Got Scammed and lost $1500 on Gumtree -_-"

LRNDM on 06/01/2020 - 22:09
Last edited 15/01/2020 - 11:35 by 1 other user

I thought I was being careful, but sadly not careful enough to account for the failures in lose implementation of JB Hifi's gift card policies.

  1. Had 3 x $500 gift cards from JB Hifi, from the promo in Dec last year
  2. Listed it here for a couple of weeks, no takers.
  3. So then I listed it on Gumtree.
  4. "James" contacts me, from ACT.
  5. Asks me "Do you have proof of balance picture? or receipts?"
  6. Not knowing any better, and assuming that a hidden "PIN" code is required to actually redeem these cards.
  7. I provided the card numbers, to allow him to check the balance on the cards.
    …
  8. James says he'll pay at the end of the day.
  9. I get messaged here on Ozbargain, snowymatthew, so I decide to allow them to pay instead.
  10. I receive payment, via PayId.
  11. I send copies of the unscratched cards, and then again with the card numbers and PIN codes revealed.
  12. Following day, snowymatthew tells me there's issues with the card.
  13. Since the PIN codes are all revealed now, I confirm the balance on the cards.
  14. Discover they've been redeemed in ACT.
  15. Blah blah … I'm %^&*
  16. Returned the money back to snowymatthew.

…

So, it looks like James has been able to convince someone at JB HiFi to redeem the cards, with the PIN codes, and without the physical cards. I checked the terms and conditions: https://www.jbhifi.com.au/pages/how-do-i-use-a-gift-card-to-…. "Redeeming in-store at JB Hi-Fi … The actual gift card MUST be presented.". From responses from various stores, staff are not "meant to" accept anything by the physical cards … there lies the issue.

The presence of the PIN code in this instance gives a false sense of security.

Even retracing all the steps taken, I don't think I could have foreseen this - other than "don't use Gumtree". So, I guess this is a warning to others, that the card numbers only are enough to redeem a gift card. Meaning there's no real way for a buyer to validate available credit, or for sellers to have any form of security over the gift cards. This to me, is easier than counterfeiting money and JB accepting it, at another customer's expense.

Expensive lesson, and usually careful with these things. But, aw well, not expecting such a positive outcome. If anything, it just ruined my day.

…

Since then;

  1. Left my details with the store to follow up
  2. Filed a report with ACSC
  3. Emailed JB Hifi, asking how and why cards can be redeemed by the card number only, without the physical card which is contrary to their terms.
  4. Contacted Gumtree seeking assistance.
  5. I asked James to pay, as agreed and I would cease the police report.

…

So yeah, great first day back at work. -_-" And now have to deal with the missus.

And not that it means much, but this is the lovely guy that benefited from this all. https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-seller/1170622367193

I really didn't like the idea of having $1.5K in gift cards lying around, just didn't feel secure. And it really had to happen.

Update: So, it would seem kinda useless at this point. But because of the way that I shared the photo with James, it shows an account of his.

(Mod: removed personal information - please see commenting guideline)

Key updates:
* By RNDM on 07/01/2020 - 14:35
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/8208345/redir
* By snowymatthew on 08/01/2020 - 16:47
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/8213127/redir
* By RNDM on 14/01/2020 - 13:30
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/8235494/redir
* By RNDM latest
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/8239312/redir

General Discussion

Related Stores

Gumtree
Gumtree
JB Hi-Fi
JB Hi-Fi

Comments

  • nc112 on 10/01/2020 - 21:16
    +9

    Thanks for sharing your story and I'm sorry to hear about this. I hope JB come through with compensation and insight into how this occurred.

    A year ago, as a buyer on Gumtree (GT), I bought $400 WISH egift cards (2 x $200). I purchased one first, tested it worked / had value on the Woolworths money app and then satisfied that it had the value, bought the second one.

    When I went to use the cards 2 days later, both were $0. The seller had used it themselves as it showed the location of the store used on the app which is where the seller was based. Tried to follow up with the seller via GT, mobile, Facebook, etc - zero communication back.

    Lesson learnt and I thankfully had a generous gesture from my bank to reimburse my money after a few months. But you must be very careful buying egift cards as the seller still has all the details including PIN. So now I do everything in person for GT purchases. I generally avoid egift cards on there but if I do buy, I make sure I get ID and some details when I meet them just in case.

    Sharing in case it helps anyone.

  • Mahalo on 10/01/2020 - 23:05
    +1

    A while back I had a gift card that was never used had the whole funds used. I contacted the store and they can check what was purchased with it And when, so they checked their security cameras to see who had used it. After a few calls they gave me my funds.
    Maybe they could check their cameras and give footage to police? Unfortunately would the police have enough evidence to find the guilty?

  • sleet on 11/01/2020 - 05:21

    Surely someone at JB can clarify or know of the giftcard loophole? If there is one.

    • r3volt on 11/01/2020 - 13:37

      Everyone has posted theories that's it's easy to do with barcode apps, someone should buy a $20 card and replicate it with solely the barcode to show how its done.

  • dansozb on 11/01/2020 - 07:33
    +2

    You know, just thinking, looking at what 'James' has been selling on Gumtree (lots of new switch consoles and JB Gift Cards), I would dare say he works at a JB Hi Fi - This could also explain how he could redeem cards without a PIN - Any way to check that? - Guessing it would be the JB the cards were redeemed at (they would have a record of the date and time they were redeemed as well as camera footage I would guess)

    • JelIyfish on 11/01/2020 - 08:34
      +26

      I’m guessing you didn’t read much of the 6 pages of posts?

      • dansozb on 11/01/2020 - 14:28
        -1

        You guessed correctly sir! I'm afraid my limit is the first and the last page of comments…

  • choosk on 11/01/2020 - 09:59
    +1

    I visited two branches of JB HiFi yesterday in Parramatta, and they've put up a disclaimer on their counter saying that every giftcard transaction over $500 must now be accompanied with an ID, and a copy will be kept in store for 12 months just in case.

    I wonder if this policy was implemented because of this issue.

    All the best with a resolution, OP.

    • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 11/01/2020 - 10:05
      +4

      Don’t think so they have been doing this at my local store for ages.

    • kenneth88 on 11/01/2020 - 10:09
      +4

      Bought iPhone back in October last year using GCs and they scanned my photo ID as well.

    • techlead on 11/01/2020 - 12:14

      Its the best control for fraud like this. Every store should have this implemented and if ID was not obtained at the time as per the process then the store is on the hook for any fraudulent activity.

      • Vote for Pedro on 11/01/2020 - 13:02
        +1

        And if ‘james’ works at that store, now has access to people’s ID

    • profar on 11/01/2020 - 18:59
      +1

      Easy get around just buy something liquid just below $500 eg a Nintendo Switch console as many times as you please .

    • jace88 on 12/01/2020 - 19:35

      I've seen similar signs at various JB Hifis and been asked to present ID as well when using gift cards to purchase items >$500 before.

  • Tdsr on 11/01/2020 - 14:33

    Sorry to hear you got scammed. Hope he pays up or you can use his phone number to find out who exactly it is. Thanks for positing this as a cautionary tale for others.

  • Andrew1232 on 11/01/2020 - 14:45
    +1

    On a bit of a tangent, I while back I was selling my laptop and got scammed on Gumtree by a person that 'paid' with paypal, but it was a fake email informing me that I will receive the payment after shipment info. I guess I was too young and naive back then.

    • techlead on 11/01/2020 - 20:07
      +3

      That's a very common scam. I see it all the time on eBay, sometimes I play along just to see how good their fake emails are. The problem is that PayPal has started doing this.
      A friend of mine sold his laptop online and PayPal withheld the money until he put in tracking information. When he asked me, I thought it was the classic scam, but he was able to verify by logging into PayPal and contacting support.
      Don't trust email notifications, always log into the site by typing the address into the address bar and not via a link in the email.

  • Melb69 on 11/01/2020 - 15:16
    +8

    I want to hunt down James. We have enough smart ppl on here to do that.

    • Melb69 on 11/01/2020 - 21:31
      +3

      I've been scouring the pages of FB Marketplace and GT, but nothing coming up on any recent Nintendo switch for sale in the Gungahlin or
      Gungahlin Area. Jame's GT account has gone cold. Might also be my search engine not being able to search in that area. Anyone else found a seller flogging new NS.

    • manbearpig on 11/01/2020 - 23:20
      +2

      The sly bastard is probably reading this whole thread as we speak. I can't handle thieving scum who take advantage of another's trust.

      • Melb69 on 12/01/2020 - 09:16

        Thanks to OP at least we are aware of this loop hole with JB and GC. No doubt other stores have similar flaws which should be closed to prevent it happening to others. I also think he has now created another account on GT and probably used a different location. FB market place is another place these scum trade on unsuspecting sellers and buyers.

      • franco cozzo on 12/01/2020 - 09:58

        …indeed.

    • wjb on 12/01/2020 - 01:01
      +1

      Just list an identical $1500 JB GC on gumtree. I’d say it’s a good chance that he will try again based on his recent success and temptation.

      Just hope he’s not reading this!

      • Melb69 on 12/01/2020 - 09:17

        Thought the same.

  • Pete99 on 12/01/2020 - 01:40
    +1

    Wondering if you could put his eMail address somewhere where we can see it. There might be people on here that could find something with that.

    I know you can't put it on OzBargain, but somewhere else should be ok??

    • franco cozzo on 12/01/2020 - 09:57

      …'somewhere else' is a VERY good idea seeing as its very likely he may be following this thread

    • rompastompa on 12/01/2020 - 12:22
      +3

      It's in the revision history.. shhh don't tell anyone

      It'll be a burner hotmail address though.

      • Levathian on 12/01/2020 - 18:36
        +1

        I don't know about Hotmail but you can use a trick with Gmail to try and figure out some basic details about an account I.e check if listed phone number or email matches one you already know. Came in useful once when someone was harassing me through multiple email accounts.

  • allegiance86 on 12/01/2020 - 09:15
    +1

    My heart goes out to you mate… I got scammed $100 last night and didn't sleep a wink over it.

    • Melb69 on 12/01/2020 - 09:18

      How? Gumtree?

  • elib on 13/01/2020 - 11:48

    Been following this thread since early days. Very interested to hear what happens in the end, but not sure JB are going to do or say much about it.

    Now, I've just had a thought after learning how easy it is for these gift cards to be used in store without presenting the actual cards and the PIN… couldn't any seller of JB gift cards on Scumtree take a photo of the card, then once they've sold it to someone (say at a mutual meeting place) just go and use the card before the new owner gets a chance to? That sounds like a REALLY easy scam to do…

    To be honest I'd never considered buying gift cards off Gumtree, but now I'm absolutely certain I never well. Probably wouldn't sell them either - if I got a gift card from one of these Telstra deals I'd look at just using it in-store. Not saying that to make you feel bad.

    Really sorry you got screwed over like this. People are just scum aren't they!

    • cwongtech on 13/01/2020 - 13:04

      To be honest I'd never considered buying gift cards off Gumtree, but now I'm absolutely certain I never well.

      That's why you need to stick with OzB - smaller market - but much better customers given the fact they have their reputation on the line to protect.

  • CripplingDebt on 13/01/2020 - 12:43

    I just had a look at one of my JB gift cards that I have only partially used in-store and the pin hasn’t been scratched. Quite concerning, although it was physically swiped.

  • Samsungnote10 on 13/01/2020 - 22:34
    -4

    im currently selling a car on car sales, and put it up on gumtree just in case

    and I delete the ad and repost every 2 weeks or so to refresh on gumtree

    the patterns are all the same, as soon as I put a new ad up, i get either

    1. an offer to buy at the asking price with pages of bullshit text
    2. a request to contact on a gmail account

    im assuming these are african scammers, so I send them some abusive msgs,

  • RNDM on 14/01/2020 - 13:57
    +8

    So, I have an update … not good news.

    Give me a sec to type it all out.

    • JimmyF on 14/01/2020 - 13:58

      :(

      • batrarobin on 14/01/2020 - 14:21
        +3

        You had to post this sad emoji so he can't edit his post.

  • RNDM on 14/01/2020 - 14:32
    +33

    So it would be great if JB hi-fi could resolve this issue internally without any fuss. At every interaction, I’m doing what I can to give them every opportunity to resolve it, and I’m not intentionally trying to be difficult and make a lot of noise, but they let me no choice this is what I’ll do.

    This is simply an explanation of what just happened over the last couple of hours.

    I reached out to VII, who is simply the company that looks after the JB hi-fi gift card system. They are the ones that support the phone number on the back of the card. I emailed them, and they responded about an hour ago, saying that JB hi-fi Woden store manager has tried to contact me. Checking my phone, there were no missed calls, so I gave the store a call and asked to speak to the manager again.

    So up to this point, I believe JB hi-fi head office has been investigating this issue with the Woden store. The manager told me that they had reviewed the CCTV footage, and can see that the store representative had followed procedure.

    What had happened was, the customer presented a print out of an electronic gift card. The sales representative attempted to scan the barcode and failed. Then the sales rep keyed in the barcode and processed the gift card as an electronic gift card. The manager also mentioned that what had happened, the customer must have taken the gift card code and generated an equivalent barcode, and then printed it out to look like a JB hi-fi electronic gift card print out.

    I told him, then the code should not have been processed. Whatever policies and procedures apply to electronic gift cards, should not apply to physical gift cards. Then I asked him, aren’t pin codes required for the redemption of electronic gift cards? He said no. Then I said, it really doesn’t matter how you process electronic gift cards, because this is a physical gift card, so it is a different product with different policies and procedures and terms and conditions. I told him that, isn’t one of the requirements to redeem a physical gift card, to actually present the card itself. He said no, he said I’m looking at the terms and conditions of the gift card right now and find my screen and he started to proceed to read out the terms and conditions. Now because I was on the phone and I didn’t have everything conveniently at my fingertips, I couldn’t find where the statement saying that a physical card is required was. At this point he said, if you want to raise it with the police, you can and they can provide the footage. But it is out of their hands and they cannot do anything about it, the staff has followed procedures and it’s no longer their problem.

    Then I also asked him, what is stopping someone from simply walking into a store, taking photos of each of the gift cards and then converting them to barcodes and printing them out as electronic gift cards. Then returning back to the store in a couple of days, or weeks and redeeming the gift cards. He simply said you can’t do that since they’re not activated yet. And then I said what about if you come back in a couple of weeks, and he simply said, well if you want to stretch that far, sure but he’s only a store manager and this is not something that they look after in terms of the policies and procedures around these gift cards.

    I asked them what JB hi-fi head office had to say about this, and he simply said that he is repeating what he has been told by head office.

    Interestingly, he also mentioned that this particular person that claimed the gift card has also been seen (I'm assuming on CCTV) previously to be claiming other gift cards in a similar manner. And from the words that he said and the tone, he indicated that he realises that there is potentially some fraudulent activity being undertaken here.

    So obviously I’m not gonna get very far with this store. I don’t have direct contact with JB hi-fi head office, so I decided to give the number on the back of the card a call again. I want to give them every opportunity that they can to resolve this issue themselves.

    Now when talking to the phone representative, someone from WII picked up they listened to my situation and I mentioned that this situation has already gone through JB hi-fi head office investigation with the stores in question. And I am simply calling around again to see if there’s anything that can be done, and basically seeking advice from this point onwards. Now he’s told me to simply reply back to their email, and ask that the situation be investigated by VII head office instead of JB hi-fi head office …

    • squaredonut on 14/01/2020 - 14:41
      +4

      What an absolute mind fk. If this kind of processing is true, that's a massive flaw to the gift card system. Seriously you just need to get news.com.au to read this thread, they would LOVE to write an article on this, then JB will start really listening. All the best mate, but I'd be super pissed off with how these guys handles these situations and also the managers attitude is terrible.

      • richadam on 14/01/2020 - 14:44
        +1

        This website is big enough that hopefully someone will pick it up. It's a pretty big flaw in the whole system. When it pretty much looks like he's done it before.

    • Ozitravel on 14/01/2020 - 14:54
      +8

      I think you have all Ozbargainers behind you mate - Don't give up on this one. I am so shocked at how JB have handled this.

      From JB Website https://www.jbhifi.com.au/pages/how-do-i-use-a-gift-card-to-…
      You must have your gift card with you to purchase at the cashier. JB Hi-Fi staff will swipe your card. If your gift card balance does not exceed the price of your purchase, you can pay the difference with a selected credit card or cash. Note: You CANNOT use your gift card email to purchase in-store. The actual gift card MUST be presented.

    • spottydog0 on 14/01/2020 - 14:57
      +1

      JB's website says "If you choose a physical gift card, it will be mailed via registered post and will be need to be presented if purchasing in-store."

      https://www.jbhifi.com.au/pages/what-are-jb-hi-fi-gift-cards

      Wherever it mentions digital cards it also always mentions a PIN

    • profar on 14/01/2020 - 14:59
      +1

      It’s a bit like FB and Google permitting known scams to continue knowing if they stopped them their bottom lines would have less profit from the advertising the scammers are happy to pay .

      JB setting a precedent ( more compensation claims are likely to come forward ) and having to pay a huge amount to overhaul their current card system’s would cost a huge amount .

      • blackout134 on 15/01/2020 - 09:51

        I would assume that enforcing the use of a pin number wouldn't require any major overhaul and the ability would already be built into the system.

        My guess is it's one of those things that is by default set as off in the software and was never turned on during implementation.

    • batrarobin on 14/01/2020 - 14:59
      +1

      Yes mate, we are all with you. Worst case, pretty sure we could possibly do something like gofundme to raise the amount because let's admit it that we have all learnt from this.

    • franco cozzo on 14/01/2020 - 15:01
      +1

      …bs result….lot of buck passing going on despite obvious flaws with the way the whole issue has been handled. 1.5K isnt exactly small potatoes…

    • batrarobin on 14/01/2020 - 15:05
      +1

      Hey RNDM, do you wanna update the main description of this post to include:

      Update 1: Link to snowy's reply
      Update 2: Link to this response of yours

      That way if we do manage to attract attention of someone high-up from JB Hi Fi, they may not go through the whole thread.

      • RNDM on 14/01/2020 - 15:07

        Will do.

        • batrarobin on 14/01/2020 - 16:11
          +2

          …and probably also the title to something like "Massive flaw in JB HiFi Gift card system? Got scammed $1,500"

    • bluesky on 14/01/2020 - 15:48
      +5

      Some posts/deals here get picked up and hit the mainstream news, like this one. This would be a worthwhile one to be publicised in more mainstream media with a wider audience.

      There is an obvious flaw in their system, they deny culpability, make individual victims bear the losses, and not even being pro-active to fix the system.

      Supermarkets bring in self-checkouts to save money, but are prepared to bear some loss from theft. Credit card providers are willing to bear the loss from unauthorised transactions, when balancing the convenience to consumers to purchase goods. If they want to maintain a flawed system so they can process gift-card sales faster, they should be prepared to bear the loss and compensate unsuspecting victims when fraud occurs.

      Someone should make this story go viral - perhaps then, JB Hifi (and other merchants having similar systems) will step up and fix their systems and processes.

      But I understand, OP, you still have steps to go (investigation by VII head office), not all hope is lost yet. Best of luck that you will still get your money back.

      • batrarobin on 14/01/2020 - 16:21
        +20

        Just emailed the journalist and have got a response back. She's chasing up with JB HiFi and let me know what comes back. Hopefully she can cover the story.

    • savage bargain on 14/01/2020 - 20:55
      +1

      So if I'm reading that right, it sounds like because the scammer went and converted the physical barcode into a format that was a fake electronic gift card, JB are all focused on him presenting an electronic gift card while saying "oh, it's fine they didn't have the pin as an electronic gift card was shown", but have totally missed the fact that it wasn't an electronic gift card - it was a physical card that someone doctored up into a fake electronic one. And by that response, it really sounds like they aren't interested in fixing it, as they kept referring you to the electronic gift card T&Cs instead of the physical, which aren't the same T&Cs!

      By that logic, I could just change the logo on my bank card from NAB to ING and start using the ING T&Cs…

      No wonder this scammer is getting away with it! And he'll continue to do so too - he's worked out a loop hole that JB don't appear to be closing. He can just go to another store with fake electronic gift cards based off existing physical card numbers and keep doing this. So glad I'm not a JB shareholder…

    • Bargainbeth on 15/01/2020 - 00:48
      +1

      I've had this issue with jb before where they wouldnt allow me to use my physical gift card without the actual card. I told them another store always allowed it when I gave them the barcode. Thought they were being difficult but myy god your story really changes that. I managed to use an e gift card by presenting the email, though, so they're tough on physical gcs.

      Anyway, its against their own store policy to even have allowed the guy to use that card without the physical card there.

      A staff member being accommodating and "nice" and breaching actually serious store policies in place to prevent fraud shouldnt leave you out of pocket. You could argue that you showed the numbers based off the fact that store policy doesn't allow use of physical gcs without the actual card.

      I had an issue where a store messed up badly. I complained in store, spoke to manager, who just apologised and shrugged me away. After that, I channelled my inner Karen and wrote a lengthy email to jb. It went back to the same store, but this time the manager resolved it. Perhaps you could try this too.

      Good luck to you man!!

    • JimmyF on 15/01/2020 - 09:28
      +2

      What had happened was, the customer presented a print out of an electronic gift card. The sales representative attempted to scan the barcode and failed. Then the sales rep keyed in the barcode and processed the gift card as an electronic gift card.

      Yes, I think we have found the loophole now. You should go the media with this as JB isn't playing nice.

      I do feel the store rep followed policies at the time, the problem is that 'James' has found a loophole in the system. He cons people like the OP in supplying a copy of the card number so he can wink wink confirm the balance in store before buying. Like the OP most people would think that just supplying the card number is ok, as the pin number has been protected.

      The loophole is, it seems with these numbers alone, James then mocks up a egiftcard printout/email using the physical card numbers.

      James then heads in store and buys products, presenting the fake/mock egiftcard his made, the sales rep at the store believes it is a valid egiftcard and processes it as one, which means no pin number required as they don't need one for egiftcard transactions.

      There are a few problems here as I see it, all on JB lack security mindset, being

      • JB appears to use the same number format for physical and egiftcards, which makes this loophole possible. While this isn't end of the world, it is when you factor in the next issue.
      • JB processes egiftcards without needing a pin number.
      • The same JB egiftcard process can be applied to physical giftcards numbers too, bypassing the pin security feature.

      The simple fix here is to add PIN number validation to all giftcard transactions, requiring the pin number to be entered when being redeemed.

      This simple step will close the loophole 'James' is using, and tighten up the system.

      They also need to put a lockout feature on the website for people using brute force attacks to 'guess' the pin number, which will close the loophole even more.

      The above is what colesworth uses for egiftcards. For Coles, you scan the egiftcard barcode, and on the EFTPOS machine it pops up asking you to enter the pin number. JB needs to follow suit.

      • squaredonut on 15/01/2020 - 12:36

        Weird thing is I have purcased a lot of JB egiftcards from my partners work portal, tey all have pins, so its just stupid policies/systems not enforcing pin entry.

        • JimmyF on 15/01/2020 - 15:18
          -1

          Yep its crazy indeed, if you ordered online, you have to enter the pin number, so why should instore be any different.

  • ken86c on 14/01/2020 - 17:10
    +2

    I had trouble getting a reimbursement for hotels for a delayed flight from Tiger Airways back in the day. Spent 9 months trying to get a refund from a Manilla call centre. Almost gave up, but then i emailed the CEO, and his assistant emailed back the next day and i got a refund in 1 week.

    Maybe worth a try

    • JimmyF on 14/01/2020 - 18:51

      Its tiger? Why would you even think they would reimburse you in the first place? cough cough budget airline and all.

  • r3volt on 14/01/2020 - 20:38
    +19

    Everyone should go down to their local JB and start taking photos of all the display gift cards. If anyone asks, you're just investing in the future.

    • JimmyF on 15/01/2020 - 10:12

      don't forget to scratch the pin panel for when JB closes the loophole james used.

  • juicy j on 15/01/2020 - 10:13

    Sorry to hear that you are going through this

  • tryagain on 15/01/2020 - 10:14
    +1

    I think the time for asking them to find out what happened has come to an end, you pretty much now know how it has occured, now it's time to be the squeaky wheel and start going further up the chain to get your $$$ back.

    I would start with emailing the store manager, lay out the interactions you have had with him and VII to date and then refer to the most recent phone call, summarise it and point out any contradictions with things he said and JB's terms and conditions.
    I would finish with something like "you said your employee followed the correct procedures, yet I acted in a way that in accordance with JB's terms and conditions should have ensured my gift cards weren't compromised, but have been left with a significant financial loss. As you indicated you are unable/unwilling to do anything further to resolve this situation, am I able to get the contact details of your manager to further escalate this matter."

    • JimmyF on 15/01/2020 - 10:18
      -1

      The problem is most stores are franchised owned, so asking the store manager to cough up $1500 for something controlled by the head office, isn't going to fly. That would come directly from their profits and NOT resolve the real issue here.

      The OP is best to lay out what and how it happened to the store manger (I've detailed it in a post above), and request a contact within the head office to continue this discussion with.

      If this fails, then its media time. Bit of bad press and letting the 'world' know how to game the giftcard system should see results from JB.

      • tryagain on 15/01/2020 - 12:25

        Pretty much what I suggested, most issues head office are going to direct you back to the store to begin with. Creating a paper trail showing you have done this but there hasn't been a resolution with the store manager, not that you necessarily expect the manager to cough up is the reason to have it in there.

      • r3volt on 15/01/2020 - 13:29

        While this is true, the franchisee/manager should be going into bat for the customer for head office.

        • JimmyF on 15/01/2020 - 15:15
          +1

          While this is true, the franchisee/manager should be going into bat for the customer for head office.

          Why would the franchisee/manager go in to bat? They haven't lost out here. They 'gained' $1500 in sales from this guy, and looking at 'James' gumtree account, he's been doing this for a while. Also from the OP post above, this isn't the first report the store has had of this guy. But until they personally start losing money, they don't care.

          Interestingly, he also mentioned that this particular person that claimed the gift card has also been seen (I'm assuming on CCTV) previously to be claiming other gift cards in a similar manner. And from the words that he said and the tone, he indicated that he realises that there is potentially some fraudulent activity being undertaken here.

          They are turning a blind eye as they are getting sales. They clearly know the guy is doing some NQR and haven't bothered to stop or question it as they're making money.

      • F-22 on 15/01/2020 - 19:45
        +2

        Are you sure? As far as i'm aware JB is a chain, not a franchise.

        • JimmyF on 16/01/2020 - 09:40

          Same same, its a chain with a manager running it. Still has targets for sales etc and bonuses are linked to sales etc.

          The store manager is clearly turning a blind eye.

          • F-22 on 16/01/2020 - 13:12

            @JimmyF: It's quite different actually, a franchisee would have a financial interest as it would affect their bottom line profit. A manager has somewhat of an interest as they have to meet KPIs and possibly get bonuses, but they certainly wouldn't care as much as a franchisee.

            • JimmyF on 16/01/2020 - 13:36

              @F-22:

              A manager has somewhat of an interest as they have to meet KPIs and possibly get bonuses

              I'm guessing this guy is struggling to meet KPI targets, hence why turning a blind eye.

              The fact is, from the OPs chat with the store manager, they are 'aware' this person has been passing off gift cards that are NQR, but haven't done anything about it.

          • nexus4 on 16/01/2020 - 21:45

            @JimmyF: A chain is totally different to a franchise. In a chain, the $1500 comes from the company. In a franchise, the $1500 comes from the owner (not the manager).

      • solidussnake on 16/01/2020 - 08:28

        Incorrect they have never been franchised unlike Harvey Norman or before The Good Guys were bought out by JB Hifi

  • RNDM on 15/01/2020 - 11:35
    +46

    Update, but this time it’s a little bit more positive.

    I was just starting to draft up another email to JB Hifi head office and find a way to share it here for everyone to contribute towards, before sending it off.

    But, I just received a phone call from the risk management team at JB hi-fi. They let me know that this issue is now being investigated further, and for some reason, there was some internal communication break down and the issue didn’t actually make it to their team prior.

    They have shared their contact details, and let me know that they will be looking into this issue, and will also be working with the police. It’s definitely nice to see that I finally had someone reach out to me, and at least tell me that they are somewhat taking this a little bit more seriously.

    So, we'll wait and see what comes of this.

    • savage bargain on 15/01/2020 - 11:39

      About time - the loophole that's been exposed is pretty serious. I'm surprised it's taken them this long to finally be serious about it.

    • richadam on 15/01/2020 - 11:45
      +4

      Maybe someone internal got wind of this thread and how deep the failure goes.

    • profar on 15/01/2020 - 11:53

      Hopefully with the current loophole they can at least brainstorm and block card numbers seen on gift cards or strictly enforced pin use .

      Also OP hopefully with more exposure ( JB seem to be getting more serious ) you'll end up with compensation .

    • t_c on 15/01/2020 - 12:05
      +2

      Have you notified police jb hifi have cctv footage and their appears to be further fraud, just in case theres another 'communication breakdown'

      • lechuck123 on 15/01/2020 - 13:05
        +1

        Yes, and who knows how long they've arbitrarily decided keep footage. I'd hope the store has at least saved it while the investigation continues

    • Buy2Much on 15/01/2020 - 12:37
      +7

      I would like to see JB putting a wanted photo of "James" on all their ACT stores in case someone can recognise him. This "James" needs to be caught as it looks like he is a repeat offender, I am sure this is not the only scam he is pulling. There is also a chance someone else here might have dealt with him on Gumtree, seeing the number of stuff that he have sold, hence may have his number/address.
      I am sure "James" is reading this thread. You will be looking over your shoulder all the time now that JB has a CCTV footage of you and putting their effort in investigating it, no doubt reporting it to the police as well. Karma will catch up with you. Is it worth it?

    • squaredonut on 15/01/2020 - 12:39
      +1

      Looks like someone from JB is an ozbargainer. hope it works out!

    • wjb on 15/01/2020 - 13:05

      JBHIFI should be taking this seriously.
      Give back OP $1500 (actually he deserves more and a medal) and I hope JB is giving him the credit.
      Small $$$ for preventing future chaos and major frauds.

    • r3volt on 15/01/2020 - 13:27
      +2

      Did you tell them that you already solved how it's done and that your invoice for time spent + money owed will be in the mail

    • Heaps for Cheaps on 15/01/2020 - 16:08
      +1

      Fantastic, we're cheering you on & hopefully you get your cards back :))))

    • greater mimic on 16/01/2020 - 04:30

      Awesome work, hope you get compensated (I.e reimbursed) for your effort

    • sauce2k on 16/01/2020 - 23:26

      About damn time! Gluck!!!! Staying close with this hopefully they will resolve soon and punish the scammer

    • tryagain on 17/01/2020 - 15:22

      Any update, been a couple of days now, might pay to ask your contact at risk management if they would be the people to reissue the gift cards should they find you didn't do anything wrong. If not you could get the ball rolling with the department that would.

  • f23lda on 15/01/2020 - 14:39
    +4

    I've been thinking very hard about this for at least an hour now and I think I might have come to the conclusion that James isn't really called James. I think it's a fake name. I've cracked it boys. This case is wide open.

    • blackout134 on 15/01/2020 - 15:20
      +5

      Maybe they can check if he was wearing a name tag in the cctv footage.

      • f23lda on 15/01/2020 - 15:31

        Mate, you just made junior detective with that one, genius!

      • Heaps for Cheaps on 15/01/2020 - 16:09

        Just zoom in & enhance on the name badge or the underside of the fingers for prints may I suggest.

        • f23lda on 15/01/2020 - 20:40
          +2

          You're hired. Please proceed to the ozbargain forensic lab and await blackout's footage.

          I have a precog, currently awaiting the next time this ruthless ruffian rips off another poor soul.

        • Sinnerator on 28/02/2023 - 08:51
          +1

          Keep zooming in until you see his DNA

  • megaclix on 15/01/2020 - 18:59

    Out of interest, I just searched on Gumtree for JB HiFi cards on sale, and some are listed with the numbers shown on the photo's.

    I wander if 'James' just had the incorrect barcode encoding (e.g. Code 128, EAN etc), and it would work perfectly if this was correct.

  • RNDM on 17/01/2020 - 17:46
    +34

    So just a quick update, I have been in contact with a risk analyst at JB hi-fi. The police in ACT are looking into this, they are just collecting all the information about anything related to this matter, so this includes the CCTV footage the gift card numbers all my details. And I believe The police in Chadstone is also being involved in this matter also.

    So all of this communication has been via email, and I just made it clear even though that a lot of this investigation is involving the police at this point. I mentioned that I didn’t want the police investigation to necessarily take away from the real issue, which is an internal issue. She acknowledged, saying that she agreed, and she is both looking on the internal side of things and also working with the police to catch the individuals involved.

    So far this has been going okay, I really haven’t mentioned or discussed anything relating to reimbursement or a reissue of the gift cards at this point. It’s already taken, two weeks, so I really don’t mind at this point. What’s more is that she’s actually going to be on leave until the end of the month, and she hasn’t really left this with anyone else at the moment. So hopefully by the time she gets back, police will have completed their assessment and investigation. So really until the end of the month, I don’t think I’m going to have anything further to update.

    • batrarobin on 17/01/2020 - 18:16
      +5

      So not too long before 'James' hears a knock on his door.

      • th123 on 17/01/2020 - 19:27
        +7

        How much time have you lost in the whole dilemma? You may end up with a reimbursement but damn that's a lot of time, stress and shit you've had to go through for it.

        • Buy2Much on 17/01/2020 - 21:33

          How much value is the principle?
          Hopefully we will see his/her/[insert gender here] mugshot on the ACT Police Facebook soon.

    • Heaps for Cheaps on 17/01/2020 - 20:25

      Thanks for the feedback… The month holiday thing is frustrating because it reminds me of when somebody applied for a loan using my identity, and so I informed the police about the loan, what time they are due to attend the bank, current details & the police called me back in 6 months… groan

    • sleet on 18/01/2020 - 17:43
      -1

      You should show JB this thread and how wide reaching this issue has become. A big bargain, consumer community is invested in this and want to know it is being dealt with and investigated properly.

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