Restaurant Choice EFTPOS Gift Cards Are Potentially Very Inconsistent with The Expiry Dates!

Jinster on 17/08/2024 - 10:54
Last edited 17/08/2024 - 13:12 by 2 other users

Hi everyone. I hope this PSA can help me find a solution and/or helps someone else.

During this deal in Jan 2023, I bought a bunch of Restaurant Choice eftpos gift cards. It's the only time I have ever bothered with the RC GC because it's just too fiddly to use. But that deal was great, and it was my first time trying these out, so I bought a bunch. Steadily, I have been using them all up.

There are now 5 cards left. $50 each.

A few nights ago, at one of the restaurants we frequent (we know this place takes RC GCs, with no surcharge so $50 is $50 which makes it easy to do the split calculations) (and this place is still accepting RC GC because one card worked in that split on that night) when attempting to pay with another $50 card, the terminal says "card expired". Incredulous, this led me to check all my 5 remaining RC cards. And I found:

2 expired, 1 expires Oct 24, 1 expires Feb 25, and 1 expires Jul 25.

All my RC cards were bought on that one occassion, from Coles, in Jan 2023 folllowing that deal. And per T&C, it's 3 year expiry on purchase/activation. So they should all expire Jan 26.

Not only do these cards have shortened expiry dates, they don't even expire at the same time despite being activated on the same day!!!

Just a warning to anyone who buys them to check as soon as bought!

My question is: what can I do with the 2 expired cards?

EDIT 1: Wow! Didn't expect so many replies so quickly. Looks like the entire OZB community is here browsing on a Saturday morning.

EDIT 2: Customer service was actually very helpful. The number to call is 1300252250 (for the old non-VISA non-digital cards). They check the two cards using the very long serial numbers and found them "defective". They will be sending me digital replacements.

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  stratbargain on 17/08/2024 - 11:01

  +2

  just ring them

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  randomusername2017 on 17/08/2024 - 11:03

  Eat the cards…then it won't be a total loss🤔

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  WookieMonster on 17/08/2024 - 11:05

  +5

  Wait, have you actually contacted Blackhawk Network customer support for assistance? If not, I will still give it a shot, because there is a chance customer service will be helpful (especially if you remind them that the terms and conditions of the gift card states a minimum expiry of three years).

  The last time I contacted Blackhawk Network for assistance with one of my gift cards (an Activ Visa gift card that was blocked), customer service sent me a replacement digital Activ Visa gift card. I thought I was going to get the run-around from customer service, but the rep I got was helpful and straight to the point.

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  spc12go on 17/08/2024 - 11:05

  +1

  If you kept the receipt contact them or coles

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  Tech5 on 17/08/2024 - 11:05

  +4

  Why are you imagining the phone call rather than calling them?

  • 

    theHMASfriendship on 17/08/2024 - 11:51

    I was imagining commenting this

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  Jinster on 17/08/2024 - 11:16

  +5

  I just called. All went unexpectedly smoothly! Replacements will be coming. And to think I almost just threw these out thinking there's nothing that can be done. Lesson learnt. RC does have good aftersales service at least.