Coles Split Payment on Gift Cards

I have recently tried to buy a Visa gift card from a manned checkout at Coles with the split payment option. The lady at the checkout didn’t allow me to split the payment. I told her that I had bought like this before. She kept saying it could not be done. Then I told her that I have a receipt when I bought like this by splitting the payment into two. She asked me to bring the receipt. Luckily, I had a receipt in my car.

Then I came to the shop again and showed her the receipt. I was stupid to bring the receipt. She made things difficult for the guy who did the split payment last time. And then she said he’s a junior and he doesn’t know the company procedure. Then, I asked her to call the manager. Manager then came and said the same thing. I think because she wanted to defend her subordinate.

I usually buy gift cards from other Coles with the split payment option. It’s very funny how this works. When you buy a gift card you can split the payment if you pay with cash first. I asked them what’s the problem here as long as I pay the full amount. They say it’s the company policy and then they are silent. I’d say it has nothing to do with the company policy but it’s simply about people’s selfishness.

Do you people think is there anything I can do here against that employee? Something like making a complaint at Consumer Affairs or any suggestions?

Related Stores

Coles
Coles

Comments

  • +12

    any suggestions?

    I would create a new account on a bargain website and ask in their forums.

  • +2

    What's your main ID?

  • +2

    @Muzeeb

    • +3

      @mapax

      • +4

        ADAGCHS

  • +3

    Having been the subordinate in situations like this working at Coles years ago, a supervisor is just as happy to throw us under the bus haha
    You can make a complaint to the store that the store manager will read and potentially action depending on how they feel on the day.
    As far as consumer affairs goes, I believe the store can just refuse you service which sounds like what happened in this situation.
    As for the policy, we used to have people come in and load up gift cards with stolen cards and you can bypass card limits by paying under limit amount (like $100) paywave and then the rest cash or with another card, there was a grey area there where unofficially we were told to match ID to the card being used to pay above a certain gift card amount but legally don't think we were allowed to, the crooks would just take off after that question anyway ("its in the car").
    I think a lot would have changed in that time so not sure what procedure is nowadays in the days of purchasing gift cards for scammers etc
    It can definitely be processed as you've seen in your prior experience, unless they introduce safeguards to the system to prevent split-payment when gift-cards are purchased, but the systems are rarely updated.
    Seems like reasonable policy to follow from what I've read but depending on who you get, you may get the opportunity to do it.

  • Suggestions? Try use paragraphs.

  • +5

    Do you people think is there anything I can do here against that employee?

    Not really, you should have just waited and went to another person instead.

    Something like making a complaint at Consumer Affairs or any suggestions?

    LOL over what? Coles can have any policy they want really.

    You might want to start and see what the policy really says first.

  • +3

    id use the race card op. always works.

  • +3

    Why do you need to do split payment in the first place?

    • +2

      Use up balances on old gift cards, or doing part payment with Flybuys dollars and another method of payment are two such examples.

      • But he's buying a gift card?

        • +2

          He's probably buying this gift card with other gift cards.

  • Just use self serve for complicated stuff like this.

    • Split payments are blocked at self serve if you're buying a gift card (or a SIM, which activates the same way as a gift card). An error will come up, I think it tells the operator to check that a gift card isn't being used to pay and then to complete the transaction at an attended checkout.

      • Ah doh, I completely skipped the "buy a Visa gift card" part.

      • Is this recent?

        • Fairly recent, 10 Oct 2023 according to my bank statement.

          • +1

            @cyan00FFFF: Hmmm… I bought Bunnings gift cards at self checkout mid last year one $100 card at a time and didn't get the prompt.

            • @kyle: It is treated differently somehow since long time ago.

  • +1

    I never understood why people ask for a manager when they don't get what they want. Managers usually always back up their employees.

    • +2

      ever heard of manager override?

  • +1

    I was stupid
    … about people’s YOUR selfishness.

    I agree with you on this completely.
    If you know how to work it why not just do it on self checkout?
    Why so obsessed with this particular cashier? Do you love him/her/they?
    What benefit do you get by making the complaint?
    By making a complaint you could probably make Coles close this loophole, That's what you want to achieve?

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