eBay Mother's Day Gift Card Promo Sells Out In Less Than 24 Hours
eBay's Mother's Day Gift Card promotion appears to be a hit with eBay saying supplies have already been exhausted less than 24 hours after launching.
The promotion started on May 6th at 6 AM Pacific and offered 15% off any gift eBay gift card purchase, with a maximum discount of $30, until May 14th or "while supplies last."
Mother’s day - Receive 15% off any purchase of eBay eGift Cards*
- Ends 5/14 or while supplies last. Max discount is $30. See terms.
How to redeem your discount:
- Shop for eBay eGift Cards on ebay.launchgiftcards.com.
- Pay for eBay Gift Cards at checkout by 6:00AM Pacific Time on May 14, 2024.
- The discount will be automatically applied at checkout.
Promotion Terms & Conditions:
This promotion is a 15% discount applied to the purchase of eBay eGift Cards on https://ebay.launchgiftcards.com. This promotion is valid from 6:00 AM Pacific Time on May 6, 2024 through 6:00 AM Pacific Time on May 14, 2024, or while supplies last.
But users who attempted to purchase gift cards with the promo just a few hours after it went live were unable to use it, receiving a message saying the transaction was not eligible.
Apparently a promo rolled out this AM for Mother's Day. 15% off all purchases of Gift Cards, Max Discount $30. Valid through 5/14 or while supplies last.
Went to try it and I wasn't able to receive the promo. Said "Not Promo Eligible". Tried on two separate accounts.
Was trying to make a quick $30, I buy plenty on eBay so buying a $200 gift card for $170 is a no-brainer, free $30. Wasn't working for me, wasn't able to receive the promo.
Another buyer said they had the same problem and contacted support, who initially told them it was a bug, but then later they received an email saying the promotion was "sold out."
same issue. called customer service they said it was a bug that would be resolved, only to get a email reply a few hours later that it was "sold out"
Sure enough, while the terms and conditions page for the promotion does not say anything about it being sold out, once you click through to purchase a gift card, there is a big red banner that says:
Unfortunately, the 15% off gift card offer is sold out
You can still shop a variety of eBay eGift Cards for any occasion. eBay Gift card terms apply.
Interestingly, eBay did not say how big the "supply" was, so "while supplies last" is a pretty meaningless phrase which really means "whenever eBay decides to stop providing the discount."
That raises the question - was eBay really inundated with overwhelming demand exhausting supply within a few hours or have they simply artificially limited the supply to cut the promotion very short with the knowledge that some buyers will go ahead and purchase a gift card at full price any way since they are already on the page?
After all, eBay doesn't exactly have a stellar track record for honesty and transparency in promotions - just look at the longstanding problems with eBay turning a blind eye to sketchy sellers using false strikethrough pricing to present fake discounts to buyers.
Liz Morton
Do you think eBay legitimately "sold out" of the Mother's Day gift card promotion or was it a bait and switch deal to lure people in and hope they will purchase at full price any way? Let us know in the comments below!
