Raise Marketplace Inc

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2014/12/09) */
Response to Revdex.com complaint #XXXXXXXX
Dear [redacted],
I have read your complaint in full and have gone over all the details within explaining your frustration. Let me be the first to apologize about this situation and offer you some...

amelioration.
Raise.com takes user's data and privacy very seriously and we never take users information without their permission and only use data necessary to serve our Members.
It sounds like in this specific case; you used our referral feature that has the ability to use your contacts from your email account if you so choose. This button says, "Invite from Gmail contacts" or "Invite from Yahoo! contacts" It might have been difficult to navigate between the feature that uses all your contacts and the one where you can simply add an email or two. It sounds like in your case you were only trying to share this info with one or two people.
I recommend that if you only have one or two friends to share with, you use the, "Share This Link With Your Friends" feature where you can copy and paste the link into a personal email that can you send yourself to family or friends. Another way to reach only a couple people quickly is to input an email or two separated by commas into the box and hit "send".
I have gone ahead and made sure with our development team that only those chosen to receive emails will be the ones actually receiving them. Any system glitches should now be resolved, and we thank you for playing a role in that.
In all, we hope you know Raise.com takes our Member's data seriously and confidentially. Thanks for being a great Member!
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Manager of Member Services

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. Hi,   The business refunded my money, I'd like to cancel my complaint thank you for your help!Complaint...

ID [redacted]
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We were able to further review Revdex.com complaint number [redacted] as well as the member’s [redacted] order and account. The order [redacted] was placed in June of 2015 and contained a $50 [redacted] gift card. On February 12, 2016, the customer called our Member Services department to inquire about the status...

of his gift card. He told the agent that he was able to use about $15 of the gift card previously but upon trying to use it again, found that the card was no longer able to be used. At this point, the order was sent to our Gift Card Support Team for further review. Unfortunately because this order is well outside of our 100 day guarantee, we were unable to provide a refund to his original payment source. The customer is correct in saying that this gift card never expires. As a member to member marketplace, each gift card is verified before being listed on our website. Should an issue arise after the order is complete, our 100 Day Guarantee protects your purchase price for up to 100 days. As a one time courtesy, we have refunded this customer in the form of [redacted] credit. Because he was able to use part of the gift card, the partial amount of $33.45 was added to his [redacted] account. This credit will automatically apply to the next order placed on the account. We sincerely apologize for any miscommunication and frustration this has caused our member.

Complaint: 11954010
I am rejecting this response because:
1) It was not listed the same day it was recieved. However, it was determined shortly after receiving it that it would not be useful and that it would be better to sell it on a marketplace.
2) Provided all of the documentation requested. There was a LOT of verification required. I had to upload an ID, had to ask the purchaser for a receipt, had to verify my bank account, had to provide a backup credit card, had to wait 45 days. In total, I waited 3 months to withdraw my money.
3) Skky (customer service) verified it. The customer used the card a month after buying it. The customer used the gift card, and I did not get paid for it. 
 
Raise.com has taken my gift card AND my money and refused to release it. I reject their response.
Sincerely,
Joshua [redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: Raise failed to approved earlier adequate action for their customers.
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 July 26, 2015 the customer purchased a [redacted] gift card from Raise.com with a value of $200.00 for a purchase price of $155.40. The customer...

then contacted Raise Member Services via email on April 16, 2016 to express that the gift card could not be redeemed when attempted in an [redacted] restaurant. [redacted] gift cards can be interchanged with any of their participating restaurants. The serving agents informed the customer that the order was so far outside of policy that no further action could be taken on the order.The customer called in after receiving this email response and the same information was relayed by a supervisor on the Member Services team during the phone call. The Raise 100 Day Guarantee is in place to protect the customer’s purchase price for the first 100 days from the date of purchase. Once that 100 day period has passed, Raise is happy to look into a gift card that has a problem, but a refund is not guaranteed in the same way that it is in the first 100 days. In this case, the order falls so far outside of the Raise 100 Day Guarantee period, that no further action could be taken on the order. We would like to apologize for the inconvenience and consider the issue resolved at this time.

After reviewing the customer’s rejection response in regards to complaint number [redacted]  and the order in question again, Raise is unable to provide a different resolution, but we are happy to further explain our process. When a review is completed by the Gift Card Support Team, for security reasons, the transaction history is not always given out. That information is accessible to the customer through the brand as they are the owner of the gift card. In regards to the order for this member, we know that the address on the Raise account is in Texas, though as previously mentioned, the customer confirmed a portion of the gift card had been used by them and that merchandise, as well as the merchandise purchased with the other portion of the gift card that the customer claimed to be unauthorized, were sent to the same address in Florida. It is not a requirement of Raise to use the billing address from the Raise account when using the gift cards to purchase merchandise. We hope that the provided information is helpful in understanding the process that was taken by Raise to resolve the concerns for this customer and would like to consider this issue resolved. We do hope to better serve this customer again in the future.

We were able to further review [redacted] complaint as well
as the three orders provided in her statement. We regret that we were unable to respond to [redacted]
support email in a timely manner, and we are actively working to get our
response times back to a level we find acceptable. Each order...

mentioned in this complaint has been refunded per
[redacted] request and our 100-Day Guarantee. An email was sent detailing the
refunds she has received as well. Additional compensation has been credited to [redacted]
Raise account for the inconvenience she has experienced in this matter.
Overall, we are pleased to have assisted in this matter and we thank [redacted]
for her patience and cooperation.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
As I have stated several times for each time you have reached out to me, this is not what your guarantee is.  When I said that I had used "about $20", I have no idea how accurate that is.  Since the card was reported fraudulent (JITB's words, not mine), I should be refunded the entire amount of my purchase, as it clearly states in your 100-day guarantee:
 
For 100 days from the date of purchase, the Raise Guarantee covers:
Gift cards that are not active
Gift cards with an inaccurate balance
Gift cards received as a different brand than ordered
Gift cards not received within 30 days from the date of purchase
and
The Raise Guarantee covers the purchase price of the gift card, not any savings or discount the buyer received.
 
As I had explained to one of your customer support agents, if you had, even in good faith, sold me car that turned out to be stolen (which is tantamount to what happened here), would I be expected to pay a "rental fee" for the time I used it?  That idea is preposterous, but that is what you are expecting here.  You cannot rewrite a contract that you failed to follow through on after the fact.
At the end of the day, I just do not want to buy from a company that sells stolen gift cards and then does not honor the guarantee that is sets forth before purchase.  You can "spin" it however you want to but those are the facts of this situation.  
[redacted]

We have further reviewed Revdex.com complaint number [redacted] as well as the customer’s Raise order and account. Order [redacted] was placed on January 31, 2016. This order contained a $500 [redacted] gift card. On February 6, the customer called into our Member Services department to let us know that there...

was a zero balance on this gift card and she was unable to use it. Due to the high value of this gift card, the order was sent to our Gift Card Support Team for further review. She was informed that it may take 10-14 business days to reach a resolution. This is a longer timeframe than we find acceptable, but due to an influx in inquiries, our response time has increased for the time being. We are working to minimize our response time so as to better assist our members. A $10 credit has been added to this Raise account due to the inconvenience. This credit will automatically apply to her next order of $11 or more. We sincerely appreciate the customer’s patience in this matter and we hope to serve her again in the future.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:  This is more than an "unfavorable situation", as the circumstances of the gift card are very suspect, and borderline fraudulent.  I would think from a business perspective you would stand behind the gift cards being made available for purchase.  The response that the "warranty period expired" is a non issue as the card in question had zero dollars available the same day as the purchase, regardless of when the funds were attempted to be accessed.  If a favorable resolution cannot be reached we will be taking legal action.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

After again reviewing Revdex.com complaint number [redacted], we are happy to offer the customer a different resolution.
As a courtesy, we would like to offer the customer a refund for the [redacted] gift card. We value all customers and would like them to feel confident and protected when using the marketplace. The Gift Card Support Team was able to determine, through contact with the brand, that the customer was able to utilize the gift card for the amount of $165.36 on August 23, 2015 in Florence, KY. A partial refund of the out of pocket purchase price the customer paid for this gift card, $113.15, has been refunded back to the customer’s original payment source and will be available on their next statement within 3-5 business days. This partial refund was calculated by subtracting the amount used by the customer from the value of the gift card and then the percentage of savings the member received on the original purchase price was applied to the new value to determine the new purchase price. Since the refund has been issued, the Raise Rewards, that were given as recompense, have been removed from the Raise account.  
We would like to remind the customer that this is courtesy and that the same resolution may not be offered if a similar situation were to occur in the future.
We do hope that the customer finds a refund an acceptable resolution, and we look forward to better serving her again in the future.

After receiving and reviewing complaint number [redacted] and the order number in question, it appears that the current resolution is warranted.On August 28th 2016 the customer purchased from Raise.com an [redacted] gift card with a value of $250.00 for a purchase price of $216.25. The customer...

contacted Raise Member Services on February 26th 2016 via phone and informed the serving agent that he had been able to redeem a portion of the gift card and it should still have had remaining a balance of $145. During the phone conversation the customer did speak with both an agent and supervisor because 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. The customer was sent an email on Sunday February 28th 2016, two days after the initial inquiry, informing him that Raise would be unable to refund due to the order being so far outside of the 100 Day Guarantee. Within the email communication between the agent and the customer, the customer was also offered a complimentary promotional code to use toward his next order.After the email was received the customer did call in to Raise again and spoke to another agent and supervisor. During that phone conversation the customer was again notified that no further action could be taken on this order as if falls outside of the guarantee period.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 Revdex.com complaint number [redacted], we were able to review the orders as well as the customer’s account. We would like to offer a solution to the customer.Between September 21 and September 26 2015, the customer purchased a total of 11 [redacted] gift cards across four Raise orders...

[redacted]. The total purchase price across all four orders was $206.07. These cards were delivered electronically to both the customer’s Raise account and email. On February 1, 2018, the customer contacted Raise Member Services via live chat stating that they were no longer able to use these gift cards due to a change in [redacted] gift card policy. The customer had also emailed in the day before with the same claim. Unfortunately, [redacted] changed the way gift cards were redeemed in December of 2015. The brand was no longer accepting electronic gift cards and required the actual physical card in order to redeem cards. At the time, Raise had a 100 Day Money-Back Guarantee and any issues that arose during that time were resolved under our Guarantee policy.The customer spoke to a supporting supervisor that same day, February 1, 2018. The supervisor explained the situation to the customer and informed the customer that due to the time that had passed since this order was originally placed, a refund was not possible. Raise now has a 1-Year Money-Back Guarantee and even after applying this guarantee to the original order, it is still far outside of the policy time-frame.After taking a closer look at these cards, and the customer’s account, we will be able to provide the customer with a courtesy one-time refund for the remaining balance that is on the cards. Our Trust & Safety team checked the balance of all 11 cards, and 5 cards still had a balance remaining for a total of $42.00. The other 6 cards have a zero balance and we see that they have been successfully redeemed. We will be able to provide a refund for the 5 cards that still have the balance on them. This will be in the form of Raise Rewards, and these rewards have been added to the customer’s account and can be used at their earliest convenience. As an extension of our apology, we have added a total of $50 to the customer’s account.At this time, we would like to consider this case resolved as we have provided the customer with a refund, in the form of Raise Rewards, for the 5 cards that still have a balance and can no longer be redeemed. The $50.00 in Raise Rewards is available in the customer’s account and will automatically apply at checkout. We would like to apologize once more to the customer for the confusion this has caused, as well as the time that it has taken to resolve this experience. We feel that this issue has been resolved in accordance with the Raise Guarantee, and we welcome any further questions or concerns via email to [redacted]@raise.com.

After receiving and reviewing Revdex.com complaint number [redacted] and the corresponding order number, it appears that the current resolution is warranted.The customer purchased four [redacted] gift cards from Raise.com on November 13, 2015, all containing a value of $200.00 for a purchase price of...

$166.34 each. At the time the purchase was made, the gift cards were confirmed as each having a full $200.00 balance ready and available to use. On June 23, 2016 the customer reached out to Raise Member Services and expressed to the serving agent that the gift cards had not worked when redemption was attempted. The serving agent explained to the customer that the order fell outside of the 100 Day Money-Back Guarantee period and that a refund could not be provided. After speaking with the agent, the customer was transferred to a supervisor on the Member Services team who also explained the Raise Guarantee to the customer and offered $50.00 as recompense for the issue.While we understand that this is an unfortunate situation, as the order falls so far outside of the Raise Guarantee, we are unable to provide the customer with a refund for this order. We would like to sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and look forward to serving the customer again in the future.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:  As stated in Raise's response, my complaint was acknowledged and validated by Raise (additional documents or attachment aren't required).Raise failed to address my issue.  My primary issue doesn't have anything to do with the100 Day Guarantee Policy.  I understand this policy and concur with the policy.  My complaint is that a "merchandise credit card" was sold  as a Gift Card which lead me to believe that the Gift Card will never expire or a policy change could occur.  Raise falsely identified and sold a merchandise credit card as a Gift Card.  Lowes Gift Card policy hasn't changed, since I purchased this card.  Lowes suspected fraudulent activity in the merchandise credit card area, and consequently they changed their policy regarding the merchandise credit card.  I had no idea that I had purchased or was holding a merchandise credit card number, until I tried to redeem the balance.  Raise acknowledges in their response that they didn't make any distinction between merchandise credit card vs Gift Card,  since the difference will not affect the member’s purchasing experience or redemption method.  As we now know the difference between the merchandise credit card vs a Gift Card is huge, and Lowes is making a distinction between the two.  As a customer, I would never purchased a merchandise credit card.  I made numerous attempts to resolve this matter via e-mail without any success.  My e-mails went unanswered.  I then tried to get a resolution via telephone, and I was offended by Raise's $5 promotional code offer.  Then I decided to seek Revdex.com complaint process in hopes of highlighting this issue as a warning to others, and in hopes of obtaining a  proper resolution.  Although the refund amount is only $17.95, I believe a business shouldn't advertise a merchandise credit card as a gift card, and when the situation  gets exposed they leave the customer holding the bag.  Raise needs to make this right, and I would appreciate the $17.95 refund
Sincerely,
Eva Silva

After receiving Revdex.com complaint number [redacted], we were able to review the order and offer a solution to the...

customer.
On May 16, 2016 the customer placed an order on Raise.com for a [redacted] gift card with a value of $203.75 for a purchase price of $169.74. The customer had been expecting to use the APP10 promo code to take $10 off of this purchase. The promo code was not working for the customer so he placed the order anyway without the promotion applying then contacted Raise Member Services about the issue.
This promotional code was initially created for all Raise users, but as the promotional was so popular, it had to be limited to first time purchasers. Customers who had received the Raise email but had been unable to redeem it had the opportunity to call in and receive another code if they did run into an issue. As the customer submitted the order without a promotional code, we are unable to refund the member for the $10, as the Raise Guarantee does not cover promotional codes that do not apply for whatever reason. We would, however, like to offer the customer $15 in Raise Rewards for the $10 that were not taken off with the APP10 promotional code, and the additional $5 as there is not a promotional code equivalent to what the customer has requested.
We would like to apologize for the time the customer has spent on the issue and hope that he finds the $15 in Raise Rewards a suitable settlement. We look forward to serving this customer 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.
Thank you
Sincerely,
[redacted]

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.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

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.
Sincerely,
[redacted]