A Woolworths shopper is the latest victim of the Apple gift card tampering issue impacting supermarket shoppers.
Writing on Reddit’s ‘Woolworths’ thread, the customer reported that upon opening their gift card at home, information needed to redeem it had been removed.
A Woolies shopper discovered the Apple gift card they bought in-store had been tampered with. Reddit/Woolworths
“Bought four Apple gift cards from Woolworths North Melbourne today as part of the 20x rewards points promo,” they wrote.
“Three of them had their redemption numbers and part of their serial numbers completely removed/scratched off. External packaging was undamaged.
“Opened two at home, realised and then went back to the store within 30 minutes.
“Opened the third one in front of the manager to demonstrate the issue, was told that they could not provide a refund, but would be taking the other gift cards off the shelf and that the issue is Apple’s fault to deal with.”
The customer then contacted the Woolworths gift card helpline and was told Apple was aware of the issue and had requested customers be directed to them when the issue arises.
They questioned why they weren’t entitled to a refund for the “tampered/faulty product” with proof of purchase, and whether Woolworths was aware of the issue and if so, why they continue selling them.
The Woolies shopper had contacted Apple support and were told an investigation would take place, taking “at least 10 business days”.
A Coles shopper and now a Woolies customer have reported the same issue. Getty
This same issue was reported by Coles customer Georgia Perry, who was left $2000 out of pocket when she bought four Apple gift cards at her local supermarket in Melbourne, having placed $500 on each of them.
She, too, found the cards had been tampered with and were unusable upon opening them, however was eventually able to obtain a refund from Coles.
A Woolworths spokesperson told nine.com.au: “We take fraud prevention seriously and are aware that a very small number of our gift cards have been affected by tampering, which is impacting retailers across the industry.
Georgia Perry found herself $2000 out of pocket when she purchased her gift cards from Coles. Instagram @gpez
“To help protect customers, we’ve introduced stronger in-store security measures and more secure gift card packaging, while also working closely with law enforcement and our suppliers to help stop this criminal activity.
“We encourage customers to check the packaging and barcode before purchasing and alert a team member to any concerns. If a customer has concerns about a gift card after leaving the store, they should contact our customer service team so we can investigate and, where appropriate, provide a replacement.”
The Woolworths shopper later updated their Reddit post, explaining they were contacted by the Woolies gift card team and received a full refund.
The gift cards are sold at several major retailers including supermarkets. Getty
Perry has also obtained a full refund from Coles.
Apple Australia was contacted for comment and responded with a link to a gift card help page on its website.
Under the section ‘If your gift card code is unreadable’, it says to ‘contact Apple support’.
The ACCC is urging gift card providers to “develop and maintain their systems appropriately to prevent gift card fraud”.
“If consumers experience difficultly redeeming their gift cards, including if they find they have purchased already redeemed gift cards, they should raise this issue with both the gift card provider and the retailer,” they previously told nine.com.au.
“Consumers are able to return such gift cards to the retailer they purchased from, providing proof of purchase, to seek a refund or replacement gift card.
“However, consumers may also need to provide the retailer with information from the gift card provider confirming that the gift card funds were redeemed fraudulently.
The gift cards remain on sale. Jo Abi
Affected shoppers are being urged to contact Apple customer support. Getty
“Although signs of physical tampering are not always present when there is gift card fraud, consumers are encouraged to inspect the gift card carefully before purchasing to check for any signs of damage or tampering, as one issue that can indicate validity or redemption problems.
“If consumers have a gift card issue that they can’t resolve directly with the gift card provider or retailer, they can contact their state or territory consumer protection agency, who may be able to assist.”
At the time of publication, Apple gift cards are still on sale in major supermarkets.