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A class action lawsuit that alleges Google’s Google Play gift cards violate California law by being too difficult to redeem should be tossed out, or at the least moved to the correct district, the tech giant says.
Google urged a California federal court to dismiss the class action lawsuit, which was filed in February, and added that if the case was to continue, it must be moved to the appropriate court.
According to the company’s terms of service that govern Google Play gift cards, disputes must be resolved in the federal or state courts of Santa Clara County, in the Northern District of California, Law360 reports. The current class action lawsuit was filed in the Central District.
Google Play gift card holders Henk Meyers and Glenn Goza, the lead Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit, say that Google’s security system makes it almost impossible for holders of authentic gift cards to redeem their purchases or gifts.
Gift card holders are required to fill out a form saying when and where the gift card was purchased, and provide receipts documenting the purchase, requests that are difficult for many gift card holders – especially those who received the cards as a gift, Meyers and Goza say.
“Google’s arbitrary barriers to redemption likely dissuaded many gift card holders from redeeming their cards, either because they lacked the information requested or found it too burdensome,” Meyers said in the claim.
According to the claim, Google also uses an algorithm in its security system that often flags authentic gift cards as suspicious, invalidating them.
Meyers and Goza say that Google is violating California law with these practices, as the law requires gift card issuers to ensure cards are redeemable in cash for the value or can be replaced at no cost to the buyer or holder.
“As a result of its practices, Google was able to pocket the funds spent on Google Play gift cards that should have been redeemable by these card holders,” Meyers said.
However, Google says that the California law governing gift certificates doesn’t affect Google Play gift cards. The company says that its Google Play gift cards are within the law’s exception for gift cards as they are redeemable with multiple sellers.
“Because Google Play gift cards are usable to purchase from multiple sellers, Google could not, as a matter of law, violate California’s gift certificate law,” Google said, adding the claims by Meyers and Goza lacked merit.
Meyers and Goza want to represent anyone nationwide who had a Google Play gift card denied by the company.
Google is also facing another class action lawsuit, that alleges that the tech giant engages in illegal, omnipresent surveillance of people’s lives, in a way much worse than George Orwell imagined in his classic science fiction book 1984. Salvatore Toronto, a Google account holder, alleges the Internet giant continues to violate privacy laws, even after a record $170 million privacy settlement in 2019.
Have ever had any issues redeeming a Google Play gift card? Let us know in the comments section!
The gift card holders are represented by Richard D. McCune, David C. Wright and Elaine S. Kusel of McCune Wright Arevalo LLP.
Google is represented by Michelle C. Doolin, Whitty Somvichian and Sharon Song of Cooley LLP.
The Google Play Gift Card Class Action Lawsuit is Meyers v. Alphabet Inc. et al., Case No. 2:21-cv-01767, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
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91 thoughts onGoogle Says That Lawsuit Claiming Gift Cards Are Too Hard to Redeem Should Be Tossed Out
I purchased a $100 Google.play card from.Walgreens. When I removed the strip on back for redemption code I noticed the last 2 Numbers on redemtion code were not clear/damaged. I contacted Walgreens and they said *no refund or exchange” contact Google..
Well I’ve attempted all phone numbers with no success for live person….I’ve submitted tickets to Google play/card problems and no one responds…This is absolutely frustrating, ridiculous, time consuming and outright wrong. I’m out $100, and as a consumer outright mad
I have several gift cards bought in store , and a couple that were purchased online and everyone of them google has hit with can not redeem , need more info info. So I follow the steps and fill out the form. And at this point I’m out $100 or more
As I read all these complaints it becomes quite clear that Google Gift Play Cards Division is getting away with corporate theft on a multimillion dollar level and it appears they will continue to get away it. The Google Play Card dream team is sending out nonreply; “either my account or one of my gift cards is not eligible for a refund” They are probably flooded with these requests only to cancel your request. I got taken for $50 gift card that wouldn’t redeem and Kroger flat refuses any refunds on bad cards. I bought a $50 Apple Gift Card that would redeem. I called their customer service and submitted the same clear photos and received a new good code the same day. But not Google. They have the Gift Card refund gamed so that you never get your money back, yet unsuspecting people continue to unknowingly buy their cards and get robbed.
I got a 100$ gift card for Christmas in 2023 that they refused to redeem. I uploaded all documents receipt photo of card etc. And all anyone would ever tell me is there was inconsistencies with my account. But Noone would give me detail of what that means. It complete bullshit. I’ve spent so many thousands of dollars with google and this is unexceptable. Funny thing is this never happens when I try to use my bank cards which you’d think would be more security or difficult to make a purchase with. Not a prepaid gift card what the he’ll. Can anyone explain this to me? If my account so inconsistent why can I make purchases at all. No this only happens to me when trying to redeem a gift card. Screw google.
This is the 2nd time this has happened to my account in the last 3 months. 1st time Was over a 50$ card added to my account, I tried to use right away and was unable until I sent a copy of front/back of card and receipt. Had to wait a few days for the funds to release, but they did eventually (missed what I wanted to buy(reason I purchased the card in the first place)). 2nd time I just purchased a 25$ card and a 45$ 3-Pack (15$ each). Added the funds to my account with no issues. 2 days later I tried to use the funds and got an error wanting me to verify again. I sent the copy’s and 4 days later I get a reply saying they cant release the funds. The copy’s were not complete. I did the same as the first time.
I bought a card for just 20 bucks and when it asked me to fill out the form I sent a copy of the front and back of the gift card along with a copy of the receipt. Every picture is very clear, you can make out all of the numbers on the receipt. That was 2 months ago. It still says processing.
I have had the same issue with a $50 Google Play card I purchased at a local and legitimate store. Went through the usual Google process of sending Google a front and back photo of the card in question along with the receipts. I’ve done this twice now. Their latest reply….
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Thank you for contacting Google Support and apologizing for the delayed update.
My name is Nids, your designated Google Support Specialist. I hope this message finds you well and that you are having a great day.
I do want to assure you that your concern is of the utmost importance to me and I’m grateful for the opportunity to assist you via email.
We understand how important it is for you to redeem your gift card on your account. We have examined your account with the assistance of our specialists and discovered some discrepancies with the submitted appeal.
As a result, we are unable to release the account. We know that this is not the resolution you have expected. However, we are unable to say with certainty why your account was denied in order to protect your privacy and security.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this regard. Should you have any other concerns, feel free to let us know.
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This is a totally unacceptable reply and makes no sense whatsoever. I will be making sure everyone I know and have any contact with hears of this and I will suggest they DO NOT purchase any Google Play cards. I will also let any store I see selling them that they will no doubt receive complaints from customers about this and recommend they do not carry these cards or at least be warned of the potential issue. No wonder the world is in such a mess. Google obviously does not give a damn about their customers despite trying to convey they do within their automated email replies. This issue needs to be brought to the attention of national broadcasters and newspapers. All I can say is DO NOT purchase Google Play cards and make sure everyone you know is informed of this issue. Nobody is too big to be held unaccountable for their actions. If their system is at fault then it needs to be fixed.
I have had issues with PlayStation cards in the past, usually because the card was faulty and the number was not fully readable. The PlayStation folks were always very helpful and easy to contact. In all cases my issue was resolved and the money was eventually added to my PlayStation account. If PlayStation can do it then Google can and should.
This issue with Google is just out and out theft and should be treated as such. Those at the top of this company should be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest. Absolutely disgusting….
Same thing happening with Canadian cards, bought at a grocery store, 2 different times, one of them I was able to redeem but then couldn’t spend, sent the info and the pictures and reply was “due to inconsistencies we cannot redeem your card. ” Bought another one just tonight, won’t even redeem, get the “we need more information fill out the form” This is beyond ridiculous, especially for those who don’t have much money and this is basically their only “treat” or splurge they buy for some down time.
i have a card i cannot redeem due to damaged card code area, i have no receipt due to it was a gift. i have had this issue before and managed to redeem the cards . it seems damaged code areas due to scratching would have been addressed by now because of the many instances this happens. but i agree with other posters that google just keeps that moneyand it is next to impossible to talk to a real down to earth person. so , honest screw up or google scam. thats not hard to figure out. you cant trust anyone.
I too have tried to use my google play gift card and needed to send verification of front and back of card and receipt I purchased it. I was still denied. Saying not eligible for. I bought with cash at a grocery store and it is completely legit. You can’t talk to anyone to get it resolved. This is a scam for google to keep your money.
Same issue here. I tried twice because I thought it might have been a one-off issue with the card. I am shocked they don’t even honor their own gift cards. This is way past arrogance, it is almost sociopathic for them to go to bed at night, and not be bothered by how they treat people.
Hi how are you doing I brought 9 $50 Google cards 8 we’re not working and only $50 Google card worked. The code were bad on the 8 Google cards I have the receipt and the cards, i purchased Google cards at 739 greenwood Ave, March 31 Friday, 7:32 pm I asked the woman cashier to make sure the Google cards are activated and don’t sell me bad cards sell me good cards and separate recipes.i don’t know her name or her manager but she ignores me when I said make sure it’s activated, I ask again she lied and said she cannot tell me if it’s a good or bad card. , Not true I know the law it’s unlawful for her steal my money I paid ,$450 I got scammed $400, one Google card was hard to peel off I mistakenly over stretch it.
I’ve been through this a few times in the past. Usually a few days after submitting the receipts I am cleared to make purchases. Typically I have missed the sale I was aiming for in the game I play, but I wait for another and at least I still have my money. This most recent time, however, I have not had the same experience. I have 2 $50 gift cards on the account. Because of past experience I keep my receipts. I loaded them and the balances were added without issue. I go to spend and I’m told to fill out the form. I do, with clear photos of the receipt and the card. It’s obvious the card # matches the one in the receipt. But I’ve been told that “due to inconsistencies they cannot unlock the funds”. Google help agents can’t tell me what the inconsistencies are nor can they point me to someone who can tell me. Reading these comments has shed some light though. The inconsistency must just be that they want to keep my money without the hassle of letting me use it. I have spent hours trying to clear this up. Customer service is no help. I was told to “next time make sure I purchase from an authorized retailer” – I purchased them at a Kroger grocery store. Not a small back alley purchase from a guy in a truck. And they can see this, because I have provided the receipts! Multiple times now. I refuse to spend more money until they give me access to my $100. I work hard for my money and it may be small change to Google but is not to me. Granted, it’s not surprising they are a billion dollar company with all the money they are clearly blatantly stealing from customers.
Got me too. Bought 5 cards, 20, 20, 20, 30 and 30 to add funds to my 5 Google accounts, which I use to play 12 accounts on the same game. Was able to redeem one $30 card on one account, but the other $30 card and all 3 $20 cards Google claimed to need more info. Submitted the info as requested, same vague non answer that “either my account or one of my cards is not eligible for appeal”. Didn’t have any problems processing my payments on any of those accounts the next day using my cashapp debit card. Never had any problems when I used my regular checking account debit card either. Only Google’s cards that I buy with cash to help limit my game spending. I’ve got all my receipts and unusable cards, emails, chat log and screenshots. More than ready to join this lawsuit. I work too hard for my money to have it stolen in such an egregious and blatant manner by a multi billion dollar company. I’d bet the total amount they’ve stolen from the American populace is in the hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars. I’ll be compiling my own evidence and writing a detailed explanation of my own situation with Google and sending it to every AG, politician and media personality I can think of also inside the next week. It’s past time for Google to get busted.