What the royal F'k happened to Steam Gift Cards?

[Heatblizzard]

I always have been buying Steam Gift cards for god knows how long 2014? Back when Steam was at it's hayday and since summertime there has been less and less Steam cards. First the custom cards where you put your own amount in and then the 40 and now the 20$ cards are gone at ALL the stores. (I haven't tried Gamestop since then which I have about 30$ in store credit) but Dollar General,Fred Meyers,Staples.etc any place that sells cards no longer does Steam.

It started sometime in June. I thought it might have been the summer sale and they would get replenished but so far they haven't and before they never were all gone. Mostly the cheap ones were gone. I'm in Salem Oregon so having it in a bigger town is a scary sign.

Is this a bad sign that Steam is getting going out of business? They have seem to do dumb things with their rewards thing which I don't use or know anything about but people have said Steam has been doing dumb choices the last few years but think it's only that thing is being dumb but compiling it all the picture isn't pretty.

If Steam does go bye bye what will happen? I hope people have enough sense knock into them to you know actually SELL the better games at stores again so they won't be lost forever you know ACTUAL stores you walk into and buy something you hold in your hand and ching ching!

If Gamestop no longer sells them then I guess that's a really bad sign right? I've never known Gamestop to NOT sell them only to be out of them once in a while but not outright stop where you have every card BUT. I hope Gstop has them still. I'm going to have to check.

[Malric]

Publicado originalmente por my new friend:

Do you have a Walgreens, CVS, Doller General, Best Buy or Speedway?

I did check CVS and Walgreens, neither of them had any either. GameStop did though so I was able to get one there. None of the stores I've bought them at in the past had them though.

Best Buy probably does, but they are quite a drive and I didn't feel like going that far to try and find one.

All good though, GameStop FTW.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Publicado originalmente por Malric:

Publicado originalmente por my new friend:

Do you have a Walgreens, CVS, Doller General, Best Buy or Speedway?

I did check CVS and Walgreens, neither of them had any either. GameStop did though so I was able to get one there. None of the stores I've bought them at in the past had them though.

Best Buy probably does, but they are quite a drive and I didn't feel like going that far to try and find one.

All good though, GameStop FTW.

Try 7-11 as well. I've seen them there too.

[steven1mac]

I had no problems with the Dollar General around my area, likewise, Walmart and Target always have some if they are not sold out. So I guess it just depends on location.

[SparkyLab]

Publicado originalmente por Malric:

I am in the Sacramento area and I have just left the 3rd straight store which used to sell them that doesn't now. Wal-Mart, Target, etc., no one seems to have them at all.

It was the same since late 2019 till around mid 2021 here in OR ( thou GS not so much a problem for $50 but $20 always sold out ). But since year end of 2021 I have no problem finding it in Target and Safeway again.

[AloofHermit37]

It’s because stores are being dumb and getting scammed so their solution is to stop selling them

[oiken_]

bro just buy digital codes instead

[Heatblizzard]

Publicado originalmente por Reggaeјunkiеdrew:

There's shortages and supply chain issues in so many places with so many things at the moment, It's not particularly surprising.

No I don't think it's a sign of anything, Steam is regularly hitting new record high player numbers. "People said Steam do dumb thing" is not exactly a compelling argument for anything lol.

I agree with the top part. Japan has actually geared their economy towards wartime and have an army bigger then pre WW2 limits ready to spring into action should China do something stupid which they have been buzzing their border's recent years as so called 'training exercises' that keep getting more aggressive.

I also wonder if too many thieves have been running off with Steam cards so stores have limited inventory (if at all) because while the cards don't hold any digital value unless purchased it's still a pain in the butt ritual to keep replacing them when they mysteriously grow legs and walk out the back door.

[Heatblizzard]

Publicado originalmente por SparkyLab:

Publicado originalmente por Malric:

I am in the Sacramento area and I have just left the 3rd straight store which used to sell them that doesn't now. Wal-Mart, Target, etc., no one seems to have them at all.

It was the same since late 2019 till around mid 2021 here in OR ( thou GS not so much a problem for $50 but $20 always sold out ). But since year end of 2021 I have no problem finding it in Target and Safeway again.

I haven't seem them in our area in a long time though here in Oregon sadly thievery is at an all time high. Salem is the 'Tijuana' of Oregon which that place is actually safer. I heard from some truckers they are afraid of being assaulted at night so generally avoid trucking there unless they absolutely have to. Car jackings in broad daylight are not uncommon since police don't respond unless someone gets hurt but this isn't the thread for that.

Back to gift cards I think it boils down to truckers not wanting to risk their life who sell the steam cards to retail stores as it's not just Steam cards having shortages a lot of my favorite foods are almost always out so we have to shop out of the area to find stuff. We don't go to Salem hardly anymore unless we have to.

[Heatblizzard]

Publicado originalmente por steven1mac:

I had no problems with the Dollar General around my area, likewise, Walmart and Target always have some if they are not sold out. So I guess it just depends on location.

I think locations with high theft and aggressive theft at that are holding out.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Publicado originalmente por AloofHermit37:

It’s because stores are being dumb and getting scammed so their solution is to stop selling them

Wouldn't that just apply to all gift cards by this logic... Just saying.

Publicado originalmente por oiken_:

bro just buy digital codes instead

Should read OP so you understand.

Publicado originalmente por Heatblizzard:

Publicado originalmente por Reggaeјunkiеdrew:

There's shortages and supply chain issues in so many places with so many things at the moment, It's not particularly surprising.

No I don't think it's a sign of anything, Steam is regularly hitting new record high player numbers. "People said Steam do dumb thing" is not exactly a compelling argument for anything lol.

I agree with the top part. Japan has actually geared their economy towards wartime and have an army bigger then pre WW2 limits ready to spring into action should China do something stupid which they have been buzzing their border's recent years as so called 'training exercises' that keep getting more aggressive.

I also wonder if too many thieves have been running off with Steam cards so stores have limited inventory (if at all) because while the cards don't hold any digital value unless purchased it's still a pain in the butt ritual to keep replacing them when they mysteriously grow legs and walk out the back door.

Yes there no reason for them steal cards that haven't been activated, and even if they did likely gonna return to same place to try again, and chance of getting caught as well in the process of doing it, but also it wouldn't just be Steam card that thieves would go far, as there be PSN, Xbox, Nintendo, iTunes, Roblox, pre paid credit cards, and so on.

Publicado originalmente por Heatblizzard:

Publicado originalmente por SparkyLab:

It was the same since late 2019 till around mid 2021 here in OR ( thou GS not so much a problem for $50 but $20 always sold out ). But since year end of 2021 I have no problem finding it in Target and Safeway again.

I haven't seem them in our area in a long time though here in Oregon sadly thievery is at an all time high. Salem is the 'Tijuana' of Oregon which that place is actually safer. I heard from some truckers they are afraid of being assaulted at night so generally avoid trucking there unless they absolutely have to. Car jackings in broad daylight are not uncommon since police don't respond unless someone gets hurt.

Yeah if theft is high in your area/city then it may explain why something's never returns in stock, or just don't exist in that area/city to begin with.

[Heatblizzard]

Publicado originalmente por Dr.Shadowds 🐉:

Publicado originalmente por AloofHermit37:

It’s because stores are being dumb and getting scammed so their solution is to stop selling them

Wouldn't that just apply to all gift cards by this logic... Just saying.

Publicado originalmente por oiken_:

bro just buy digital codes instead

Should read OP so you understand.

Publicado originalmente por Heatblizzard:

I agree with the top part. Japan has actually geared their economy towards wartime and have an army bigger then pre WW2 limits ready to spring into action should China do something stupid which they have been buzzing their border's recent years as so called 'training exercises' that keep getting more aggressive.

I also wonder if too many thieves have been running off with Steam cards so stores have limited inventory (if at all) because while the cards don't hold any digital value unless purchased it's still a pain in the butt ritual to keep replacing them when they mysteriously grow legs and walk out the back door.

Yes there no reason for them steal cards that haven't been activated, and even if they did likely gonna return to same place to try again, and chance of getting caught as well in the process of doing it, but also it wouldn't just be Steam card that thieves would go far, as there be PSN, Xbox, Nintendo, iTunes, Roblox, pre paid credit cards, and so on.

Publicado originalmente por Heatblizzard:

I haven't seem them in our area in a long time though here in Oregon sadly thievery is at an all time high. Salem is the 'Tijuana' of Oregon which that place is actually safer. I heard from some truckers they are afraid of being assaulted at night so generally avoid trucking there unless they absolutely have to. Car jackings in broad daylight are not uncommon since police don't respond unless someone gets hurt.

Yeah if theft is high in your area/city then it may explain why something's never returns in stock, or just don't exist in that area/city to begin with.

The Silverton Oregon Dollar General has the underwear not only electronically tagged but also has an ink device that will spray yet our Dollar General just has a 'sign' that says its electronically tagged and that's it. Definitely no ink stuff. I can't believe LITERAL underwear under heavy guard. You know THAT stuff. 😢. Who the hell would want to steal a bunch?

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Publicado originalmente por Heatblizzard:

The Silverton Oregon Dollar General has the underwear not only electronically tagged but also has an ink device that will spray yet our Dollar General just has a 'sign' that says its electronically tagged and that's it. Definitely no ink stuff. I can't believe LITERAL underwear under heavy guard. You know THAT stuff. 😢. Who the hell would want to steal a bunch?

TBH Idk what exactly even going on as there bunch of things happening, let alone why crime going high all of sudden all over the world. Like I seen people steal all the soap they can carry, or hair dyes, and yeah there even security locks for ice cream, i'm not even joking, like it confusing what going on.

[Haruspex]

They're still at Rite Aid and Dollar General and Walmart here.

[Paratech2008]

Cards like Steam uses have to be activated at a cash register. Until their activated they're worthless and that's true of most cards you can buy at stores, at least in the US.

[Bill]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.