, its the 1% that just don't make it easy sometimes.
|
2. Written by from phila, on 22-11-2008 11:24
aaahhh not true....Home depot can track cards. Not all employees have access...it is called tamdem web. It will tell when the card was used and when it was purchased and by how. However, the store is not responsible for loosing it. We treat it as cash.
|
3. Written by JOSEPH, on 19-10-2008 19:12
Is it HOME DEPOT's fault that you lost your gift card? I think it would it would wiser to keep closer tabs on your gift cards. GET ORGANIZED!!!!
|
4. Written by HomeDumpedOn, on 11-10-2008 20:57
The original letter makes an excellent point in that if the card is used how do they know how how much to pull off or debit the card.
Somewhere there has to be a paper trail of sorts.It might not be available to every employee but for accounting and tax reasons you would figure there would be documentation of giftcards somewhere.
|
5. Written by yep, on 09-10-2008 15:00
I am also a former employee to depot. It is very unfortunate they cannot look up a card in that way. All they really can do is check a balance and purchase history but they can't cancel the card in that manner, especially without the full card number, and to boot, and I'm not sure if this is still in practice but the receipt card number should be different than than the card itself. I also wish they could look up purchases on gift cards in the manner that they do with credit cards and checks, however it is understandable since there are thousands of transactions a day with those cards. They probably don't have that amount of data storage though.
Home depot has a lot of work that needs to be done about their point of sale systems and programming. Part of me thinks they don't have the money because other stores do have certain technologies available that home depot does not have. I do also know they are purchasing new systems for most of their stores...perhaps a software upgrade is finally in order as well.
|
6. Written by Mindy, on 08-10-2008 15:08
As a previous Home Depot employee, I can tell you this happens all the time. Unfortunately, the card is essentially treated like cash and if lost can not be replaced. AmEx may be able to help because they are the ones who "bought" the card. If there is a receipt with the gift card number on it then it can be canceled and reissued. But without the original receipt, HD can't do anything.
|
|
Consumer Forum is another great place to discuss consumer concerns NOT RELATED to this article. |
|
Comments
Comments (6)
