Gift cards

I am extremely disappointed with Shoprite.

My pensioner father purchased a Shoprite gift card. Please note: when buying a gift card from Shoprite, no ID is required and nothing links the card to the purchaser.

Because the card was used often, the back strip became damaged and eventually he pulled it off. He did not know this strip was still required. There was R1,500 loaded on the card — money my pensioner parents planned to use in January.

I still have a slip we purchased goods using the card and the physical card, yet Shoprite says they cannot assist at all. No solution, no alternatives, no support.

The sad reality is my parents will now lose R1,500 — a large amount for pensioners — while a big corporate company benefits from money that will never be used.

It is shocking that in this day and age, Shoprite has no system to link gift cards to customers or assist when issues arise. Many people save money on these cards. If one is damaged or ******, the loss can be devastating.

Please be extremely careful when purchasing gift cards from any store. I honestly still can’t believe this.