What to Do about Lost IKEA Refund Card

phil170258 on 16/04/2019 - 19:39

Hi,

I returned a couple of mattresses to IKEA with the view to trade up to a more expensive model. The money ($338) was loaded onto a refund card which I subsequently lost. Yes, I know - stupid me. I thought that IKEA would be able to at least cancel the card but no such luck. They say there's nothing they can do because they don't know the full number of the card. So unless somebody hands it in (highly unlikely) there's nothing I can do. And yes I know it's my responsibility because I lost the card but I do wonder if I have any consumer rights in this. If it was a Westfield gift card, for example, then they'd be able to cancel it and issue another one.

thanks, Phil

General Discussion Gift Card

Related Stores

IKEA
IKEA

Comments

  • deveshwar0 on 16/04/2019 - 19:43
    +11

    This is the equivalent of losing $338 in cash.
    Not much you can do mate.

  • poboy on 16/04/2019 - 19:43
    +3

    If it was a Westfield gift card, for example, then they'd be able to cancel it and issue another one.

    How would Westfield be able to cancel a giftcard if they don't know its number?

    Chalk it up to life experience and rest assured that you won't let yourself lose another card in the future.

    • kerfuffle on 16/04/2019 - 20:41

      With the receipt, so they say. Of course, no one really keeps the receipt …

  • JimmyF on 16/04/2019 - 19:51

    What to do about lost IKEA Refund Card

    Ask Ikea! Oh wait you did

    they say there's nothing they can do because they don't know the full number of the card.

    Well ok that is fair enough. Anyone can claim to have lost a card etc. Giftcards are 'cash', so treat them like that.

    Next time, take a picture or don't misplace it :)

  • phil170258 on 16/04/2019 - 20:00
    +1

    Yes, a photo would've been a good idea!. I have a receipt with the date/time the card was issued, the operator who issues it, and the first 4 and last 4 digits of the card's number. It sort of beggars belief that the card's number isn't somewhere on their system.

    • [Deactivated] on 16/04/2019 - 20:12
      +1

      From an IT perspective, yeah it's pretty funny as you could just search for gift cards issued for that exact amount to find the number. They just don't wanna.

      • MrHyde on 16/04/2019 - 20:22

        If I were to build that IT system, I would use a one way hash to store the number so that there is no way of retrieving it. Same as with credit cards.

        When the user enters the number, use the same one way hash algorithm to convert it and then find the matching record.

        Without the actual number, no easily possible to find the record.

        • ssquid on 17/04/2019 - 01:22

          But you know hashes aren't unique, right? If multiple cards produce identical hashes which record do they match?

    • Aliastar on 16/04/2019 - 22:01

      So you can sell the gift card on gumtree then just get them ikea to issue you a new one?

      • [Deactivated] on 16/04/2019 - 23:56

        I said that the decision is policy related rather than technical. Your example is store policy rather than technical. How is your example from the IT perspective?

  • bobbified on 16/04/2019 - 22:51

    because I lost the card but I do wonder if I have any consumer rights in this

    Yes, you have the right to spend those cards (if you find it again).

  • RyanMK on 17/04/2019 - 14:09

    I do wonder if I have any consumer rights in this

    Seems like the standard OzB post nowadays

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