Unintended $70 Apple Gift Card charge during iPad purchase

Normally what they do is charge you for the gift card and then deduct the price of that card from what you paid for the device or other products. This is, among other reasons, to keep someone from returning the product and getting a full-price refund and just keeping the gift card. 

Check your receipt and charges carefully. If the cost of the card was not deducted from the cost of your iPad or otherwise you believe you were charged incorrectly, call Apple Support.

Regards.

Call Apple Support, then. It may well be that they just made a mistake and didn't properly credit you. Nothing shady about it, either just a misreading of the transaction or an error by Apple.

Regards.

Apple's offer structures the discount such that while you are charged for the gift card - that can be redeemed against a future purchase of your choice from Apple - the cost of the iPad is reduced by the value of the gift card.

The net affect is that you will pay the expected price of the iPad. Apple implements this scheme to ensure that if the iPad is returned after the gift card has been redeemed, you will only receive the balance - this avoiding potential fraudulent returns.

No Problem. It would appear you should still have the $35 Gift Card somewhere and the best approach would be to determine the product you bought that was supposed to include the $35 Gift Card and contact Apple and tell them you don't believe you received it to see if they are able to track it down.

I agree it can be confusing and would probably be better it you were allowed to use the Gift Card on the current purchase, but it is their promotion that you receive a Gift Card for a future purchase.

I know it has been explained before, but Apple needs a way to prevent a person from buying the product with the promotion, spending the Gift Card, and then returning the product. The person could profit off of the transaction and even do it multiple times. So the way it is done is by reducing the purchase by the amount of the Gift Card, then charging you the Gift Card, so the return would be the reduced price and you are left with the Gift Card you have paid for.

For example, a $1000 product with a $100 Gift Card would be billed as $900 + the $100 Gift Card. The person ends up with the $1000 item and also has a $100 Gift Card just like it was advertised. If returned, then they will receive the $900 for the product and still have the $100 Gift Card, since the Gift Card cannot be returned and may have even been spent already.

Visit Shopping Event Terms and Conditions - Apple for details. You are charged the. gift card amount and also charged the purchased item minus the gift card. The net is that you receive the product at the listed price and an additional gift card.

Hi, could you help me about an issue here?

I understand your explanation of the gift card, it makes sense. I made 3 purchases during Black Friday 2024, using gift card toward every next purchase: $140, $70, $35.

I returned all three purchases because I found that I was charged by the gift cards.

If your explanation makes sense, my refund should be exactly the same with the amount I paid.

However, I paid 2050,87, and the refund is 1945, 87. So, I didn't get $105 back.

I called their support, and they were not helpful at all, simply trying to tell me what you explained here.

Do you know where can I get $105 back?

Thank you so much.

That would make sense if you still had the $105 on a Gift Card(s). It would not be possible to use the Gift Card on all purchases, since the first one would only be able to be used on the next purchase and the last purchase would also get you a Gift Card to be used for a future purchase. The remaining balance on a Gift Card cannot be returned. Not sure if that is what you are seeing.

Thank you so much for telling me this! I didn't check the gift card because, you know, they were redeemed.

But, yes, the $70 gift card is still valid. So, part of the refund goes back the gift card. It makes sense, but looks a lot like we are paying the gift card!

But I didn't receive the last gift card for $35. I suppose I cannot ask for it after returning the product?

If call the Specialist Support, I don't know if I can make the issue clear.

Thank you so much for explaining it to me. I was on the verge of giving up Apple after this experience. But I still have a bunch of gift cards on my hands!