Woolworths gift card thread

[RAM]

I have a large insurance bill with OnePath due soon. Have just enquired about paying it $100 at a time using the Visa1 cards I bought with my WOW eGCs. They've said no and I must do it in one payment.
Might another member have paid OnePath previously by this method and have a workaround for me to try.

Ask to pay it by installments.

It is more work for the CS person to process. If they say no then ask to speak to their supervisor and say you have the money to pay it in $100 cards only. You would be reluctant to take your business elsewhere but, and by the way you cannot find anywhere where it says you cannot split the payment.

Have a look first just to check but there is normally no limitation.

 

[albyd]

I paid my 2015 OnePath income protection policy using $100 prepaid VISA cards using the automated phone system.

Hi Asterix, thanks for the heads up about the automated phone system. I understand you paid 2 years ago and things may have changed. Interested if I could please have details for the automated phone system.
I'd like to give that a try first before deciding on whether I try to force the CSR to take the $100 cards via a supervisor.

 

[asterix]

Hi Asterix, thanks for the heads up about the automated phone system. I understand you paid 2 years ago and things may have changed. Interested if I could please have details for the automated phone system.
I'd like to give that a try first before deciding on whether I try to force the CSR to take the $100 cards via a supervisor.

The 2015 renewal said "Simply call our 'pay by phone' service on 133 110 to arrange your payment."

The 2016 renewal said "Simply call our 'pay by phone' service on 133 667 to arrange your payment."

I just called 133667 now and went through the IVR and it wanted to put me through to a human to make the payment, so things have changed since my experience.

 

[albyd]

Thanks for that info. I tried the old number still works but only payment option was to speak with a human.
I might try again to see if I can get a friendly operator, otherwise will need to suck it up and use my 0.7ppd card. Would have been nice to get the extra point earn through the GC method. Hopefully OnePath's new owners after ANZ sells it will install a self serve payment system

 

[PLANT]

Rates due...need some EFTPOS gift cards to avoid credit card fees.......anyone got a source\info on pending WOW option coming up soon?

 

[Jacques Vert]

WOW have changed their process for the 1 Visa cards.

I attended one of my local stores this morning and went to the self-service check-out. The machine advised to wait for the attendant who then directed me to the service desk. She stated this was because "some people" were forgetting to take their activation slips.

At the service desk, the attendant could not get the cards to scan. She gave up saying they were faulty.

As I have rates to pay, I went to my other local store. Again the self-serve machine called the attendant and I was redirected to the service desk. This time the cards scanned but did not print the activation slips (she used the small barcode rather than the long one). I pointed this out and she called the manager.

So I waited an hour while they rang their IT department who had no idea what they were talking about. In the end neither the attendant nor the manager had any idea whether the cards have been activated or not.

What a cough-up.

I hope this isn't the beginning of the end.........

 

[Jacques Vert]

For those of you who stay at Accor properties, their Escape gift cards come with bonus points this week: 2000 WW points for the $100 card and 4,000 points for the $200 cards.

I've never bought these; can someone advise whether they can be used O/S or only in Oz, and whether there is a fee attached to them?

 

[andye]

WOW have changed their process for the 1 Visa cards.

I attended one of my local stores this morning and went to the self-service check-out. The machine advised to wait for the attendant who then directed me to the service desk. She stated this was because "some people" were forgetting to take their activation slips.

At the service desk, the attendant could not get the cards to scan. She gave up saying they were faulty.

As I have rates to pay, I went to my other local store. Again the self-serve machine called the attendant and I was redirected to the service desk. This time the cards scanned but did not print the activation slips (she used the small barcode rather than the long one). I pointed this out and she called the manager.

So I waited an hour while they rang their IT department who had no idea what they were talking about. In the end neither the attendant nor the manager had any idea whether the cards have been activated or not.

What a cough-up.

I hope this isn't the beginning of the end.........

A couple of times I have been in doubt about activation. Despite the 24 hour warning, my experience is that it will show online if you check the balance

 

[Jacques Vert]

A couple of times I have been in doubt about activation. Despite the 24 hour warning, my experience is that it will show online if you check the balance

The only time I checked online within 24 hours it said the card had been invalidated. I had to wait another 24 hours before I could use the card.

I think I'll wait the 24 hours before checking.

 

[daft009]

For those of you who stay at Accor properties, their Escape gift cards come with bonus points this week: 2000 WW points for the $100 card and 4,000 points for the $200 cards.

I've never bought these; can someone advise whether they can be used O/S or only in Oz, and whether there is a fee attached to them?

In my opinion they are not worth. Valid only in AU, NZ & Fiji and i believe they can only be used on the flexi rate.
This is when I investigated them 2-3yrs ago and decided against them.

 

[Jacques Vert]

In my opinion they are not worth. Valid only in AU, NZ & Fiji and i believe they can only be used on the flexi rate.
This is when I investigated them 2-3yrs ago and decided against them.

Thanks, if only available on the flexi rate I would agree with you.

 

[Jacques Vert]

A couple of times I have been in doubt about activation. Despite the 24 hour warning, my experience is that it will show online if you check the balance

The only time I checked online within 24 hours it said the card had been invalidated. I had to wait another 24 hours before I could use the card.

I think I'll wait the 24 hours before checking.

Thinking about this further, I can't see how the cards can be activated as the attendant did not scan the long barcode; so there is no way the system would know which cards to activate seeing that the short barcode is common to all of them.

Of course when I tried to point this out to the manager and attendant I got the "I know what I am doing" look. So tomorrow I will check and if, as I suspect, they are not activated, I'll take a screen dump and go and see my local manager again.

I didn't want to make too much of a fuss at the time as I don't want to draw attention to my method of payment

 

[daft009]

Thanks, if only available on the flexi rate I would agree with you.

point 3 here, https://www.accorhotelsgiftcards.com.au/terms-and-conditions
though it can be used for dining, minibar, spa etc while you are a guest at the hotel, so might still be worth???

 

[Dr Ralph]

WOW have changed their process for the 1 Visa cards.

Was worried when you reported this.

My wife has just returned from Woolworths. Purchased 4 x Visa Only gift cards. She reports everything as normal. No change to anything. Paid with a paper WISH card.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Was worried when you reported this.

My wife has just returned from Woolworths. Purchased 4 x Visa Only gift cards. She reports everything as normal. No change to anything. Paid with a paper WISH card.

That's interesting. So it may be just something that my two local stores have introduced? It will be interesting to see what others experience. In my case, and at both stores, the moment I tried to scan the first card at the self-service machine the light started flashing and I was referred to the service desk.

I'll report back once I check their activation tomorrow...........

 

[Dr Ralph]

That's interesting. So it may be just something that my two local stores have introduced? It will be interesting to see what others experience. In my case, and at both stores, the moment I tried to scan the first card at the self-service machine the light started flashing and I was referred to the service desk.

I'll report back once I check their activation tomorrow...........

It may be progressively being rolled out or it may be store specific. Time will tell. But it's definitely not all stores ATM.

 

[albyd]

Some months ago at Bondi Junction WOW, when I scanned a Visa1, it would require every single card to be 'approved' by the person on duty supervising the self checkouts. Was lucky found some Nice attendants who were happy to scan 4 at a time for me and not ask questions (one thought it was for a charity and I just smiled).
Have avoided that store but looks like it's going to get more time intensive assuming they don't shut this down.

 

[jetpack]

I just bought an Only1 Visa and had no problems using the self checkout.

 

[Kangol]

I just bought an Only1 Visa and had no problems using the self checkout.

Same, this was at one of 4/5 stores that I have bought them from in the past with no problem. Will try the others; guessing it may be store specific.

 

[HTG2016]

Came to my local WOW today to purchase 9 x $100 VISA1 card to pay my bill . To make things easier i go straight to CS counter , guys look at me with 9 x gift card with a strange eyes and ask his manager to come , She asked me what do i want to pay it with i said with eGift card she said that you aware of $5.95 fee each card i said yes . They couldn't process more than 4 at a time so 4 + 4 + 1 without any problem at all .