Raise Marketplace Inc

After receiving Revdex.com complaint [redacted], we have reviewed the complaint and order, and have offered the customer a solution.The customer purchased a Cigars International gift card from Raise.com on February 14, 2016 for a value of $50.00 at a purchase price of $45.00. The customer contacted Raise...

Member Services on February 17, 2016 expressing that the gift card was not working. At this time the order was escalated to the Gift Card Support Team due to the gift card brand. Some brands are reviewed by the Gift Card Support Team before further action can be taken.Currently, the Gift Card Support Team does have a 10-14 business day response time. Regrettably, even beyond that time frame they were unable to respond to the customer in a timely manner. The Gift Card Support Team was able to get in contact with the brand, Cigars International, and were able to determine that it was an error on their part, that the gift card was not accepted. Once this information was obtained from the brand, we reached out to the customer to confirm if he would like the refund or the credit back to his Cigars International account that was offered through us to the customer. The customer did reach back out to us via phone on March 21, 2016 and, with his response, we were able to refund him for the full purchase price of the gift card. We would like to sincerely apologize for the trouble regarding this order and hope that we have the opportunity to serve this member again in the future.

After receiving Revdex.com complaint number [redacted], we were able to review the orders in question.
id="docs-internal-guid-7f0ff46d-e429-fb19-aab1-a2985471c323">The customer placed two orders on Raise.com for [redacted] gift card that are being reviewed in this complaint. The second of the two orders was placed on December 30, 2015 for a [redacted] gift card with a purchase price of $255.08 and a value of $282.48. During conversation with the customer and contact with the brand, we were able to determine that the customer was able to successfully redeem this gift card for the full value across multiple transactions.
The first order was placed on December 21, 2015 for a [redacted] gift card with a value of $429.74 and a purchase price of $387.63. The situation has been escalated and the customer has been in contact with [redacted], here at Raise, and he is working to get a resolution for this customer. As the customer was able to successfully redeem one gift card of the two, we are hoping that he has been able to successfully redeem the other and there was just an oversight on the remaining balances.
[redacted] will be in contact with the customer to resolve this situation, and we would like to consider it resolved here at this time. We will work with the customer until a desirable resolution has been provided.

We were able to further review Revdex.com complaint [redacted] as well as the customer’s two orders and Raise account.The customer placed her first order ([redacted] on January 25 for a $400 [redacted] [redacted] gift card. She called our Member Services line after she was unable to use her gift card online....

The order was then sent to our Gift Card Support Team for further review due to the high value of the gift card. Her second order ([redacted] was placed shortly after her first order. The customer had also sent an email about this gift card having a zero balance. This order was sent to our Gift Card Support Team as well. Unfortunately our team did not provide a resolution in a timely manner. We have now applied refunds for both orders, which will be credited back to the original payment source. A confirmation email has been sent for each email as well. We sincerely apologize for the trouble with both of these orders as well as the delay in response. We are consistently working to improve our communication with members as well as prevent card problems such as these from occurring. We hope to further serve this customer in the future and encourage her to contact Member Services should any questions arise.

After again reviewing Revdex.com complaint number [redacted] the originally requested resolution has already been provided to the customer.We understand that this has been a frustrating situation for the customer, and it never should have been that way. All physical gift cards are sent directly from the seller to the buyer, similar to other marketplace purchases. While the gift card numbers are confirmed multiple times before the transaction is completed, in these particular cases, the gift cards no longer had the full value when they reached the customer via USPS. All sellers that have an issue, whether it be a balance issue or otherwise, have a review with the Seller Support Team. This team reviews the issue or issues at hand, and in some cases fees will apply and in others, sellers may be permanently banned from the website. We want to assure the customer that his purchase price is guaranteed by the 100 Day Money-Back Guarantee, and that the sellers of the two gift cards that he purchased will be, if they have not already been, dealt with by the Seller Support Team.At this time, we would like to consider this issue resolved and are happy to have provided the customer with the requested resolution.

After receiving complaint number [redacted] we were able to review the order and offer a solution to the customer.On October 28, 2015 the customer purchased two Whole Foods gift cards each valued at $25 with purchase prices of $21 totaling $37 charged to the customer’s credit card after the $5 in...

Raise Rewards was applied. The customer contacted Raise Member Services on February 11, 2016 via email and was responded to on February 13, 2016 with notification that the order could have no further action taken as the order falls outside of the 100 Day Guarantee. Within the email communication between the agent and the customer, the customer was offered a promotional code to use toward a future order. Upon further review by the Gift Card Support Team, we are able to provide a different resolution for the customer than initially offered when they first contacted Raise Member Services. Because one of the Whole Foods cards has since been deactivated by the brand, Raise is able to offer a full refund of the $21 purchase price for that gift card. The other Whole Foods gift card however, is unable to be refunded as it does still reflect a full balance but is unable to be used due to the change in policy by Whole Foods. As this change was not at the discretion of Raise and is outside of the 100 Day Guarantee period, we are unable to provide any further resolution for the gift card that still contains the full balance. While there is no expiration on the gift cards, the Raise 100 Day Guarantee does only guarantee a refund for the purchase price for the first 100 days after the date of purchase.In a situation like this we encourage the customer to contact the brand to see what further action they may be able to take to further assist. We have also returned the $5 in Raise Rewards back to the customer’s account for the trouble and confusion related to this order. We would like to consider this issue resolved at this time and hope that the customer finds a partial refund for the order and credit a suitable settlement.

After receiving and reviewing Revdex.com complaint number [redacted] we are happy to offer the customer the requested...

resolution.
On August 15, 2016 the customer listed six [redacted] eGift cards on the marketplace for sale. Then on August 16, 2016 the customer requested payment for these gift cards. Due to the high value of the cards sold, all being $500.00, the Seller Support Team reached out to the customer for further information regarding these gift cards. Trust and safety are top priorities on the Raise marketplace. The customer was asked to provide personal verification as well as information regarding the purchase of the gift cards.
After this information had been received, as not all of the pieces of information corresponded to one another, the customer was asked to wait until successful use of the gift cards by the buyers had been confirmed over a week’s time before the funds could be requested again. As that time frame has past and the sales have been successful, the customer’s funds have again been requested for direct deposit and will be processed within the normal payment processing time of 3-5 business days.
We would like to apologize for any inconvenience this process caused for the customer, and are happy to have been able to offer the requested resolution.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/06/04) */
Contact Name and Title:[redacted] Manager
Contact Phone:[redacted]
Contact Email: [redacted]
Dear[redacted]
I have read the following case inquiry in regards to order number RXXXXXXXXX. In light of the situation and...

circumstances of your case, I would like to apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced.
We do our best to deliver gift cards that are in good order, and we do strive to make sure all transactions are secure and satisfactory for the buyers and sellers on our marketplace. I am sorry your experience was substandard.

After speaking with my associate [redacted], I am delighted to hear we were able to add a credit to your account to solve this problem. We always seek an excellent buyer experience and value you as our customer very highly.

We appreciate your business.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Raise Member Services Manager
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2014/06/07) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
I think it's a win-win solution.

After receiving and reviewing Revdex.com complaint number [redacted] and the corresponding order number, it appears that the current resolution is warranted.On June 4, 2016 the customer made a purchase on Raise.com for a [redacted] (In Store Only) gift card with a balance of $30.89 and a purchase price of...

$27.96. The customer then contacted Raise Member Services on June 12, 2016 and expressed to the serving agent that she could not check the balance of the gift card without going into the store. The serving agent expressed apologies to the customer but informed her that [redacted] (In Store Only) gift card balances must be checked in the store and a refund cannot be provided for a gift card that has not incurred an issue.The customer is correct in that this information is not disclosed about the particular listing as all of the gift cards have different means to check the balances, so it is not particularly mentioned for this brand, nor is balance check information listed for any of the other brands on Raise. [redacted] (In Store Only) is not the only brand of gift cards that requires other means than a balance checker online to check the balance. The Raise Guarantee covers all gift cards that have an issue within 100 days from the purchase date, but as this gift card is still fully valid, and the customer is dissatisfied with the means of checking the balance, we sincerely apologize, but under the 100 Day Money-Back Guarantee, we are unable to provide a refund for a valid gift card. If the customer were to experience any kind of issue when redeeming the gift card, we would be happy to resolve the issue at that time. As it stands, we would like to sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused the customer, and would like to consider the issue resolved at this time.

After receiving and reviewing complaint number [redacted]  and the order number in question, it appears that the current resolution is warranted.The customer purchased an [redacted] eGift card from Raise.com with a value of $1500 for a purchase price of $1492.50 on March 11, 2015, which the customer...

paid for by credit card. On December 16, 2016 the customer contacted Raise Member Services via email stating that the [redacted] eGift card had come up with a $0 balance and he had not used any of the balance. After this inquiry was addressed by the Member Services Team it was escalated to the Gift Card Support Team for further review due to the length of time that had passed since the order was placed. Regrettably, our Gift Card Support Team was unable to respond in a timely fashion and this inquiry was resolved and the customer was notified via email on March 5th, 2016. Upon review the Gift Card Support Team did determine that a refund would not be provided as the order falls so far outside of the 100 Day Guarantee. Raise is a member to member marketplace, so all gift cards are coming to members having been used or partially used. Whatever did take place with the gift card that did cause the balance reduction outside of the 100 Day Guarantee will be looked into further by our Seller Support team to ensure that any necessary steps are taken with the seller. While there is no expiration on the gift cards, the Raise 100 Day Guarantee does only guarantee a refund for the purchase price for the first 100 days after the date of purchase.While we appreciate the customer’s business, we are unfortunately unable to provide a refund for this [redacted] eGift card as it is so far outside of the 100 Day Guarantee. We also want to extend our sincerest apology to the customer for the delay in a resolution, and we hope to better serve him in the future.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 10987896, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. They did not mention the threats however, which I find disappointing. Thank you Revdex.com.
Sincerely,
Jared [redacted]

I'm writing in response to the most recent communication received from [redacted]. I had previously been communicating with [redacted] about this case and provided her with a detailed response regarding the case [redacted] after numerous rejections. That email was sent on March 23, 2016 and was as follows: 
"After further investigation, we still firmly believe that the Walmart gift cards in question were either used by the purchaser ([redacted]) or were resold in their area. She and her husband have purchased a large amount of Walmart gift cards and subsequently used them at multiple stores in the state of Texas. 
The three Walmart gift cards mentioned in the Revdex.com complaint were successfully redeemed in [redacted], Texas. We understand that this location is further than she normally travels to Walmart and we also investigated the sellers. The cards come from two separate sellers in different states, California and Florida. The cards were also activated in these states, which tells us they have no immediate ties to the Texas area. Further investigating was done, but for privacy purposes, we cannot share all of our member's personal and business details. 
Our Gift Card Support Team further confirmed that their official conclusion was that these gift cards were not compromised. For this reason, we will not be providing a refund for the orders in question.
I hope this clarifies any outstanding questions. Of course, please let me know if I can be of any further help."
She had sent me an email outside of the Revdex.com portal and I was told we could conduct our communication that way. On March 24, she asked if she could use my response as a business response and I said yes and asked for more details on the next steps. I did not receive any further reply from [redacted] or the Revdex.com until this letter from [redacted] threatening to revoke our accreditation. I called [redacted] today and left a message asking him to give me a call so we could discuss the details of this case and why exactly we are being threatened with revocation. Raise has no intention of resigning our accreditation and we look forward to resolving whatever we need to in order to be in good standing.

After reviewing the customer’s response in regards to complaint number [redacted] and the correct order in question, it appears that a similar resolution is warranted.
As an order number was not provided with the customer’s initial complaint, we had reviewed the account with the email address provided ([redacted]  Our initial response was regarding an order for a [redacted] eGift card.  It appears that the customer had created an additional account using her [redacted] email address to place the order [redacted].  In accordance with Raise policy, each user is limited to one Raise account.  
The order in question was placed on November 25th for an [redacted]y eGift card with a value of $25.00 and a price of $24.98.  The customer applied her $5 reward and her credit card was charged the remaining $19.98.  This order was processed immediately and delivered to the customer’s Raise account associated with her [redacted] email address.  
Shortly after, the member emailed Raise Member Services stating that the order was placed by accident, and she would like it refunded.  An agent responded to this support ticket on December 14th to explain that the order had already been processed and we are unable to cancel or provide a refund. At this time, we cannot provide refunds for gift cards with a valid balance once delivered to a member’s account.  We would like to sincerely apologize for the delay in response time that we are actively working to bring to a more acceptable timeframe.  
Within the email communication between the agent and the customer, the customer was also offered a complimentary promotional code to use towards her next order.
The Raise return policy specifically states that “Buyer’s remorse or change of mind” is not covered. This guarantee will protect a buyer’s purchase price should an issue arise with the redemption of any gift cards purchased from Raise.
While we appreciate the customer’s business, we are unfortunately unable to provide a refund for this [redacted] gift card that she has already been given access to.  We will continue ensure that policy is adhered to and properly communicated.  We feel that this issue has been resolved in accordance with policy.  Taking into account the $10 credit that has been added to the customer’s account, the $5 complimentary promotional code offered,  the $5 reward redeemed, and the $10 promotional code used, we feel that the customer has been generously compensated for this issue.  
We apologize for any inconvenience and welcome the customer to redeem her credit and promotional code on Raise.com.  We look forward to serving her in the future.

After receiving and reviewing Revdex.com complaint number [redacted] and the corresponding order number, it appears that...

the current resolution is warranted.
On September 23, 2015 the customer purchased three [redacted] gift cards of varying balances and purchase prices from Raise.com. The customer then contacted Raise Member Services via email on July 16, 2016 and expressed to the serving agent that two of the gift cards did not work in store. At that time, the serving agent informed the customer that the order had fallen outside of the 100 Day Money-Back Guarantee and the purchase would not longer be covered. Within the email communication between the agent and the customer, the customer was offered a $25 Raise Rewards credit to use towards the next order on Raise.
The Raise Guarantee is in place to protect the customer’s purchase price for the first 100 days from the date of purchase. All refund requests must be received within this time period, as outlined in the Raise Guarantee, to be honored. Unfortunately, the Raise Guarantee for this order lapsed as of January 1, 2016 For this reason no further action can be taken on the order.
We will continue to ensure that Raise policy is adhered to and properly communicated.  We feel that this issue has been resolved in accordance with the Raise guarantee and apologize for any inconvenience.

After receiving complaint number [redacted], we were able to review the order and offer a solution to the customer that was already being worked and processed before the complaint was received.The customer purchased two orders from Raise.com. The first order [redacted]90 was purchased on March 5, 2016...

for four [redacted] gift cards. Two of the gift cards had a value of $200.00 with a purchase price of $182.00, one of the gift cards had a value of $100.00 with a purchase price of $92.00, and the final card had a value of $50.00 with a purchase price of $46.50. The second order [redacted] was purchased on March 8, 2016 for two [redacted] Store gift cards, one with a $200.00 value for a purchase price of $182.00 and the other with a value of $100.00 for a purchase price of $92.00. On March 7, 2016 the customer contacted Raise Member Services regarding redemption trouble for order [redacted]90 and again on March 9, 2016 regarding the same trouble for order [redacted] Both times the customer called in, they were notified that the orders had to be escalated to the Gift Card Support Team due to the volume of gift cards having an issue. Currently the Gift Card Support Team does have a response time of 10-14 business days, and while we do understand that this is a lengthy time for a response, the member has heard back within that timeframe and been fully refunded for both of the orders. The refund has been completed as a courtesy as the Gift Card Support Team was able to confirm that all of the gift cards from both orders do still contain the full balances and were not attempted to be applied to a [redacted] eligible order. This member has previously been provided with detailed instructions for redeeming [redacted] gift cards. Because the member continued to struggle to redeem these and proceed to ask for refunds, we had kindly suggested that this member no longer purchase [redacted] gift cards. At this time the customer has been refunded in full for both orders and this refund should been seen on the customer’s original payment source within a few business days. Overall, we are pleased to have resolved this issue for the customer and look forward to serving them again in the future.

After receiving Revdex.com complaint number [redacted] we were able to review the order in question. On November 12, 2016, (Raise Order Number [redacted]) the customer placed an order for 10 Apple gift cards each with a value of $50.00. The customer contacted Raise via live chat on November 21, 2016 stating...

that there were three cards in this order that were not working properly, as well as four other cards in a separate order placed on November 11, 2016. (Raise Order Number [redacted]) The serving agent then requested a screenshot of the error message the customer was receiving when attempting to redeem these 7 cards. As Raise was able to verify the full active balance on all 7 cards, we needed correspondence from the brand as to why the cards were not working properly.The customer sent a screenshot of the canceled order from Apple on November 23, 2016. Unfortunately, based on this screenshot, we were unable to determine that the cards were the issue as to why the order was canceled. Raise reached back out via email on November 28, 2016 asking for more information from the brand as well as an additional screenshot showing that the cards were the issue with the order. The reasoning for this was, as stated under the Delivery & Redemption details for Apple gift cards on Raise, only eight gift cards may be used per order. By purchasing through Raise, the customer agrees to Raise’s Terms and Conditions, and by redeeming the cards through Apple, the customer agrees to that brand’s Terms & Conditions as well.We are more than happy to continue working with the customer in resolving this issue and look forward to hearing back from them with the appropriate information. We are happy to answer any further questions that the customer may have via email.Tell us why here...

After reviewing complaint number...

[redacted] and the order in question, it appears that the current resolution is warranted.
On July 17th 2015 the customer placed an order on Raise.com for a Cinemark eGift card. The gift card was purchased with a value of $194.75 for a purchase price of $165.54, which the customer paid for by credit card.
The customer contacted Raise Member Services via chat on January 22nd 2016 and notified the serving agent that they had been able to redeem the Cinemark gift card for a total of $17.25 and should have had a remaining balance of $177.50. As this inquiry falls outside of the 100 Day Guarantee the order was sent to be reviewed by the Gift Card Support Team. During the review process, the Gift Card Support Team determined that because the order falls so far outside of the 100 Day Guarantee a refund would not be provided and no further action would be taken on the order by Raise.
Regrettably, our Gift Card Support Team was unable to respond in a timely fashion and this inquiry was resolved and the customer was notified via email on Sunday February 28th 2016.
While there is no expiration on the the gift cards, the Raise 100 Day Guarantee does only guarantee a refund for the purchase price for the first 100 days after the date of purchase.
We appreciate the customer’s business and understand that while the 100 Day Guarantee is outlined on all order receipts and on the Raise website that a situation like this can be frustrating.
We will continue to ensure that Raise policy is adhered to and properly communicated.  We feel that this issue has been resolved in accordance with the Raise guarantee and apologize for any inconvenience.

After receiving and reviewing Revdex.com complaint number [redacted] and the corresponding order numbers, it appears that the current resolution is warranted.On December 7, 2015 the customer placed an order for a [redacted] gift card with a value of $200.00 and a purchase price $164.00. The customer...

contacted Raise Member Services on July 28, 2016 and expressed to the serving agent that the gift card should have had a balance of $120.00 left but could no longer be redeemed. At the time, the serving agent informed the customer that the order fell outside of the Raise Guarantee and neither a refund nor replacement card could be offered. For this issue the customer was provided with a promotional code as well as a $10.00 Raise Rewards credit as recompense. On January 28, 2016 the customer purchase a [redacted] eGift card through Raise with a value of $25.00 for a purchase price of $22.89. The customer did not contact Raise Member Services in regards to this order, so no further compensation was previously offered, though the order is outside of the Raise Guarantee meaning that we would not be able to offer a refund or replacement card for this purchase either. The customer mentioned a third gift card in the complaint but did not mention an order number, so unfortunately, we are unable to address that gift card as we are unable to locate it. While there is no expiration on the gift cards, the Raise Guarantee does only guarantee a refund for the purchase price for the first 100 days after the date of purchase. That being said, we would like to offer the customer a one time courtesy Raise credit of $111.20 as this is the purchase price of the unused amount on the [redacted] card as well as the [redacted] card, minus the $10.00 that was provided by our Member Services Team and has already been utilized on the member’s account. We are happy to have been able to provide a resolution and look forward to serving the customer again in the future.

After reviewing Revdex.com complaint number [redacted] for a third time, we are still unable to provide the customer with a different resolution per the Raise Guarantee.
Gift cards sold on the Raise Marketplace do not expire. While this is true, the Raise Guarantee, through which we cover any issues that may arise with the gift card, does lapse after 100 days from the purchase date.  We do understand that there is confusion here for some Raise members and are currently making changes to clarify this user facing information.
The Raise Guarantee is in place to protect the buyer’s purchase for the first 100 days after the purchase date. This is the reason that we do encourage customers to utilize the gift card within the first 100 days from the purchase date - in the case that any issue does arise, we are able to fully cover the purchase price. We do have a Seller Support Team in the office that deals directly with all seller issues. While there is a similar 100 day time frame regarding sellers, after that time frame they are still subject to fees as well as potential removal from the marketplace after research has been done regarding any orders that have had issues.
As a member to member marketplace, at this time, Raise is also a seller anonymous marketplace. When buyers and sellers alike agree to the Raise terms and conditions, they agree to sellers being kept anonymous through the marketplace. As this is an agreement made through the Raise terms and conditions, we are unable to give out the personal information of a seller to a buyer.
We would also like to offer the customer a $50 Raise Rewards credit to use toward a future purchase. As the order is so far outside of the Raise Guarantee, we will be unable to provide a refund or replacement card, but we do hope that the customer will accept this credit. The credit will be placed into the customer’s account and will automatically apply to the next purchase made through Raise.
At this time we would again like to apologize to the customer for this inconvenience and look forward to serving them again in the future.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Thanks for your assistance in resolving this matter.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

After receiving and reviewing Revdex.com complaint number [redacted] and the...

corresponding order number, it appears that the current resolution is warranted.
On November 26, 2016, the customer purchased 6 [redacted] e-gift cards for a total value of $1,500.00 and a total purchase price of $1,399.34.
The customer reached out to Raise via phone call on December 7, 2016, expressing the gift cards were all showing as invalid and they were not able to redeem them successfully. The customer also stated they attempted to consolidate the cards into one. Due to the brand’s redemption instructions, only one gift card may be used per online transaction. This information can also be found under the “Delivery & Redemption” section under “Details” on Raise.com. The supporting agent expressed to the customer that this order would need to be sent to our Gift Card Support Team for further review and they would reach out to the customer after 7-10 business days.
On December 26, 2016, the customer contacted Raise again via phone call inquiring about an update regarding this case. There was a pending refund that was started by the previous agent on this order which was viewable in the customer’s account as “Refund in Progress”. The refund was created as a way to quickly resolve the issue once the brand responded back to us. The current supporting agent expressed to the customer that Raise was awaiting response from the brand in order to fully resolve this issue.
On January 13, 2017, an agent from our Gift Card Support Team reached out to the customer, after receiving word back from the brand, informing him that the brand would replacing these gift cards along with providing the customer an additional $100 card as an extension of their apologies. Due to this resolution between the brand and the customer, Raise also informed the customer that we would not be refunding the purchase price due the information provided by the brand.
The customer reached out to Raise a third time via phone call on January 18, 2017, expressing their displeasure in the resolution Raise provided due to the customer purchasing new gift cards and therefore, having no need for the original order. The call was escalated to a supervisor who informed the customer we would further review and resolve the issue within a week, after consulting with our Gift Card Support team again.
On January 20, 2017, Raise reached out to the customer again via email informing him that the full purchase price refund of $1,399.94 was processed to the original payment method and that it should appear on the customer’s bank statement in 3-5 business days.
Overall, we are pleased to have resolved this issue and we also want to extend our sincerest apology to the customer for the delay in a resolution. We understand the inconvenience this may have caused and we are actively working on better communicating resolutions between all parties involved. We hope to better serve this customer in the future and welcome any further questions via email at [redacted].