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Gift Card Challenges

darshakthakore
Explorer C

This has been one of the most frustrating experience with SouthWest. I purchased a gift card on the southwest website about a week ago. It was supposed to have been received in my email in 12 hours. I actually did receive the order confirmation but never received the gift card. I waited for a day and then called up the customer service number. As usual, I had to go thru the "provide number, we'll call back" routine. Got the call back after 15 min and explained the situation to the csr. She took the order number, kept me on hold for about 20 min and finally said i should wait for another 24 to 48 hours. Allright, so i waited another 24 hours and tried again, this time again going thru the same routine of waiting for 20 min, got a really **bleep**ty csr, it took me a while to explain to her that i had purchased the gift card 2 days ago. She kept reading the terms and instructions from the website. Finally when she understood the problem, she said she couldn't do anything and that i should talk to customer relations. She gave me a number that sure enough didn't work. So the next day i tried one more time, again going thru the 12 min wait for call routine and explained the situation. Again waited for another 15 min "while she investigated", and she came back and said she has requested the gift card be resent. I confirmed the recipient email address, i also verified that i am able to receive emails on that address AND that there was nothing in the spam. So waited again for 24 hours and no dice.

 

At this point, i had spent more time and energy so i used the "complaint" form on the website and wrote down the whole story. I had pretty much given up on getting the gift card (southwest highway robbery). I recived a response the next morning stating that it takes about 12 hours to receive the gift card (WTF - it had been about 5 days). The email also mentioned that she has requested the gift card be resent (and also mentioned the correct email address). Sure enough, no gift still. 

 

The funny thing is, their complaint system does not allow responding back, you have to send in a new complaint. grrr........

 

Finally i searched the internet to see if this was just a lone bad incident but then i realized tons of such complaints. WHY IS SOUTHWEST NOT LOOKING INTO THIS ?

 

 

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Gift Card Challenges

bec102896
Aviator A

@darshakthakore

 

I'm sorry for the troubles you are having getting a gift card by email and sorry the reps on the phone weren't helpful. About the incorrect number for customer relations sounds like they might have given you the old 214 number the new phone number (that has been around a few years now) is 855-234-4654 so I would recommend calling them Monday if you don't get your gift card over the weekend. 

 

I have ordered a few Southwest gift cards online and never had any issues so I wonder if there is a problem with the email server blocking the gift card from reaching your inbox. If you don't get it over the weekend I would recommend asking them to send it to a different email address to see if you get it that way. 

 

hope your gift card arrives soon!

Blake 

 

 

Re: Gift Card Challenges

darshakthakore
Explorer C

thanks for the other number. i'll certainly try it on monday. the recipient email address is just a google email address and i have received gift cards previously on the same address.

 

hope they can send it to a different address.

Re: Gift Card Challenges

dfwskier
Aviator A

Hello.

 

There is NOTHING more frustrating than having to deal with the same issue MULTIPLE time with MULTIPLE agents and MULTIPLE long wait times - only to have to expalin the issue MULTIPLE times. It get's real old.

 

Assuming the issue continues, perhaps you should contact your credit card company and just protest (cancel) the trransaction. If you don't get what you paid for, you should not have to pay for it.

 

Then go to your local food store or Lowes or probably any one of several retail stores that sell gift cards, and buy it there.

 

I now I really hate it when i end up in a never ending do loop. Sorry to hear that you did.