All Access Visa Gift Card funds depleted?

Question

I was given two All Access Visa Gift Cards a couple of years ago for Christmas that I put aside and forgot about. They were purchased in California and I am a California resident, and the cards have never left California. The expiration date on the cards is 09/09. I have never used either card.

From my understanding, there is a law in California that prevents gift cards like these from ever expiring. Also from what I've heard, the law also forbids companies from deducting a monthly fee for not using the cards.

However, when I tried to use the cards recently to buy movie tickets, they did not work. When I type the pertinent card information into the Visa All Access website, the website cannot find account balances for them.

Has the money been depleted off my cards somehow? If so, how can I get it back if its illegal to remove the money from the cards in California? How can I get the company to restore the balances on these cards? By contacting the Better Business Bureau?

Answer 1

Depending on when and where the card was purchased, the value may well have been depleted. Every state has their own laws regarding what is called "escheatment", but the laws are changing all the time and what matters most is what the printed terms and conditions that came with the card say, since changes in the law tend to affect only new cards issued going forward. Some All Access cards begin to incur $4.95 (or $2.95) monthly maintenance fees 6 months (or 12 months) after purchase, it depends on when and where it was purchased. If your cards are years old, then they might well be completely depleted by now.

It's very unlikely that you'll be able to dispute these fees since they're prominent in the Terms and Conditions of the card.

The laws are changing in favor of the government, not the consumer or the card issuer (i.e. the state takes left over money as "abandoned property"). Frankly, I'd prefer that the company that goes to the trouble of creating a product like this benefit from it rather than the government, but you're right that the consumer isn't really winning in either situation.

Beyond this, do make sure that you are accessing this website:

http://www.allaccessgift.com/

and correctly entering the 16 digit card number and security code.

Cornelius