Gift cards are a go-to holiday gift, but some shoppers are running into an unwelcome surprise: the cards they bought have no money on them.
Reports started before the holidays when a local BC non-profit, Recovery Kidz Society, discovered the gift cards they purchased for a local family were empty.
Recovery Kidz Society helps make the holidays magical by supplying presents to children whose parents are in addiction treatment.
The Shoppers Drug Mart gift card they purchased was supposed to have $500 on it, but when they went to redeem it, the card was already drained.
And this isn’t the only case. Earlier this year, a business owner bought gift cards to give away to her employees at a Christmas party only to discover they also had no funds.
Unfortunately, this type of fraud is not uncommon yet most stores’ gift card terms and conditions make it difficult—or even impossible—to recover lost funds.
Several other Greater Victoria residents have also taken to social media stating their gift cards were declined when they went to use.
One Sidney resident shared in a private local Facebook group that her daughter received a Lululemon gift card purchased from the Sidney Shoppers Drug Mart, but it didn’t work when she went to use it.
“My daughter received a gift card for Christmas for Lululemon. The gift card was purchased and activated on December 23, 2025,” she shared.
“When my daughter went to redeem it on December 28th it had already been redeemed.”
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), a non-profit that educates consumers on scams, gift card fraud tends to rise during the holidays, but there are ways to protect yourself.
Always check cards for tampering, ask the cashier to check them, and keep your receipts. These are small steps that can help ensure your gift ends up bringing joy—not disappointment.
