Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Kroger Personal Finance, LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Kroger Personal Finance, LLC

  555 Race St Cincinnati, OH 45202-2347

• 

  Kroger Personal Finance, LLC

  1014 Vine St Cincinnati, OH 45202-1141

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/06/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Thursday, November 30, I was purchasing gift cards at this Fry's Marketplace. I bought these after inquiring if there was a limit, since these are large amounts. These are Christmas gifts to my niece, who is a young single mother with stage four breast cancer and two autistic children. I was told by a male clerk at the customer service desk that I could purchase up to $3,000.00 and then be subjected to a verification process. After the first purchase of 1681.95, I asked him if I could get one more for $500.00. He agreed and I went to get one, but on returning he had another customer and pointed to a woman at the next register. She said very little, and took the card and indicated that I insert my credit card and pay. I did so, and the card was activated but she did not give it to me.
  She then informed me that since I had gone over $2,000.00 I needed to have forms filled out before she would give me the card I had paid for. She then refused to hand me the card she had just sold me, and instead took out a sheet of paper, which she began to fill out longhand. I was initially resigned to cooperate, until she demanded my social security number to place on the paper. I refused. She then refused to give me the card. I strongly protested, asked for a refund, and asked for manager. A young man approached and said there were no refunds on gift cards and the manager was unloading a truck and unavailable.
  This was my birthday, and I have a disabled grandson whom I had promised to decorate a cake with waiting on me. I very reluctantly gave my social security number, occupation, and more, and then left.
  My complaint is that I believe it is unlawful to sell and then withhold a product with no notification of verification requirements. This constitutes fraudulent and criminal extortion of information exposing the customer to identity theft.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/15/2023

  We have received this concern and apologize for the experience.  The attachment does not provide information on the purchase or transaction.  Please provide the receipt in order to investigate and respond to this concern.

   

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/15/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* ********

   

  I have sent Kroger the receipt. I received a standard response not addressing the procurement of my social security number, and no further contact. They have effectively ignored my complaint. I have only had two emails, and no other company contact. I suspect they really don't care enough to answer and feel they are too big to care. 

  ******* ********

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/20/2023

  Thank you so much for your help. I have added the response and the receipt. Thank you. 

  ******* ********

  Business Response

  Date: 12/27/2023

  We have received this concern and are sharing this with the appropriate departments for their review and response.  With the holidays and some team members out, please allow 5 - 7 business days for an update.

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/27/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* ********
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/08/2024

  Thank you for providing the receipt and can the customer please clarify if they want us to engage ** **** the issuer to request a refund for this gift card?  We are happy to do so and get back to the customer.  In regards to requesting personal information on this transaction, we follow state & federal regulations on transactions that require recording, documentation to follow Anti Money Laundering rules.  Our stores are not able to process refunds for gift cards at store level and the customer's gift card activation slip/receipt would have directed them to contact our call center.  The customer could have also contacted ** ****, the issuer for assistance.  Please confirm a refund is being requested on this gift car account and we will share this information with the bank asking them to devalue the gift card and provide a refund. 

   

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/17/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

  The complaint was that the company demanded my social security number without informing me it would be needed prior to purchase. Once purchased, an argumentative retail associate (Barbara) refused to give me the card or issue a refund without the social security number. I eventually had to give it. I would like acknowledgement that not informing a customer this is needed and then refusing to give the card after the sale is wrong. i would like the record of my SS# destroyed or returned to me. Thank you.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* ********
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/27/2024

  The customer filed an Attorney General complaint on this concern and we will be responding to that complaint this week.

   

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2024

  This response is to the BBB team.  The customer responded to the AG complaint response sent by our division team and a second response is being drafted which we will send to this complaint within the next 2 - 3 business days.  Please extend this request in order for us to receive the updated, response going out to the customer. 

  Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/16/2024

  BBB Complaint:  please provide another 3 business days to allow information needed for clarification on this response. 

  Thank you. 

  Business Response

  Date: 02/22/2024

  Fry’s investigated this concern, reviewed the transactions and provided the following response. As a money services business,  Fry’s has implemented policies and procedures to comply with various federal and state laws, including but not limited to, Anti-Money Laundering and Data Privacy laws. The customer inquired about Fry’s limits on gift card sales before making any purchases. Generally, such an inquiry may raise concern as an effort to avoid verification and recording requirements. The Fry’s associates provided the customer general information on gift card limits but not specific to all gift card categories (e.g. limits on ****** gift cards as compared to **** or ********** gift cards, etc.). In this instance, the customer split his purchases into two transactions that were minutes apart. As the transactions were split into two separate transactions, Fry’s system did not automatically prompt the associate to request customer information. However, the Fry’s associates are trained to identify these occurrences. Here, the second customer service desk associate was aware this exceeded Fry’s threshold for prepaid gift card purchases and therefore needed to collect the customer’s information.  The customer’s combined gift card purchases required a paper log per Fry’s policy. Fry’s records and securely stores such information in accordance with Fry’s privacy policies. Fry’s denies that such a practice constitutes fraud or “criminal extortion”, or that there exists an increased risk of identity theft due to Fry’s practices. Fry’s has taken this matter as a coaching opportunity and has re-instructed Fry’s 615 frontend associates regarding its policy on communicating gift card limits to customers.
  
   
  
   
  
  Thank you,

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/27/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* ********

   

  The answer from Fry's was a classic example of rote corporate recitation of policy, thinking that this excuses the fact that A) I was incorrectly informed that the gift card limit was $3,000.00 by the first associate and B) There was no disclosure of the fact that my SS# would be demanded prior to running my card and charging me $500 non refundable dollars. Regardless of Fry's denial, this was fraud and extortion of my personal information. They should be sanctioned due to this. I have not received any admission of wrongdoing or apology from the corporation for what clearly was behavior not in good faith. From what I have read, they have no intention of mitigating any such damage. 

  ******* ******** 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/06/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My Aunt purchased me a $500 Visa Debit Gift Card from Ralphs and gifted it to me. I was able to make a few transactions on it (2-3) before the card got marked as fraud. The card still has about $423 on it.I was instructed to submit a copy of my ID and the front and back of the card via fax, which I did so. The first time I submitted, they claimed they couldn't read the address on my ID and I had to submit a 2nd time. I submitted the fax a 2nd time and am not getting anywhere. I feel as if my funds are being held hostage and I don't know if in this situation, if that is legal at all. As a consumer, we paid for a service and it's being taken away from us. We have followed everything that is requested from us. I have faxed over my ID along with the card FIVE seperate times and the call center claims each time it's illegible.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/06/2023

  My aunt put that little receipt paper that was provided with the gift card activation in my card, however, I chose to throw it away when I opened it and that was a mistake made on my part. She is able to provide me with the bank statement, and we have tried going back to the local Ralphs where it was purchased to see if we could get it reprinted but the manager claimed due to fraud reasons, "it is a one time print only." I am hoping that you are willing to work with me on this as I am provided as much proof as I have. 
  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/15/2023

  We have received this information and we are sorry the customer is having an issue with their gift card.  This information has been shared with US Bank the issuer and we will provide an update within 2 business days once we hear back from the bank on this case.

   

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/04/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I bought Visa cards from Fry's before and 80% of their gift cards do not work even if you register it the first time. I bought a Visa gift card last Nov.17, 2023, not realizing it was a Debit type. I paid $200, and a Visa GC Fee of $6.95. I registered it online (**************************) as always and after 30 mins, used it online. It did not work on online transactions twice. I checked the paper that comes with it and stated, the card is NOT a CREDIT CARD. So, I called the card services no. (Non-US Customer Service) and checked online if the funds were still active and it was on Nov. 17. I went to the store, on Nov. 18 to use it and it was declined after 3 attempts on one store. I called the card services immediately on Nov. 18 and told me that there was Fraud monitoring on this card. I was given two options: go online and fax the information they needed. On Nov. 2I, did the first option online as soon as I got home and the website couldn't process the request, I needed to call the card services Customer service. I did and told me to fax the information they needed and when I told them that I don't have a fax machine @ home, I was advised to go to a library. I found a library, faxed it, and called them for a follow-up on Nov. 22 if they received the fax, I was told to call back on Sat. Nov. 25 because of the holiday. I called back on Nov. 25, and was told that I needed to re-fax it because they couldn't read the details on the paper and that I needed to enhance it to 200% and follow up after 3 days... I will do it, but this is a very EXHAUSTING PROCESS on the consumer's part and the fact that their Prepaid gift cards are always de-activated after one use. If I go back to the store and ask for a refund or credit for my money, it will be another EXHAUSTING process. Kroger needs to resolve their issue with all their Prepaid cards and recently, I am seeing more complaints. Can you help to speed up the process and not go back and forth with phone calls on these card services? Let me know thru my e-mail add.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/08/2023

  I attached the gift card and the receipt of purchase. As of 12/8/2023, I have not received the replacement card.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/15/2023

  We have received this concern and are sorry the customer is having an issue with their gift card.  This information has been sent to US Bank the issuer to investigate and respond.  We should have an update within 2 business days.

   

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased two $500 prepaid **** gift cards at my local Kroger in ****** ***** ** 9/1/23 and 9/5/23 and within two days there was an unauthorized charge for the full amount on both cards at Kroger store ***** in ************** **. leaving a zero balance on both cards. I reported the unauthorized charges on the cards to **** as soon as I discovered they had been charged and filed a dispute with Kroger and Prepaid **** Gift Card. I sent copies of all the transaction receipts and history on the card to **** and they resolved the disputes in my favor and issued two new replacement cards. When I got the new cards I immediately went to register them in my name and again one card showed zero balance and the other was fine. I called **** and they showed that ANOTHER unauthorized debit was charged to the new replacement card by Kroger Co. I have made multiple attempts to resolve the matter with Kroger's Gift Card department along with assistance provided to my by **** to no avail. Kroger will not reimburse me for the fraudulent activity/transactions on the gift cards I purchased at their store. **** will not award me with another replacement card as they said they have already closed the dispute in my favor and awarded me the first time. Kroger says they "don't see" any charges that are questionable when clearly I can see it and **** can see unauthorized charges were made at Kroger ***** and then the replacement card value was adjusted manually by Kroger Co. for the full value again of $500 the day after the replacement was issued by **** on 11/9/23. It is my belief and ** **** ****'s belief that a scam or fraud is taking place within Kroger's internal Accounting and/or Gift Card Sales department exists and needs to be investigated properly by Better Business Bureau immediately. I have no way of getting my money back from Kroger who keeps taking the money off of these cards and **** will not reimburse me twice for the same fraud case.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/06/2023

  We have received this concern and we are sorry the customer is having an issue with their gift card.  We have shared this information with ** **** the issuer to investigate and respond.  We should have more information within 2 business days to share an update.

   

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/06/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

  Kroger has not made any attempt to contact me or resolve the dispute.

  * **** ******* continues to state that Kroger is the one who manually debited the replacement card that was issued to me for the full amount the same day that **** **** **** credited my gift card for the original $500.00 amount. **** **** **** agents have attempted to contact Kroger Gift Card department with me on the phone line to tell them that they must reverse the charge on their end and restore the balance to my gift card and Kroger agents repeatedly left us on hold for lengthy periods of time only to abruptly disconnect the call with us. This has happened twice in the last seven days.

  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* ******
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/15/2023

  ** **** responded the account review is completed and approved a refund on 12/11.  The customer should receive this refund for the gift card within 10 business days, applied back to the card used for payment or check issued if it was a cash purchase.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/25/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  8/11/2023 around 4:30PM for $175.
  
  I went into Fry's at **** * *********** ** ** ********* **. I was trying to buy $175 in gift cards for my daughter's birthday. The cashier was having some difficulties completing the transaction and I swiped my credit card. The transaction never went through, so the cashier asked the manager Ryan to help. He couldn't fix the problem, so he suggested that we go over to the gift card display and pick out new gift cards. Ryan and I went to another register and he did the transaction. I did NOT receive any gift cards for the first transaction.
  
  Later, I was notified by my credit card company that there was a duplicate charge of $175 from Fry's. I disputed the charge, but Fry's said the charge was mine. I called my credit card company and the customer service representative determined that the wrong $175 charge must have been disputed and so we disputed the other $175 charge. Fry's came back AGAIN and said that the charge was mine. Only ONE of those charges is mine (ONLY the second one).
  
  Here is the timeline how I have tried to resolve it with both Fry's and my credit card company.
  8/11: notified that there might be a duplicate charge
  soon after that: talked to Ryan in person at the store, he advised me to dispute the charges, which I did, credit card disputes unsuccessful
  10/10: emailed Kroger (Fry's parent co) - ref 61179614, they said both charges were mine and they can't reverse them
  10/10: talked to Ryan in person again
  10/11: Ryan called me, said he has a call into someone and will let me know
  10/19, 11/3, 11/5: left messages at Fry's for Ryan to call me back (on vacation) (not returned)
  11/14: called credit card co. to dispute again (no luck)
  11/14: emailed Kroger back to fix it
  11/25: Kroger emailed back saying they can't find a duplicate transaction
  
  As you can see, I'm getting nowhere. Ryan is very familiar with the transaction. In store credit is FINE for a reimbursement. Just want it fixed and Fry's is not helping me.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/26/2023

  Thank you for contacting the Kroger Executive Office. I am in receipt of your concern that you sent through the BBB.  We appreciate the opportunity to address the customer’s concern with the assistance of the BBB.  Please accept our sincerest apologies for your experience.
  
  Your concern has been forwarded to our Upper Management team for review. We anticipate that this review process may take some time, as we want to ensure that we are implementing the best practices so that all programs work correctly for our customers. Once the review process is complete, we will share the findings and any proposed actions promptly. We truly apologize to the customer for any inconvenience this may have caused. Your comments have provided us the opportunity to evaluate, address and correct this matter.
   
  Regards,
  
  Kroger Co.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/26/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

  I didn't want to "accept" the response since Kroger said they needed more time to address the complaint and I didn't want the case to get closed out by the BBB.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ****** *****
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/26/2023

  Attached are the statements for September, October, and November (the most recent statement I have). 
  
  I also included a screenshot where I went online and filtered from the day before the transaction (8/10/2023) to the current date for $175.00 just in case it helps you. Apparently what ******* *** did was reverse the charges when I filed a dispute, then when Fry's got back to them with their decision, ******* *** put the charges back on to my credit card.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/03/2024

  We have reviewed this concern and are reaching out to the appropriate department for assistance.  Please give us 3 - 5 business days to investigate and respond.

   

  Thank you.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/03/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

  I just rejected the response to keep the BBB claim open since Kroger said they would still be investigating it for a few more business days.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ****** *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/16/2024

  We shared this information with our accounting team to investigate and a refund was processed back to the customer on 1/5/24.  We apologize for this experience and please let us know if there are any other questions.

   

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/16/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ****** *****
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/20/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a gift card from eBay on 11/12/23 the amount for the gift card was $50.00. When I went scratch off the redemption code the last 3 or 4 numbers were missing. I called Kroger. I was given a case number ********* then told to call eBay that it was their problem. So, I called eBay they said it's Kroger's problem. They will give you back the your money. So, I go back to the Kroger store. I show the customer service employee the the gift card. She call Kroger's phone line for help. She tells them the card is damaged. She even told me that it is happening with the gift cards. Kroger wants photos of the gift card. I don't have a smart phone. And I'm not getting one just to send photos to Kroger. The customer service person should have taken the photos. I want my money back.
  Kroger entices customers to purchase gift cards for reward points. And with the holiday season upon us, people give and re-gift cards all the time. The consumer is the one who is going to be on the losing end of this. Kroger knows there is a problem with the gift cards missing numbers. I just want my money back. Thank You

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2023

  We have received this concern and are sorry the customer is having an issue with their gift card.  We found the call center case and the agent asked the customer to send in images of the receipt and card.  An email has been sent to the customer requesting this information so the case can be escalated to the merchant for their review & response to the card account.  Once we have this information we typically receive a response within 5 -7 business days.

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/01/2023

  I think you(BBB) are worthless. Kroger did not attempt to resolve the issue with the consumer. My civil rights are being violated. I provided all the information to Kroger but the photos. I plan to consult an attorney. Someone should not be forced to own a smart photo. I chose not to own a smart phone. And I should not have to ask someone to submit photos for me. 

  Kroger made no attempt to say take the gift card back to the store. We'll have the store manager look at it. Kroger stole my money. I was a loyal customer to Kroger. I'll will just have to consult an attorney, "Ben Krump's law firm". I did attempt to work with Kroger. But Kroger is the one who made it difficult. I just want my money back.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/17/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 11/17/23, around 8:10 a.m. I came to the store to get eggs and a money order. ******** at the Customer Service desk seemed to be in a bad mood when I arrived. I asked for a money order, I gave her the amount, and I told her I needed to split the payment. She immediately asked for and then tried to grab my debit card. I informed her not to touch me or the card. She then denied the transaction because it was a gift card. It was NOT a gift card--in fact the packaging specifically states, "not a gift card" as it is a debit card. I'm unclear why ******** tried to grab my debit card and then denied my transaction. She claims "store policy." I've never had a problem buying a money order at this store (or any other Kroger) with my debit cards until today. I'm a regular at this store--I shop here often and I get money orders. I never a problem until ******** decides to deny a legal tender form of payment. There's no need to file a SAR as my transaction is $997 everytime. I'm officially making a complaint to the ******** Attorney General's office as Kroger has no right to deny any legal tender--don't blame it on *********. If need to take my name in order to make this transaction, fine.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/04/2023

  Please provide the address and/or store number that you tried to purchase the money order from. 

  *** ******** ******

  **** ***** **** **** ********* ** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 12/21/2023

  We have received this concern and have provided this information to the appropriate team to respond.  Please allow a couple of business days for the customer to be contacted by the store team.

   

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/03/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

   

  Date: Wed, Jan 3, 2024 at 8:52 AM

  This complaint has NOT been resolved!!!!!!!  I have NOT been contacted by Kroger.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  *********** *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/12/2024

  We have received this concern and due to money order policies we may be required to view physical cards and fill out other required information to complete the transaction. We apologize for any inconvenience, but this may be a requirement depending on your purchase.   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/16/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

  This response is discriminatory.  Do you ask to see someone's cash?  They're credit card?  In fact, debit cards cannot be counterfit, like cash can be.  Debit cards are legal tender and should not be discriminated against.  The "under-banked" use debit cards frequently:

  "Increasingly, un-banked and under-banked consumers use a prepaid debit card to make payments and receive deposits. This is an important financial service that can capture the scores of low-wealth households that are closing their bank accounts because of high fees and high minimum balance requirements."  ****************

  "According to a 2019 report by the Federal Reserve, 22% of American adults (63 million) are either unbanked or underbanked. The 6% of Americans who are unbanked have no bank account whatsoever and must rely on alternative financial products and services—such as payday loans, check cashing services, money orders and pawn shop loans—to take care of their finances. The 16% of Americans who are underbanked have some sort of bank account, but they also rely on alternative financial services." ****************

  Refusing to accept debit cards as payment is a discriminitory financial practice.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  *********** *****
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/15/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased an $80.00 Sephora gift card from Kroger store #**** ** *********** **** ** Oct 19, 2023. I tried to use the card (lightly scratched off the back) but the card was missing half of the pin number needed to order online. I've purchased many gift cards and this is the first time I've had an issue. I called Kroger support and was told that the representative could not see the pin when she looked up the transaction. She said to contact Sephora and if they couldn't help, they would send me a cheque for the amount. I called Sephora customer service who said they could also not see the pin number. I called Kroger Customer service back and was told they would create a case number, contact the merchandiser, and get back to me with a solution. The case number provided was ********* I recieved an email back from Kroger that said Sephora would not reimburse Kroger because the gift card was showing as redeemed and therefore they couldn't refund me. I never used the card online or in store. I replied stating the above and suggested they contact Sephora to find out where/when/by whom this card was redeemed. I am owed the money I spent on the gift card as I did not redeem the card and have no idea who or how it was redeemed. I think this also points to a more serious problem of how someone was able to obtain my gift card number and use it--either an internal breach or some kind of hack. Kroger Customer service seems to just restate that they can't assist me as they were told it had been redeemed. I am not at fault for purchasing a gift card and not being able to be reimbursed for it because it was allegedly already redeemed by someone else.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/21/2023

  This case was escalated to the merchant and denied.  Based on investigation fraud tampered packaging, we have issued a $80 credit on customer's shopper's card to resolve this concern. Customer's next shop scan their shopper's card or enter ALT ID # to access credit.

  Thank you. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/26/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ** ********* and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******** *********
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/12/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 10/15/2023 I bought a few $200 Home Depot gift cards from Kroger. When I went to use them, the area to scratch off the pin id # had a bit of a blemish on it and the pin id # along with part of the card # weren't even printed. So the card were unusable. I went to Kroger with my receipt to get them replaced since they were damaged and they said they couldn't do that. I had to call the number on the activation receipt. I called that number and filed a claim. The person I spoke to said they could see the $200 on each of the cards and that it should be resolved in 7-10 days. They claimed they had to refer to some Home Depot escalation team and Home Depot would be sending me my money back. I received an email from them about 10 days later stating they were still working on the resolution. Meanwhile, I just bought another $200 Home Depot gift card from Kroger on 11/10/2023. I went to Home Depot the next morning to buy something and they said the card was invalid. Upon looking at my receipt and activation portion, it showed the last 4 digits as being a different number than the card I held in my hand. I went to Kroger and showed them in hopes they had the card on the shelf with that number. They did not and couldn't do anything about it. I again had to call the number and file a claim. They indicated it was a switched card. I then complained to them again about this claim and my previous claim that nothing had been done about and that this is $600 of my money they had. They said I had to call Home Depot to get the correct card # and pin id #. So I did that, and they said since I bought it from Kroger they would have to issue me a new card. So I did a 3-way call with Home Depot, myself, and Kroger. They told her the same thing and the Home Depot lady said to them to just deactivate that card and give me a new one. They said they couldn't do that. They told me the first claim was approved for a refund on 11/8/23 and to look in my junk email for it. There is nothing there.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/18/2023

  enclosed please find the pictures of the 3 home depot cards and their receipts from kroger. Also I have included a picture of the 2 case #'s on file with the kroger card company.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2023

  We have reviewed this concern and we are sorry the customer had an issue with their gift cards.  In this escalation process most merchants respond to us within 10 business days but sometimes the review takes longer for certain merchants.  This is a manual review, investigation and then response back to us on the request.  This information was sent to Home Depot, they have sent the customer egift cards to replacement these.  They sent the first email to the wrong email address [email protected] rather than [email protected] and we have asked Home Depot to resend the egift cards which we expect to be completed within the next 48 business hours. 

   

  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/09/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I brought a gift card (**** *** - $250) from Ralphs on 10/14/2023 12:05 pm as a gift for my daughter, but the card is not activated when we tried to use 2 hours later, we went back to Ralphs on the same day, then the staff found out that this is a fraud gift card, the card number on the gift card package are different with the gift card inside.
  Gift card package number: ****************. (no password, money on this)
  Inside gift card number: **************** (with password, no money)
  We asked Ralphs store for solution, as we called **** *** and verified the money is still there, the staff in the store refused to communicate and just ask us to call **** ***.
  One of the staff said, "We know the gift card in our store are lots of problem, I never buy pysical gift card here", not one shows sympathy for our situation, just shows like we deserve it because we chose to buy gift card from their store.
  We chose to buy gift card from Ralphs because this is a big store and it suppose to be reliable, but the reality is not.
  We are not vexatious person, I called **** *** to lock the money, we can't use the frauded gift card as we dont have the fake one password, **** *** cannot provided more help as we bought from Ralphs.
  Then we called Ralphs to reported the issue, they mentioned will get contact with **** ***, if the money still there they can get me refund, also they promise to get back to me in 7~10 business days. I called 4 times till today, and today I have been told they cannot provide me any estimate date on my case anymore, that means that can be forever.
  $250 is a lot to our family and it caused my 9 years old daughter axious everyday as she think is all her fault, we lost the money because we were giving her gift.
  We can't do anything now and no one can help, I sincerely hope you can help us get the money back, we are not suppose to pay for Ralphs's malpractice management, and they should not sell the product if they already know it has problem.
  Also, I dont want my daughter suffer from this, I want her know US is fair country, thank you very much.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2023

  We reviewed this concern and we are sorry the customer is having an issue with their gift card.  This information was sent to the merchant to review and respond on the account.  A refund was approved and the credit will applied back to the card used to make the purchase within 10 business days.

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/01/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** **