• CardPool

CardPool

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Overview

CardPool has a rating of 1.9 stars from 761 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about CardPool most frequently mention gift cards, customer service, and phone number problems. CardPool ranks 121st among Gift Cards sites.

  • Service
    75
  • Value
    71
  • Shipping
    62
  • Returns
    44
  • Quality
    63
30
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How would you rate CardPool?
Top Positive Review

“CardPool Worked Fine For Me! These Other Reviews Are Probably Stupid lol”

John C.
2/13/18

I'm not sure why this site has so many bad reviews. As a person who used to own a survey site, it's probably from people not following directions, or trying to use the card after they sold it. It worked perfectly for me, I sold two cards, a Macy's card that I got from swagbucks and a Victoria Secret card that I gave to a Tinder chick and took it back from her after I found out she got some more side dudes without asking me first. Got my check in about 5 biz days.

Top Critical Review

“Scam! They take your money and take forever IF they send you your gift card!”

Megan P.
4/1/19

I bought gift cards for one merchant and they were electronic but took too long to get to me through e-mail (which should be almost instant)... the item I was trying to purchase went out of stock and then back off sale back to its original price which was double the amount. $300 instead of on sale for $150 when I bought the gift cards. I've been e-mailing for a month now and NO responses, not a single one! Then I purchased a gift card last week and still have not received it. Other sites I've used I get the gift card within 15 mins... this one I'm lucky if I get it at all and definitely no refunds whatsoever... don't waste your money even if they price for a bigger discount it's not worth losing a couple of hundred dollars or more. The screenshot shows their one automated response saying they will get back to me... but when? In a few years?

Reviews (761)

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Reviews that mention popular keywords

gift card (481) customer service (161) gift cards (481) phone number (54) business day (81) credit card (76)
Thumbnail of user peterk368
1 review
2 helpful votes
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March 5th, 2019

I've tried to sell one card and it says it will send me an Amazon card within a week. Two weeks later and nothing, this is a total scam. Stay away

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user chinah3
1 review
0 helpful votes
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January 11th, 2014

I have sold 4 gifts cards to them and received my check with no problems. I have read the reviews and I can't believe that this website is a scam. The process is easy so I am dumbfounded on why some of the customers are having any trouble. In order to sell your card is easy, you have 3 options to choose from. Either get an amazon card for more money, receive a check or get it deposited in your bank. I of course choose to receive a check because I get a little more money from my sold gift card.
Throughout the process they send me a confirmation email and a pre-paid postage I print out on my printer. I drop it off at the post office. I wait a couple of days for cardpool.com to email me once they receive my gift card. Once I get the email from them that they received my gift card they let me know they are mailing me my check. In the email they make sure they have my correct name and address before they send the check. If there's a problem I was told to either email them or call them. I had no problems with them. I patiently wait for my check. It take about 3 weeks for everything. I deposit my check into my savings account. I HAD NO PROBLEMS AND STILL USE THEM TO THIS DAY. I have never bought a gift card from them.

But you have to remember that some people are shady and are buying or selling gift cards from stolen credit cards. So maybe that's why some of the people are having horrible customer service. I'm honest so I have no problems. My bank accepts my check and they wanted to know how they can sell their gift cards. I told them about cardpool.com. So it is not a scam to the banks, well not to Virginia Credit Union.
I trust the site.

Thumbnail of user conniec46
1 review
9 helpful votes
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June 17th, 2016

Cardpool offered to buy Apple gift card. Sent it in and never heard from them again. Can't get ahold of anyone to talk to.

Thumbnail of user bobj159
1 review
3 helpful votes
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January 7th, 2018

I tried to sell my Walmart gift card, and 10 days later... nothing. I wrote in to them twice, and they never responded. Terrible customer service.

Thumbnail of user ianr51
2 reviews
6 helpful votes
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March 4th, 2017

I bought a gift card over a month ago, and I have still not received it. 3 emails to customer support and no response. Stay away

Thumbnail of user ronk
139 reviews
1,049 helpful votes
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March 10th, 2010

Cardpool offers the simplest way to save money by buying and selling gift cards.
What is Cardpool?

Cardpool is a service that lets you buy gift cards for up to 30% off or sell unwanted gift cards for cash. All orders and transactions include FREE SHIPPING and are covered by our extensive Purchase Guarantee Program.
How does this work?

Cardpool connects the millions of gift card holders around the world to create a marketplace where customers can buy, sell, or trade their gift cards safely and securely. By gathering all the buyers and sellers in one place, Cardpool helps everyone get exactly what they want, whether its a discounted gift card or simply cash.
Who am I buying from or selling to?

You are always buying directly from us and selling directly to us. Because our customers may live many thousands of miles away from each other, Cardpool actually buys the gift cards directly from customers, verifies the authenticity and balance of each gift card, and holds on to them until a buyer is found. Even though we may never find a buyer for a given gift card, we pay sellers within 24 hours of receiving their gift card.

Why should I use Cardpool?

Cardpool offers the simplest, safest, and fastest way of buying or selling gift cards and we exclusively carry hassle-free gift cards that have NO FEES and NO EXPIRATION. We securely process every gift card transaction with the highest level of encryption commercially available, validate the value of every gift card by hand, and offer an unprecedented and industry leading Purchase Guarantee Program to give our customers the ultimate peace of mind.

We are so confident you'll enjoy our services that if you are unsatisfied for any reason, even if it's because the gift card's merchant leaves your home area, stops accepting gift cards, or goes bankrupt, we will be happy to refund your purchase.

Learn more about our Purchase Guarantee Program

Thumbnail of user francisb111
1 review
0 helpful votes
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July 25th, 2020

I thought that it was really good. I submitted a few target gift cards, and got amazon gift cards in return. They sent them to me within a day.

Thumbnail of user amandak180
1 review
2 helpful votes
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April 22nd, 2019

I ordered a $70 target gift card which had $1.91 on it. DO NOT USE CARD POOL. They have not responded to any of my messages. This website is a SCAM!

Thumbnail of user raulp4
2 reviews
3 helpful votes
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February 22nd, 2014

I WAS WONDERING WHAT THIS GIFTCARD EXICETEMT WAS ALL ABOUT. I BOUGHT A WHOLE BUNCH OF GIT CARDS AND DECIDED TO SELL THEM TO SEE IF I COULD MAKE ANY MONEY. I DID NOT! I DECIDED TO TRY CARDOOL WHAT A MISTAKE. I SENT OUT THEM ON THE 6TH OF BEBRUARY. I'M SO AGREVETED BECUASE I HAVE TRIED TO GET IN HOLD WITH THEM AND THEY KEEP ON GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND. NEXT STEP IS WITING THE BBS. I HAVE TRID SEVERAL GIFT CARD PLACES. ZEN, GIFT CARDS, THEY ARE RIGHT ON. THOSE CARDS BETTER APPEAR.

Thumbnail of user karlg22
1 review
2 helpful votes
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February 14th, 2017

Appears to be a scam. Three times I tried to buy a Walmart gift card and they did not follow through. They said there was a security risk.

Thumbnail of user monettec1
1 review
2 helpful votes
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March 26th, 2014

I SENT CARDPOOL $900 IN SAKS FIFTH AVENUE G/C. I WOKE UP AND HAD A WEIRD FEELING ABOUT THIS; WENT TO THIES SITE; EAD THE REVIEWS, CALLED SAKS AND CANCELED THEM RIGHT AWAY! THANKS FOR THE WARNINGS!

Thumbnail of user larryh211
1 review
4 helpful votes
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April 25th, 2018

Wow these people are an absolute scam I am sick to my stomach! Absolutely do not use this website it's a total scam I am naseous inside google.com

Thumbnail of user marquisb13
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 13th, 2018

I sold them 2 cards worth $50 and sent them in using the pre paid label they emailed me. They now claim they never received my cards.

Thumbnail of user bernardk17
2 reviews
1 helpful vote
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January 21st, 2018

Cardpool is simply not responsive. When i had a question - i got a automatic response and that was it.

Thumbnail of user kimd186
1 review
2 helpful votes
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May 17th, 2018

I purchased a gift card and it was inactive. After a week of trying to get a refund I have had no luck.

Thumbnail of user stevet169
1 review
4 helpful votes
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March 12th, 2018

Please read the fine print of this business.
I purchased two $25 gift cards in November, 2017, for a lady with terminal cancer for a Christmas gift. They were for Applebees and Cracker Barrel. I printed them and gave them to her.
On 2-13-18, she tried to use the Applebees card and was told by the Applebees manager that the card was not usable I contacted Applebees and was told that this card had been purchased on 4-2-2017 and completely used on 5-14-2017, in Edinburg, TX, NINE MONTHS earlier and 6 months before I had purchased it! Talk about quality control! I sent a letter to Cardpool customer service but there was never an answer, as others have said.
I read the fine print on their terms of service and copied the following:
PURCHASE GUARANTEE PROGRAM DOES NOT APPLY TO ELECTRONIC GIFT CARDS OR MOBILE GIFT CARDS DUE TO THE NATURE OF THOSE PROGRAMS. So the old saying "Let the buyer beware is true with this company"!
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me! Never again. So I spent
$42 for a $25 gift certificate. Thankfully I didn't purchase more of them! Hope this helps.

Thumbnail of user michellew414
1 review
2 helpful votes
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September 2nd, 2019

I began using Carpool.com cautiously at first and then when I began a major home renovation I began using them much more. I did have a couple of cards sent to me that though they were ordered for online purchases they could only be used in store only. No problem, I thought and continued to buy over $1200. 00 at JCP only to find they could, again, only be used "in store only". This was annoying as I, again, had to go in and use them, in store as they were sold, once again, as online only to be usable in store. I began worrying a bit as I had purchased over a $1000. 00 in Home Depot to be used online as they were special orders... again, sold as online but found out they were for in store only again (merchandise credit only)... this time I wanted a refund from Carpool. This is not an easy task ~ you have to email them (no direct line) and wait for them to get back to you... you may have to email them more than once (as I did) and when someone finally emails you back you will probably have to go back and forth before you can get them to check out your cards. Meanwhile, they have your money... finally, they say, once again, that yes, the cards WERE for mdse credit only and can't be used online so they WILL refund your money... except they don't... they refund most of it and when you, again, write them with detailed information they say they DID refund me all my money... except, when I emailed them another detailed response with each and every card they never write back... even when you continue to reach out to them... So, though I have literally spent thousands (yes, again, major renovation) they lost my business over a lousy $10 discrepancy... crazy... my correspondence with them has always been polite/professional and I noted it was a tiny discrepancy but it was more to the point of having been strung along for WEEKS and then to not be refunded correctly... it was truly the "straw that broke the camels back" type of thing. I now use Rakuten and any other discounted sites/cards but I do NOT use Carpool any more and I will NEVER recommend them. I will, in fact continue to tell people of my experience and say "use at your own risk".

Thumbnail of user mikec272
1 review
2 helpful votes
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January 12th, 2017

Sent them two give cards 3 weeks ago. No word from them at all. Sent 2 emails to customer support, no answer.

Thumbnail of user dang249
1 review
1 helpful vote
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January 13th, 2019

Been trying to reach them for a while, no one ever responds to my emails. (Unfortunately I must give them one star...)

Thumbnail of user scottr53
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 1st, 2015

Ha e tried these guys twice and they take hours to send you your e gift cards. Gczen, raise and others always send them t me instantly.

Thumbnail of user herberta13
1 review
2 helpful votes
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November 12th, 2015

Cardpool made good on their cards with me it took a long had to stop payment with the card company it took a few months

Thumbnail of user scottl1008
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 1st, 2020

I bought a $75 GNC gift card and when I went to redeem it there was no money on it. I emailed cardpool and never received a reply.

Thumbnail of user cathyg30
2 reviews
10 helpful votes
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October 17th, 2019

Cardpool sold the same e-code numbers for a Lowe's gift card to me and to someone else. They refuse to credit me for the purchase. DO NOT BUY FROM CARDPOOL!

Thumbnail of user jtt1
1 review
1 helpful vote
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April 14th, 2011

I made my first purchase at CardPool.com on 3/9/2011.
I chose a $25 Bebe & a $25 Bed Bath & Beyond Gift Card (10% & 8% discount), and I received them promptly in 4 days through US post office (well, I'm in L. A. and they're in San Francisco), and I used the $25 Bed Bath card in-store without any problem.

Then I purchased a $97.81 Walmart **Electronic** Gift Card (3% discount) on 4/4/2011, and someone from CardPool.com called me the next day. I didn't recognize the phone (415-508-xxxx) so I didn't pick up. They left a message asking me to call back to verify my purchase.

So I called the 415-508-xxxx number back the next morning, a lady picked up the phone right away. She's polite and nice. First she asked for my order number or phone number to identify my order, then she asked if I have my credit card with me. At first I thought she wanted me to provide the credit card information all over again, but she said no, they will never asked financial information from customers, all she needs is the customer service number printed on the back of my credit card.

Then she asked me to speak only the street name of my registered resident address, and to name a near cross street (if you really live in that address, you will know). At last, she said the purchase was verified, and I won't be asked to verify again for my future purchases.

On the same day evening, I received the e-card and pin number in the email, and I used it to shop at Walmart.com. I already received the goods from Walmart yesterday, no problem at all.

I think CardPool.com provides some good discounts & quite a varieties of cards to choose from, and their service is good from my experience.

I guessed they will verify you the first time you purchase an **Electronic** gift card, but still not sure. I already made my 3rd purchase with them as of today 4/14/2011.

Thumbnail of user jacobe20
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
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October 31st, 2017

I bought gift cards about a week ago. Haven't gotten a response to my many emails as to where are my gift cards. No phone # to cust service!

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Buy discount gift cards up to 35% off. Sell gift cards for cash at Cardpool - the most trusted and popular gift card exchange. FREE USPS Shipping.

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Candice B.

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