Buying Walmart Gift Cards / Store Credit

[RogerD]

For the past couple years I've been buying Walmart gifts cards and store credit

I just run an ad on craigslist. I will say that it has become more competitive.

I try and pay more than others / be available in the evenings when others aren't.

I pay 75% of the remaining balance on the card if under $100 and 80% if over $100.

I meet the seller at walmart and check the balance.

After I pay them, I buy a new gift card using the gift card I purchased. I do this because I once bought a card for $300 and 2 hours later there was no remaining balance on it. So by buying a new card, that can never happen.

Anyway, it saves you 20%-25% on your purchases.

You can also resell them online. I have never done this, but you can get like 90% for them.

 

[RVTravel]

How did the scam on the 300 buck card work? The person must have had a second card made from the same number and immediately used it up once he sold you a "copy" card?

 

[tav-2020]

How did the scam on the 300 buck card work? The person must have had a second card made from the same number and immediately used it up once he sold you a "copy" card?

just an assumption here, not something I have done! I am guessing the seller wrote down all of the activation numbers and immediately purchased something online.  nobody physically sees the card when you use it for online purchases.

 

[John61CT]

Counting time, gas, vehicle wear & tear and especially

risk from fraud

does not seem worth while to me.

 

[tx2sturgis]

You are barely one step ahead of the gift card fraudsters.

Good luck with this.

 

[speedhighway46]

That’s way more effort than what I am willing to invest. I’d rather be reading or sight seeing or whatever. Walmart parking lots serve me well, and their roasted deli chicken is pretty delicious. Plus, way high probably of a bad experience because you have the potential of dealing with the lowlifes of society. Anyone who wants to sell the balance on a gift card probably wants to turn it into drugs.

Risk avoidance says don’t do it.

 

[lenny flank]

Risk avoidance says don’t do it.

Many times in Walmarts across the country I have run into people doing a "returns" scam. They approach you and give you a sob story about having a TV or clothing or whatever that they want to return, but by golly gee they don't have their drivers license with them, so if you are so kind as to return it for them, they will generously give you $50 or whatever.

Of course, the stuff is all stolen. And when you return stuff to Walmart without a receipt, they copy your driver license. So, when the stuff comes back as "stolen", it's YOU they go after, instead of the dude in the parking lot.

One would HOPE nobody would be stupid enough to fall for the scam. But alas there apparently are enough stupid people in the country to keep them going.

 

[RogerD]

Counting time, gas, vehicle wear & tear and especially

risk from fraud

does not seem worth while to me.

If a walmart to meet them at is a significant distance then it's probably not worth it.

I'm currently like 2 minutes from the one I meet everyone at.

Ever since I started buying a new card with the card I purchased, I've never had a problem.

 

[RogerD]

How did the scam on the 300 buck card work? The person must have had a second card made from the same number and immediately used it up once he sold you a "copy" card?

It was something slick.

There is a scratch off section on the back of the card that you get the code to use to buy something online.

It wasn't scratched off. So I have no clue how they did it.

Before that happened, I just made sure that section wasn't scratched off and never had a problem.

I use to just verify the balance of the cards online. Now I just meet them at walmart and do it and get a new card.

I've also bought many homedepot / lowes cards and just verified online and never had a problem with them. I would buy them for 70%-75% of the balance.

 

[RogerD]

That’s way more effort than what I am willing to invest. I’d rather be reading or sight seeing or whatever. Walmart parking lots serve me well, and their roasted deli chicken is pretty delicious. Plus, way high probably of a bad experience because you have the potential of dealing with the lowlifes of society. Anyone who wants to sell the balance on a gift card probably wants to turn it into drugs.

Risk avoidance says don’t do it.

I've probably bought $10K worth of various gift cards over the past 2 years.

I've gotten some for 50%. Walmart you have pay well to get. 

Only had that one problem.

 

[frater secessus]

Anyone who wants to sell the balance on a gift card probably wants to turn it into drugs.

Or they received a card they don't like/need.  That's why the card swap/buy sites were set up.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Or they received a card they don't like/need.  That's why the card swap/buy sites were set up.

That, and the practice of stealing gift cards, or, selling illegal drugs, using gift cards as currency. 

It's a whole underground 'industry'.