Anyone else having trouble with PlayStore Gift Card?

[Quoth]

Message after recognising value something like:
"We need additional information"
It's a link to form that only works on Chrome on my tablet, which I completed.

Live Chat support claims that it will take 3 days for team to review etc.

Supermarket receipt shows 'CARD ACTIVATION SUCCESSFUL'

It seems to be a long standing issue. Every other Vendor's gift cards etc seem to work for the last 20+ years. Though Amazon's have to be bought on the Marketplace where they are to be spent. Nintendo store works well for Paypal or gift cards.

Last time I bought on Playstore was 2016 and had to afterwards (with difficulty) remove the payment method. I'm not giving them that again.

Will it be fixed after 1st March 2024? Apple is starting to implement changes already.

[Quoth]

Three days, one web form (and response 2.5 days later), two online chats, 3rd specialist online chat and they have no idea what to do or why it's broken.
They have photos of receipt, store registration success, front & back of card and screen shots.

I suggested they should have their devs look at how Nintendo, Amazon, Apple etc do it.

Nintendo's system is the best.

They will email. They apologised for the last email which basically advised redeeming the card. I've done it on desktop Chromium and Tablet, at purchase and at Payment methods.

I asked twice at least could the issue be that there is no other payment method? No reply / comment to that idea.

[Quoth]

I should have searched before spending €15 on a Google Gift card. Their system is broken. I sentd "additional information" four times since Monday (Thursday now for latest "we are working on it an may need more information" email).
There is no more information, they've had everything 3x now and most of it 4x.

Ongoing for years!

https://mccunewright.com/blog/2022/0...h-of-contract/

2019
https://support.google.com/googlepla...-working?hl=en
They simply repeat the same pointless mantra and are not fixing their system. I don't beleive it's a deliberate scam by Google, nor that the majority of issues are scam cards.

Warning stupid faint grey text.

According to claims, Google has made it difficult or even impossible for gift card recipients to redeem the available funds on their gift cards. Allegedly, the tech giant required consumers to provide excessive amounts of documentation proving the authenticity of their gift cards before they could use them. While some were finally able to use the card after a rigorous process, others were still denied access to the funds even after providing documentation. For these consumers, Google allegedly pocketed the money on the gift card without refund.

I should have searched first, but you'd not imagine it's broken!

"30 Sep 2023 Google Play gift cards is experiencing a little technical issue, hence redeeming of Google play cards is on hold."
From Search

Unless I can buy content for Android outside of Playstore (maybe after 1st march 2024, but depends on book publisher or developer), I will never buy on Playstore again.

This is the second time they have messed up. The first was with PayPal, hence buying a gift card.

Amazon works as long as Gift voucher/Credit is bought on the same Marketplace (buyer and user can live anywhere).

Nintendo seems best.

Apple seems to work.

[Quoth]

More than five days now and the emails from Google repeat the same stuff and ask for the same information again.

Incompetent or malicious?

[RWTS]

Yep, I've experienced this.

I purchase gift cards for kids in the family. Never had a problem with Xbox, PlayStation or Amazon. Bought a Google Play gift card for the first time last year. Ran into the same problem, only after filling out the form and submitting photos we were greeted with a message that it might take 14 business days to verify!

I was ticked. Called the store where I purchased the gift card and was given their gift card fraud department phone number. Called, provided basically the same information Google wanted and the money was available in the account two days later.

My advice is to contact the store where you purchased the card and see if they can help.

Of course, I found out after the fact how common this is. Luckily I was there when the gift card was redeemed (and kept my receipt) or it might have sat forgotten in a drawer. All I can say is never again.

P.S. The same kid tried to use a bank-issued gift card (either Visa or Mastercard) to buy something in the Play store. That wouldn't work, either, even though she had no problems using it elsewhere. Seems Google wants only credit and debit cards in an account.

[Quoth]

And on the sixth day

Hi,

According to our system, your Google Account or one of the Google Play gift cards you submitted isn’t valid or doesn't match the information in our systems.

Make sure that you have:

Signed in to the account that you used to redeem the gift card
Provided the correct gift card details

For more information, refer to Redeem a Google Play gift card, gift code, or promotional code. If you have any more questions, you can contact us again.

Thanks,

The Google Support Team
Google

What next? They've had images of card, receipt and additional 'success' receipt from supermarket 1 to 3 times a day, at their request.
It still gives "We require additional information" error. They are not getting any other payment method.

I've told them it's to buy €9.95 MyWrite Nebo notes. This is not a toy or for my amusement.

[Quoth]

Almost a week!
I have come to a conclusion on reading the website, not playstore, T&C of Google Accounts, which are not just for the playstore:

1) These are separate from a google login name.
2) Unless there is a payment method setup (with real name, address, phone, email and paypal/debit/credit/card it's not setup.
3) If it's closed (i.e. there are no payment methods), A gift card is not accepted, though the 'account' still works for all free Google services.
4) You can add it in the Playstore but have to go to website in Browser to remove it. It's not fully removed, because it will still be live in PayPal, so you have to also contact PayPal customer support to fully remove it. I don't know about credit/debit cards.
5) Despite "EU right to be forgotten" they keep the real name, address and phone number on file, though it's hard to find it.

Final conclusion: Do not ever buy or accept a Google Play Store Gift card if you don't have a currently working payment method. The store you bought it from is unlikely to refund you. Even if you do have a working payment method the Gift Card still may not redeem.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Quoth

[B]Final conclusion: Do not ever buy or accept a Google Play Store Gift card if you don't have a currently working payment method. The store you bought it from is unlikely to refund you. Even if you do have a working payment method the Gift Card still may not redeem.

I'm sorry to hear this. Google is becoming sleazier and sleazier all the time.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I'm sorry to hear this. Google is becoming sleazier and sleazier all the time.

This issue seems to date back to 2019 based on Duck Duck Go search results.
Got yet another email this morning (2:27 am) claiming the 'specialist team' is working on it.

[Quoth]

Google now agree the Gift card is valid.

They now say the account is blocked from purchasing and that is why the card won't redeem. Of course they won't say why the account is blocked.

[Quoth]

Finally, they suggest I contact retailer. It will be a miracle if the Supermarket refunds a gift card with peeled off code cover. However seems more likely than Google doing anything. Meanwhile I can't buy MyWrite Nebo Notes which is 3rd in productivity rank.

Another person tried on a supposedly working account. Didn't redeem.

I will show the supermarket all the emails and write to various authorities. Atrocious behaviour by Google. Nine days.

Ongoing for years!

https://mccunewright.com/blog/2022/0...h-of-contract/
Warning stupid faint grey text.

2019
https://support.google.com/googlepla...-working?hl=en


Do a search, e.g.
From Search

Or this

[Ghostcat]

I know it will cost you money, and I don't know if Eire has them, but you could always piss Google off (and cause them work/money) by suing them in the Small Claims Courts.

It just depends on how annoyed you are.

[Quoth]

If I was rich I'd sue them for wasted time at €200 per hour and mental distress. There is no limit on a civil suit.
I'd only get €15 in the small claims court. Technically Tesco sold it (presumably as an agent), so technically under Irish version of Sale of Goods they have to refund as it's neither as described nor fit for purpose. The fact that Tesco is unlikely to get the money back from Google is irrelevant. Retailers often can't get money back from suppliers. They nor a business purchase have no SOGA type protection. EU is considering what to do about that as it would reduce waste (makers would have cost and thus improve products) and protect retailers and business purchases.

EDIT
As Tesco sold it, I'd have to try getting refund from them and then 'threaten' them with small claims court. I've had to do that with high value items in various shops and always a manager is fetched who gives the refund. Really I can't stand any more aggravation or the stress of explaining the almost inexplicable to the poor harassed lady on the Customer service desk. Only Tesco and Gamestop (the zombie game store) sell these. Even the local post office sells Nintendo, Apple, etc. Which work. No payment method needed for Nintendo. Google treats a given payment method like a Direct Debit (Paypal, Debit card, Credit card) and you have to use web site (not playstore) to remove it and also contact a human at the payment source to get Google deleted. No wonder Google sell so few ebooks on their Playstore.

[Minor nit: It's only Éire if you are using Gaelic, otherwise the name of the nation state is Ireland in English, not even 'The Republic of Ireland', which is certainly confusing as the whole island is called Ireland. It's never Eire, but Éire in Irish Gaelic, note accent, from Old Irish Ériu. Accents are important; ban and bán are two different words.]

[Quoth]

Finally, after repeatedly querying why the "account is blocked" and rubbishing suggestion to go to retailer, and escalation of suggestion of illegal refusals

Thank you for submitting your verification information. We have approved your appeal. You may now redeem your Google Play gift card.
Please attempt to redeem the gift card at your earliest convenience.

Still no explanation as to why account was 'blocked'. I asked will Gift Cards work in the future on my account?

Card now redeemed after nearly 2 weeks and nearly daily emails to and fro.

[Quoth]

In 2015, Google was sued for allegedly refusing to redeem Google Play gift cards once the balance dropped below $10. That case appears to have been settled [PDF] by mutual agreement the following year.

They are still doing it. Takes weeks of perservation to get account unblocked.

How much alleged gift card fraud is simply Google refusing to credit the purchaser of a valid card?
https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/...ft_card_fraud/

They won't say why an account is blocked once they admit the card is valid. Get the two receipts from the gift card giver or you can never redeem it.