Simon Mall Gift Cards reviews and complaints
Bank keeps your money
I received a Simon Mall Gift Card from a relative. Took it to Borders bookstore once. The next time at Borders I told them to check how much was left on the card. The card doesn't allow them to do that, they said. A seasoned employee suggested ringing up several dollars at a time until the card declared an overdraw. It took a lot of frustrating time to do this. At the end an unknown amount still remained on the card. I don't know which next store is willing to waste its time making repeat ring-ups to get my money out.
The bank keeps it. We lose. In 13 months they drain the account $2.50 each month. A "service charge."
Country of complaint: United States
I think this is a scam!
Simon Mall Gift Cards have lots of no's and very few yes'. The gift giver pays a fee up front. If you don't use it for any reason in 6 months after purchase date. Then they charge you $2.50 a month for "administrative fees" and a re-issue charge of $7.50 (which I think I just saw went up to $12.50)- if you card expires without using it.
I called and asked if there was any way they could reduce the fees since I had some major medical problems and my card had expired without using it. I lost $35 to fees. They wouldn't budge. I even asked if we could split the $35 because I had miss-read and thought you had 6 months after it expired to use it without penalty.
I think this is a scam. The buyer thinks they are giving a gift of $$XX and it doesn't always work out that way. I know there are time in life that you physically can't go out and purchase things and/or don't care if you can. This supposedly great gift idea falls flat for elderly or house bound people who may not have an idea on what to use it on.
I also had trouble when I was re-issued a card, getting a merchant to use it. They kept showing me that the card was declined when it had a balance on it.
I contacted the state's attorney general but they it is a legal contract between the buyer and the seller. It needs to be changed in the legislature. I just think the fees are too high when they are paid up front plus a profit to buy the card.
Country of complaint: United States
I bought 3 cards for Christmas Gifts at Mall.2 worked fine the 3rd one didn’t work.Called 3 times with over 30 minute hold time.Ended up protesting part of my charge on Chase.Got my refund right away.This was more than 30 days after I purchased cards.Be careful if you buy these.Terry Hanson
I have 2 Simon Mall gift cards dated June of 2005 which I misplaced and recently found. One is for 100.00 and the other for 50.00. Under the info about expired gift cards it states that there is a 7.50 reactivation fee but after speaking with customer service, I am ONLY entitled to NOTHING! Cash doesn't expire, why should your gift expire? I was also put on hold for 13 minutes when speaking with your customer service department. I lost my money and my time.
What a pain in the @ss. I've made three attempts to order a Simon gift card online (before finding this thread), each time going through the long process of inputting the recipient's name, writing out my accompanying e-card message, adding all my billing details, etc.---only to get a message upon submission that online ordering is not available at this time and simultaneously that an error occurred while processing my order (confounding to me how it could be both). I wrote Customer Service an e-mail to clarify whether it was a website problem or an issue on my end and the response I received was absolutely asinine:
"Thank you for contacting Simon Customer Service,
We are not experiencing technical problems with our website but unfortunately, processing guidelines will not allow us process your order at this time.
Thank you,
Simon Customer Service"
No explanation of what processing guidelines were at issue or, more importantly, WHEN they WOULD be able to process the order. What am I supposed to do with this kind of non-response? So of course I wrote back demanding a more informative explanation and perhaps a SUGGESTION of how to go about ordering the card. Luckily, I got a more competent representative this time who apologized for my frustration (implicitly acknowledging the uselessness of their previous response) and said:
"Unfortunately, American Express has denied your order due to their processing guidelines. You are welcome to call them at [protected] until you reach a person to get a more detailed answer from someone in the Risk Department."
After reading this thread, I'd rather just forget it and buy a generic card from my neighborhood CVS. I appreciate the more helpful customer service that I eventually received, but it's just a bit too little too late.
Worst customer service! Placed on hold for nearly 20 minutes...card never received...had to wait another 10-14 days for replacement! BAD BUSINESS!
I have had no problem with Simon gift cards.If you find that you won't be able to use, give it to someone or pay a bill or buy something on line. My only problem is having a very small balance. If you know the balance, take it with you to the grocery store. Most grocery st ores will let you use them.
I understand that these are high fees
but if you go to the mall they give you a whole year to use it
There are directions on how to use it
The card only cost two dollars to buy to begin with
and yes it is 15 dollars to renew it but you shouldn't of let it expire like that
You signed the contract and it was your own fault
If you can't handle the simon gift card then get a real one
Oh and with the whole misreading thing...
how's that their fault? Maybe you should've asked if you were unsure
Honestly I think you were just stupid and next time you should read harder and think about what your getting yourself into :]
First, I did not sign a contract! The card was given as a prize. It is difficult and it has a phone number as a code on the card that no one knows and Simon won't let customers activate without the magic phone number. I have been attempting to use this card for 2 yrs and it's almost about to expire but there is no solution, just the options to lose money or not use the card.
I can understand all of your complaints re: Simon Mall. I had my business at 2 malls for 4 years and all I had to deal with was the lack of integrity of their management team at their Pheasant Lane Mall in NH as well as the Burlington Mall in MA. They obviously are only interested in how to screw their customers as well as screw their leasees.
If anyone is interested in starting a business at any Simon Mall, you are absolutely crazy!
I WORK FOR A COMPANY THAT BUYS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF SIMON GIFT CARDS FROM THE MALL KIOSK IN OUR CITY AND WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING SOME STRANGE COMPLAINTS AS WELL. EACH CARD IS WORTH 50 DOLLARS BUT WE KEEP GETTING RANDOM COMPLAINTS OF 35 DOLLARS, 47 DOLLARS ETC AS THE BEGINNING BALANCE. THESE PEOPLE ARE RIPPING US OFF ON BULK ORDERS AND WE HAVE STOPPED ORDERING THEM IN BULK. I HAVE TAKEN A BRAND NEW CARD AND TRIED TO CHECK THE BALANCE ON THE PHONE AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD "THIS CARD IS NOT ACTIVATED" OR "ZERO BALANCE" YET WHEN YOU CHECK THE INTERNET SITE THE CARD IS LOADED AND READY TO GO. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE "INDIAN ACCENTS?' DEPARTMENT IS A JOKE. THEY CAN BARELY SPEAK THE LANGUAGE, SO THEY STICK TO THE "PARTY LINE" AND PARROT QUOTE. AS FAR AS BUYING GAS? GO TO THE CLERK INSIDE THE STORE AND RUN IT AS CREDIT. DON'T STICK THE CARD INTO THE PUMP IT WILL EMPTY THE TOTAL BALANCE OF THE CARD, EVEN IF YOU JUST ORDER 5 DOLLARS IN GAS. THESE CARDS ARE A JOKE AND NOT WORTH THE EFFORT AND I WOULD SUGGEST NEVER ORDERING THEM ONLINE.
I AGREE YOU HAVE A VERY POOR POLICY AND I RECIEVED THIS CARD AS A GIFT . WHEN I TRIED TO MAKE A PURCHASE IN THE GAS STATION YOU CARD WAS CONSTANTLY REJECTED SO I GOT NO GAS ...BUT YOUR COMPANY DID DEDUCT $75.00 ON HOLD FROM MY GIFT FOR NO REASON...YOU SHOULD TELL THAT WHEN PEOPLE PURCHASE THE CARD THAT YOU RIP PEOPLE OFF I NOW HAVE TO WAIT 5 DAYS TO SEE IF IT IS CREDITED TO MY CARD OR WHAT DO I DO I CALL CUST. SERVICE AND YOU CANT UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE THE CONNECTION IS VERY BAD AND THE ACCENTS ARE UNBELIVEABLE. HELP HELP EITHER FIX THE PROBLEMS OR GO OUT OF BUSINESS
THANK YOU
Taking a monthly fee off a card plus the initial start up fees too? Does everyone in this Visa Debit Card Company wear a mask when they do such an underhanded business? Zeroing out a card by constantly draining it monthly is down right thievery.I promise in my life I will never ever buy another gift card from any major card company. I will tell all my friends and familt to not buy them as well. It's a form of extortion that is being commited to the consumer once again.
Simon mall Amex gift cards are a scam. Any time you swipe the gift card, even if the transaction doesn't go through, for example if the customer decides to back out because they want to ad something to their purchase, (and if you don't realize as a cashier that the card is in fact a Simon gift card, this turns out to be a huge mistake) the money has already been taken off the card as soon as it is swipped, and the only way to get it back is to spend all kinds of time on the phone with their customer service, and it takes 8-10 business days for the money to go back onto the card. So the retailer doesn't have the money nor does the customer, but Simon Gift Cards gets to keep the money thats out in cyberspace for up to 10 business days before they give it back. No other credit card/gift card does this, not Visa, Mastercard or standard Amex cards, NONE. How can money be taken off a card if a transaction has not been completed? It's absolutely assinine.
My issue is the service-or lack thereof. I ordered my daughter a $200 gift card for Christmas. I placed the order on December 8th. It is three days after Christmas and it still hasnt arrived yet! I have called customer service multiple times and I get put on hold for over 20 minutes only to be left without a resolution. Today I finally called my bank and I am filing a claim to have the charges reversed. My daughter will get cash and I will never buy another Simon Mall giftcard again.
there is a number on the card to call for the balance. You can also go to wherever simon gift cards are issued and ask them to check the balance, individual stores wouldnt be able to tell you that info.