Was this an (attempted) scam?

[LylacDoll]

Can people use money from their own Amazon gift cards to purchase online gift cards for other people?

I had a guy today try to say he couldn't, and that if I wanted him to get me something from my wishlist that I'd need to put my address on the wishlist, so it could send that way. To my knowledge (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, because I would like to be able to use my amazon wishlists to receive things), someone could purchase something from an online wishlist, and then either download their order reports--which would have had my full address listed, unless Amazon fixed this bug--or they could contact the 3rd party seller, and manipulate my address out of them.

I don't think this guy was just trying to get my address, but I also have never interacted with them before so there's 0 trust at all there. Am I just being paranoid, and Amazon isn't this dangerous, or is it worth the privacy concerns? Thanks!

 

[AmberCutie]

Can people use money from their own Amazon gift cards to purchase online gift cards for other people?

I don't think so.

 

[AmberCutie]

And also, yes it is possible for people to get your address through an Amazon wish list purchase. So my advice is just don't.

 

[LylacDoll]

And also, yes it is possible for people to get your address through an Amazon wish list purchase. So my advice is just don't.

Thanks for confirming. Kinda sad that there's not a good alternative either (that I've found). Better safe than sorry though

 

[JerryBoBerry]

Can people use money from their own Amazon gift cards to purchase online gift cards for other people?

I don't think so.

Correct. Not possible.

Add a gift card into your cart and go to checkout with it being the only thing in the cart. It asks for how you are going to pay for it.
Under any credit cards you have entered is an option for gift cards. It tells you there you can't use them for that type of purchase.

 

[SMuser69]

Can people use money from their own Amazon gift cards to purchase online gift cards for other people?

I had a guy today try to say he couldn't, and that if I wanted him to get me something from my wishlist that I'd need to put my address on the wishlist, so it could send that way. To my knowledge (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, because I would like to be able to use my amazon wishlists to receive things), someone could purchase something from an online wishlist, and then either download their order reports--which would have had my full address listed, unless Amazon fixed this bug--or they could contact the 3rd party seller, and manipulate my address out of them.

I don't think this guy was just trying to get my address, but I also have never interacted with them before so there's 0 trust at all there. Am I just being paranoid, and Amazon isn't this dangerous, or is it worth the privacy concerns? Thanks!

There are many ways to get the shipping address from an Amazon wishlist already which is why they aren't really safe to use unless you made your amazon a business account and shipping to a PO or amazon delivery location. This gets easier if the amazon item on amazon is from a 3rd party and directly provisioned by amazon themselves.

To USE an amazon gift card you redeem the value of that card to your account then make purchases with it. For someone to use a Amazon card WITH your wishlist they would have to redeem the card to THEIR amazon account then use the money on the account to purchase something FROM your wishlist.

They could also GIVE you the amazon gift card code for YOU to redeem which just puts the balance on your card and informs them that it was redeemed.

 

[Deleted member 37064]

Thanks for confirming. Kinda sad that there's not a good alternative either (that I've found). Better safe than sorry though

If you're going to accept gift purchases being sent to you, I would recommend getting a PO Box, or deliver box at something like a UPS store, or other postal facility. You might have to do it as a business name, so as to protect your real identity though.

 

[LylacDoll]

There are many ways to get the shipping address from an Amazon wishlist already which is why they aren't really safe to use unless you made your amazon a business account and shipping to a PO or amazon delivery location. This gets easier if the amazon item on amazon is from a 3rd party and directly provisioned by amazon themselves.

To USE an amazon gift card you redeem the value of that card to your account then make purchases with it. For someone to use a Amazon card WITH your wishlist they would have to redeem the card to THEIR amazon account then use the money on the account to purchase something FROM your wishlist.

They could also GIVE you the amazon gift card code for YOU to redeem which just puts the balance on your card and informs them that it was redeemed.

Hmm, I'm not sure if they had redeemed the card to their account. They sent me a screenshot from Amazon w/ over a gift card balance of over $4,000. So I don't think any reasonable customer would feel comfortable giving me the code to that access that. But as someone else mentioned to me, it could have been stolen gift cards, and if that's the case I don't want any connection to that.

I'll try getting myself an Amazon gift card soon, just to see how they're actually used and understand the interface better.

So far, I don't have any ties to my state or city, so I'm not sure about getting a PO box. If I did get one, I'd have to figure out a way to make really long trips to other cities, just for privacy's sake (and I don't have a car yet, so that's an extra hassle). I might look at having things reshipped through a redirect service. I'll still have to pay for the extra shipping, but if it's things I'm going to buy anyway, it's still cheaper than buying them myself.

 

[SaffronBurke]

They sent me a screenshot from Amazon w/ over a gift card balance of over $4,000.

Sounds photoshopped.

 

[Ms_Gingersnatch]

If the guy is legit, he could buy whatever item you want on his own account and have it delivered to an Amazon locker of your choosing. When it's delivered to the locker where you told him to send it, he'd get a code to open the locker. It expires after 3 days. He could give you the code, and then you go to the locker to pick it up.

The problem is that if he's a stalker, you've given him an exact location where you would be showing up sometime in the next 72 hours. If he waits a day or two to give you the locker code, the window to pick up your package is even more precise. (Of course, a stalker could wait for you outside a PO box, too, but there's no real time deadline on picking up your PO box mail, so it's harder to know when you'll be there.)

The solution might be be to enlist a trusted friend or family member to go get the package for you. Unlike with a PO box, a stalker has no idea which section of the Amazon locker contains your package. He couldn't camp out to see who shows up at your PO box, and then tail that person back to you. He'd know that the package was picked up, but he probably wouldn't know which of the people visiting the locker was your friend. HOWEVER, I don't know if he might get an immediate email or text saying "Thanks for picking up your Amazon package." If that does happen, and he were waiting for you, he could see who claimed your package, and could potentially stalk that person to get to you. (Of course, doing that level of stalking in the physical world is a LOT of effort and has questionable return on investment. Given the ease of internet stalking, I'd be surprised if anyone went to those lengths anymore.)

Unfortunately, Amazon won't let you put a locker as the delivery address on your wishlist. It would be a perfect solution for many of us.


Side note about safety: If you know or suspect that someone has your full PO box address or Amazon locker location, don't give them any idea of when you'll be picking up your packages. If they pressure you to go get the item right away ("I really want to see my outfit on you tonight, bb! Please, please go pick it up this afternoon. Please?") have a healthy sense of paranoia and ask yourself whether they might be trying to get you to show up somewhere specific at a certain time.

 

[LylacDoll]

If the guy is legit, he could buy whatever item you want on his own account and have it delivered to an Amazon locker of your choosing. When it's delivered to the locker where you told him to send it, he'd get a code to open the locker. It expires after 3 days. He could give you the code, and then you go to the locker to pick it up.

The problem is that if he's a stalker, you've given him an exact location where you would be showing up sometime in the next 72 hours. If he waits a day or two to give you the locker code, the window to pick up your package is even more precise. (Of course, a stalker could wait for you outside a PO box, too, but there's no real time deadline on picking up your PO box mail, so it's harder to know when you'll be there.)

The solution might be be to enlist a trusted friend or family member to go get the package for you. Unlike with a PO box, a stalker has no idea which section of the Amazon locker contains your package. He couldn't camp out to see who shows up at your PO box, and then tail that person back to you. He'd know that the package was picked up, but he probably wouldn't know which of the people visiting the locker was your friend. HOWEVER, I don't know if he might get an immediate email or text saying "Thanks for picking up your Amazon package." If that does happen, and he were waiting for you, he could see who claimed your package, and could potentially stalk that person to get to you. (Of course, doing that level of stalking in the physical world is a LOT of effort and has questionable return on investment. Given the ease of internet stalking, I'd be surprised if anyone went to those lengths anymore.)

Unfortunately, Amazon won't let you put a locker as the delivery address on your wishlist. It would be a perfect solution for many of us.


Side note about safety: If you know or suspect that someone has your full PO box address or Amazon locker location, don't give them any idea of when you'll be picking up your packages. If they pressure you to go get the item right away ("I really want to see my outfit on you tonight, bb! Please, please go pick it up this afternoon. Please?") have a healthy sense of paranoia and ask yourself whether they might be trying to get you to show up somewhere specific at a certain time.

Could see it working well if I traveled and could pick something up from a locker, before leaving the state, but any closer and I'd still be just as paranoid about a PO box or something like that. Oh well, I'm happy passing up a gift here or there for personal safety. And I'd hate asking a someone else to take time out of their day to pick something up for me, unless they were already going to the post office themselves. If it was like, a really big present, then maybe I'd consider it (this was just over a cute lingerie set).

Sounds photoshopped.

Yeah, it probably was, unfortunately. If I were going to try to show off fake money like that though, I would think it wise to at least say in the realm of possibility (under $500 or so). Guess some people just like to go big though.