Thread regarding Sears layoffs

Sears zeroed out two gift cards. Since April 2023, have chatted with (14) chat agents and all (13) adamantly promised the balance would be restored and the (14th) one yesterday stated they don’t handle gift cards via chat. The last time Sears zeroed out a balance, it took two years to have it restored. The card by their own convictions states, Cards NEVER expire.” This is a scam by Sears and every phone number given by chat agents, listed on the web including links they sent via text do not work. This is a deliberate act by Sears to tire the customer and have the customer give up. The only solution left is to contact the FTC/Attorney General to report the theft and fraud committed by Sears.

LC

Still waiting for my previous balances on 2 cards to be restored!! Waiting since February 2021!!

Hello,
I tried using my gift card as well and when I checked the balance was 0, however the system found the card. Does anybody know if we can get our lost balances back and if so what would one need to do.

I had 3 gift cards totally devalued. All three would have totaled $150. After four separate occasions of live chat and being told that an E Card would be sent I still have nothing. The gift card center when contacted keeps telling me that their systems are down and to call back in 24 hrs. Calling back does no good as every day they say the system is down and to call back in 24 hrs. This place is a sham and should be criminally liable for taking all the money and making false promises that it being restored!!!

Did you get the balance in 72 hours?

My Sears gift card balance also disappeared completely. I just had a chat with customer service. Here is the most significant thing I was told that people need to know to get balances back.
      "...there is a balance on your gift card but due to technical issue the balance isn't showing on your account. All the gift cards which were issued before 2018 where re-issued by our gift card team to all our members to ensure your gift card is secured. Do not worry, I will help you to get your gift card balance back I will submit a request to generate a new E-gift card for you which you will receive in the next 24 hours".
​     I hope this helps a lot of people.

I went to Sears.com and live chatted with person and they asked me to give them my card numbers and are sending me new links for amounts within 72 hours! All three of mine said zero balance.

I just called that 800# and my gift cards are being replaced.

I had $500 in gift cards that were wiped to $0 in the "Sears Glitch" that I had planned on using during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. I found out about this "Glitch" and contacted the corporate gift card department before Thanksgiving. They finally just got the new gift cards reissued now that all the Holiday promotions have ended. Including the “Spend $100, get $100 cashback in points” available to one per member per day. This would have been the easiest $400 in points I ever got if Sears had not intentionally delayed reissuing the cards. I contacted the corporate office to see if they would make this right. NO WAY! they said claiming it wasn't their fault. No wonder Sears is in bankruptcy.

Sears' bankruptcy is not the cause of their gift cards recently having the balance wiped. On about 8/13/19 there was a "glitch" with Sear's system, and all Sears gift cards issued before March 2017 had their balance wiped on 8/13/19. To get a new ecard for the previous balance, call 1-800-549-8151, Sears' corp Gift Card dept. I just called and had the previous balance restored. You will need to have your old gift card.

Someone posts that bankruptcy voids gift cards. Yes. Usually. But sears is selling gift cards still you know? And another post by employee says they were told to replace with new ones. How would someone know this? I enter my official gift card info on official sears website for balance and it says zero balance and doesn't tell me to go and get a replacement. How low!

Both my Sears and Kmart gift cards issued before 2018 now have a zero balance. Kmart card should have a 23.00 balance, Sears a 25.00 balance.

How are all of these changes with the NEW Sears effecting associates still at Hoffman Estates ?
Did they have to reapply for their jobs . pay cuts , hour cuts , etc ??????

Yeah I won't be surprised if after 4th quarter that at least half or even 3/4 of the stores will be shut down. I wonder if anyone even knows how much this company has lost money wise so far this year since of course, conveniently, they don't have to report the earnings to the public. Guessing it is still in the hundreds of millions.

@2ctf You are right. The same thing happens with leases. A lot of people are under the misconception that their stores have long term leases. Not true. Two of the recently announced 26 stores had 3 and 4 year leases. Transformco walked away from them with no warning whatsoever and no repercussions. After 4th quarter it's going to really be ugly.

But you recognize that bankruptcy voids out gift cards right? No law being broken. Transformco is not Sears Holdings....

In our store, we were told to replace all those giftcards with new ones. Don't know about other locations.

And where it is illegal they have given us a process to honor them. Our store is honoring all of them. There is an app that will tell you how much they are worth, and then a manager will issue a new gift card. No one is getting shafted.

It is not false. If you worked for the company you would know this. A email was sent out this week stating this. It said that when Eddie bought the company he only agreed to honor gift cards issued after 2018. Weather it is legal or not I do not know as I am not a lawyer but it did happen.

False and fake news. In California that is against the law and illegal. Check your facts dude.

Isn't it illegal in some states for businesses to remove remaining balances on gift cards?