Too many gift cards!

[LaurenT]

I had something kind of similar. Was working a retail job at the same department store as my Mom one year in college. Went on a Friday I was not working to grab my check and put it into the bank that day. There was a bbq lunch for employees, so I sat down there to eat lunch with my Mom and looked at my check (think I might have been getting a deposit ticket out to prep to take to the bank) and it was 3-4 times the normal amount. Showed my Mom and she agreed something was very wrong and checked her check which was right. So since HR and the assistant store managers were all there, I took my check over and said something seemed very off and it was way too much. They all stared in disbelief and said it was definitely wrong, and they had to take it back (made sense to me), but if I needed money right away they would figure out how much it should have been and then given me like 60% of it right away, but I was ok money wise. So a couple days later I found out I was not the only one with check issues and it was a small group of us that floated among the various departments. The one person (true adult with kids) confronted me for telling our checks were off (I only said mine, the company audit picked up the rest) and said she considered it a nice bonus from the company and felt she was owed that money. Yeah - no, I did the right thing and it would have been caught. I needed to have the option to return on school breaks and did not want to be put on a do not rehire list.

She had no business getting angry with you.
I had a coworker get angry when I turned in a money envelope containing a couple hundred dollars she had accidentally left in a cart. Turned out the company didn’t know the envelope was missing until I turned it in. I was just trying to be nice and do the right thing.

 

[seashoreCM]

How about this? Write (using snail mail) explaining what happened, in much the same fashion as you might dispute a credit card bill.

By writing, you are inviting the store to write back thus creating a paper trail.

If you don't get any reply in 3 weeks (2 weeks plus mailing time) "write" again that is you can send a photocopy of the first letter instead of brainstorming a new letter body.

All the while leaving the extra gift cards unused in your dresser drawer.

 

[floridafam]

I wouldn’t mail them back. The USPS won’t insure packages containing gift cards.

What if they get back to you and the cards are lost in the mail?

You’ve done eveything you can do. Wait for them to call you back.

Don’t feel bad about a darn thing.

 

[Owlpost23]

Keep or don't keep.Karma will let you know either way.

 

[LovesTimone]

I had this same situation at the beginning of the year.... I bought several packs of different gift cards some Disney, some for AMC movies and Restaurants ... I received more than I purchased, when I opened the package I just stood there shocked, It was like everything was doubled - So after sorting them all out, and talking to my DH ... so the first thing we did was check my CC and I was charged correctly... so I called and got the run around... I called twice...they could have cared less... so I took control I went on line to check to see if they are valid and the amount that is on them... and they were all valid... but still I was skeptical so I took them into the stores and have them check they were valid... Just ask for them to check them...don't go into a discussion with them on what happened, the less chance of screwing up all the cards... they were all valid... I did get a call a month after I made the original call... and she said oh that's our mistake... I only called because I thought that they sent you empty cards... just keep them... and that was that...

 

[pfp258]

It all comes down to who you are as a person. Everyone has a moral compass within....personally I would work to return the cards. I once found a $100 bill when walking my dog. I couldn’t discern who it belonged to so I went to the bookstore and chose some books to give to a nearby nonprofit. The money didn’t belong to me, I didn’t earn it and so I chose to spend it on others.

 

[angierae]

If the posted law is correct, then I would feel like I had done everything I could possibly do. You called to tell them of their mistake, they didn't seem inclined to do anything about it. I don't think it's immoral to say "Well, I tried" and move on with your life.

 

[tinytinkmom]

I was in a very similar situation, also with Disney gift cards. It took several phone calls to get them to take back the gift card money that didn’t belong to me... Frustrating? Yes. But I never would have spent that money - it wasn’t mine. No amount of justification would have made me feel right about it. But everyone is different.