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One of the best ways of using the twice-yearly $200 credits that come with the Amex Business Platinum card has been to buy Xbox eGift cards on Dell.com. These eGift cards are often sold at 10% off and allow those pesky credits to be bankable up to $1000 on the Microsoft Store for larger items (or they can then be resold). See the full details here.
The problem is that Dell has has a bizarre and seemingly random hair-trigger for marking customers that order these gift cards as “re-sellers” and then cancelling the orders. It’s been a long source of frustration in actually using the Dell credits, even for some folks ordering physical merchandise for their own use.
Now, Dell is finally sending these eGift cards far and wide…but to fulfill orders that have previously been cancelled. Multiple commenters on Doctor of Credit, Reddit and beyond have reported that cancelled Xbox eGift card orders have been showing up in Dell Digital Lockers (where codes for gift cards and software are deposited). Some of these fulfilled orders were cancelled months ago and most folks report that their cards haven’t yet been charged.
This could create an issue in that it’s anybody’s guess as to how long it will take Dell to sort through what’s happened and charge the appropriate cards, at which point who knows where that cardholder’s cycle of Dell credits will be…or even if the card is still open. Some eGift card orders have been fulfilled which were purchased using credit cards that are now cancelled!
Quick Thoughts
This will undoubtedly be quite a knot for Dell to unravel. If you’ve had any orders for Xbox eGift cards from Dell get cancelled within the last few months, check your Dell Digital Locker to see if anything has been deposited. It’s then up to you whether to use them up ASAP in case they’re invalidated, to call Dell and ask them to process the charge or to hang tight and see what happens.
Regardles, it’s obviously a glitch with Dell’s notoriously bad IT. Doctor of Credit posits that it could be due to a loosening of the rules on order approvals and that these new rules were mistakenly applied to older orders. That would certainly be a silver lining to a yucky situation that seems like it will be a mess to resolve, regardless of whether Dell tries to charge cards retroactively or invalidates all of the card numbers that have recently shipped.
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Did anyone actually try to retrieve these cards? and what was the result – clawback?
Dell does not currently have xbox gift cards. They have been for sometime now
I just tried to purchase a pair of Dell QC headphones for $299 and it was cancelled. I called in and was told Amex is rejecting my purchases. When I insisted that this was not the case they accused me of being a reseller and asked me to take up the issue with Amex or get a Visa card.
I had the same issue in October 2022, escalated the case and ended up speaking to a woman in India who blatantly accused me and all “Amex Business benefit people” of being a resellers and a scammer. Mind you I have only purchased 2 cards to cover my Dell Credit (Jan-June). then she suggests I set up dummy accounts and try ordering which is absurd and even more scammy. Yesterday I tried to order again and instantly cancelled..Then I try ordering some Bose stuff again cancelled. Once again the reps in India firstly blame Amex then accuse all Amex people of being resellers. What is the point in Amex offering this credit…
The department that agreed with Amex to do the partnership is probably different than the department that is worried about resellers.
[…] Source by [rudra ramani] […]
I have hundreds of dollars’ worth in this Locker today – all on a card because they were duplicates. When I saw the orders were cancelled I called Dell and asked why and they told me to order again … and again … until I gace up. I don’t want them now – at least not on that credit card as I have used up the $200 on other items (which had their own disasters, still to be corrected. Not sure what I will do now. I think I will just wait, not download these cards.
The only way I’m now able to get an order through with Dell is to chat with a sales rep and NOT use the email associated with my account. That has worked twice so far, even allowing me to split payment with 3 Amex Biz Plat cards.
I was told all this same stuff, I was reselling, etc. but I was not. In the end Dell suggested I set up a business account – all it entails is an email and a password. I did that and now no more cancelled orders! The account still has my name on it, no business name at all. Make sure when you order something to click the business button vs the personal one.
You had to show proof of a business though, right? I tried to set up a business account and they wouldn’t allow me to.
No, no proof, not even a name. Just an email and password. I said it was a business account. I do have a business and I buy with my business Amex Plats.
Just call them up and ask how to set up a business account.
One problem with my old personal Dell account is that it has about $30 of Dell Rewards in it. I would rather not lose those, so I guess I will have to start again with calling and complaining as they are now just keeping money I have already earned! So annoying.
Dell is the worst!! I don’t know why they have so many issues. It’s a royal pain just to use my two $200 credits that I get twice a year on both of my Platinum AMEX cards. I constantly get my orders automatically cancelled. I’m just ordering stuff and getting it sent to my house but they always cancel and then I have to call in.
The annoying thing is when you call in, you can’t split the payment to use up both credits at the same time on larger value items.
I hope they fix this soon. It’s so annoying.
I came here to say the same thing: they’re the WORST!
Has anyone noticed that Dell no longer sells xbox gift now? I just searched the site and I can’t find anything. What am I missing???
Just noticed this too. All xbox cards are off Dell’s site now. Assume it’s related to the above fiasco so will wait a few days to see if the cards come back. DId get $100 through this month before the fisaco. I want to use the rest of the Dell credit before my renewal next month so I may have to buy something else.
I know back in December, Alienware was offering $25 in Dell Rewards to those who signed up to Alienware Arena. I saw a lot of people on my FB feed sharing about it and was sharing posts from freebie pages. So you probably got thousands who took advantage of that deal and probably some who made fake accounts.
I hope Dell puts them back up but I bet they’re trying to figure out how to avoid this again before they put them back. Some people really ruin things for others.
This has happened on and off over the last couple of months. I imagine that they’ll be back on with a week or two.