Buying a Gift Card with Large Amount
 

Im gonna meet someone to buy a a gift card/store credit for a relatively large amount, roughly $2500 or so. What are some precautions I should take to know that I dont get screwed over? Besides from the usual verify the balance at the cashier? Thanks!

There was a big scam awhile ago where people would buy gift cards with stolen credit cards, then sell them on CL. Then when the transaction was found to be fraudulent the gift card would be cancelled.

I'd be very careful doing something like this, there are many ways you can get duped.

Make sure the PIN isn't scratched off on the back of the GC. Or you can get them to transfer the amount to a brand new GC right at the till.. that should be pretty safe.

transfer it to store credit after verifying that its real

Curious, which store' GC are you buying?

ONLY buy the gift card at the store and make sure the amount is confirmed in store by customer service. If not, DO NOT BUY. I would also be prepared to make my purchase then and there that way nothing can go wrong down the road after you buy the gift card.

+1
I would go as far as buying something completely random and then go back to the store a couple of days later to return and get the credit on a "fresh giftcard"

sounds like a scam already...

If you do the things suggested above. You should be good to go.
I suggest telling the seller you will be doing these things said above. So that if seller declines, then you know it's a scam right away and you can save your time by not meeting up.

What sounds like a scam? Lol that he's buying a gift card?

the big question is where did you find this guy thats selling the gift card? CL, internet a friend?

Buy whatever you're buying with them there using the gift card right away. Or transfer the gift card to a new one.

buying a $2500 gift card 2nd hand

those gift cards are usually purchased using stolen credit card info and then flipped to people like you who exchange legitimately earned cash.

i would be hesitant to purchase that large of an amount on a gc especially if it seems to be "too good to be true".

update us here if you do go through with the purchase.

I will meet him tomorrow, its a Lowe's GC. He said he got it when he had leftovers from his renovation project and they issued store credit for like 2932.43. Some odd number

I'll probably gather everything I need to buy and wait on standby besides the cashier or self cehckout hahah

^ That doesn't sound too suspicious. I used to work returns at Rona long long time ago and it happens quite often. Although the amount is fairly large.

If you don't plan on buying everything then and there, you can try asking him to provide a receipt for the GC. If what he's saying is true, he might have a receipt showing the returned items from his renovation and the store issuing him GC. That way you can tell the GC wasn't bought with a credit card or possibly a stolen credit card.

Doesn't sound suspicious. really?

What the fuck could he have bought 2900 dollars worth of that he didn't need. You can't possibly have bought 2900 dollars worth of extra lumber unless you are a complete and utter idiot.

Tiles? Grout? 10 extra toilets? 6 extra kitchen faucets?

Returning 2900 dollars worth of stuff to Lowes is like impossible unless he bought like appliances...

The only situation where I would even consider doing this is from someone I 100% completely trust, and I know where it came from (ie they weren't scammed themselves and are unwittingly passing it on). It is so unbelievably scammy to sell gift cards second hand.

I meant the story sounding reasonable, in terms of having stuff to return due to renovations. I did say the amount was fairly large and said he can double check the validity of the seller's story by checking receipts of returned items and the store issuing a GC for the returned items.

A person doing a renovation can return a large priced item(s) that they did not want because they changed their mind through out the renovation. You even said it yourself.. appliances. These stores do carry a lot of other expensive items and it's not that unusual.

It's also pretty common for people doing renos to return items all at once if possible rather than doing multiple short trips to return 1 or 2 items. So it is possible that it can add up with expensive items.

I'd get a copy of his driver's license to be safe.

$2500 ain't nothing to joke about.