Circuit City "MusicNow" scam
Company/Brand: Circuit City
03-04-2007
Received a $20 "MusicNow" gift card from a friend. There is no way to redeem it. (The card says it never expires) The page is gone from the circuit city website. After two and 1/2 hours in phone calls I was told to go to emusic.com and I could use it there. After a lengthy COMPLETE, required, registration; the web site declared the card "Invalid". I really didn't think it would work, after all emusic has no reference to circuit city or "musicNow"
The card was purchased at a store in Va. in Dec 2005. There is only a web address www.circuitcity.com/musicnow and no other contact information. When the web address didn't work for the card, I called customer service. SIX phone calls! Two of which, after more than a half hour, ended by being transferred to a non-working number. The sixth call got me to a "real" customer service person that suggested I drive 50 miles to my nearest store. She refused a refund. She transferred me to a store over a 100 miles away who after 15 minutes conversation, sent me to the emusic website.
Amazingly, NO ONE at the customer service locations had heard of the card (It has the circuit city logo). I could not find an email address for circuit city. While visiting various "Complaint" sites on the web to write about this scam I came across an email address for the chief exec, on this website. I'd like a $20 refund and an apology for the hours of work put in on this.
I have spent WAY more time than the $20 is worth, but I just can't let this scam go.
Jim Luciano
The card was purchased at a store in Va. in Dec 2005. There is only a web address www.circuitcity.com/musicnow and no other contact information. When the web address didn't work for the card, I called customer service. SIX phone calls! Two of which, after more than a half hour, ended by being transferred to a non-working number. The sixth call got me to a "real" customer service person that suggested I drive 50 miles to my nearest store. She refused a refund. She transferred me to a store over a 100 miles away who after 15 minutes conversation, sent me to the emusic website.
Amazingly, NO ONE at the customer service locations had heard of the card (It has the circuit city logo). I could not find an email address for circuit city. While visiting various "Complaint" sites on the web to write about this scam I came across an email address for the chief exec, on this website. I'd like a $20 refund and an apology for the hours of work put in on this.
I have spent WAY more time than the $20 is worth, but I just can't let this scam go.
Jim Luciano
Official Replies from Circuit City
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I am authorized to speak on behalf of this company and would like to post an official response
Posted by:
jiml
jiml
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Comments
jiml,
Your story got me curious and so I did a bit of googlin'. Best I can figure MusicNow has been passed around a bit since it was owned by Circuit City. Here's the timeline.
First, Circuit Ciy acquired MusicNow in 2004 http://news.com.com/2110-1027_3-5182902.html
Next, Circuit City Sold MusicNow to AOL in November 2005 http://news.com.com/AOLs+got+MusicNow/2100-1027_3-5930749.html
Then in January of this year, AOL decided to re-launch their digital music service as Napster (another name that's been tossed around a fair bit) http://www.topix.net/content/reuters/1775612356361953783935149193160289896480
So basically it seems like . . .
1) your card dates back prior to November 2005, so you may have been "re-gifted"
2) you probably need to talk to AOL/Napster and NOT emusic
Hope this helps!
I signed up on this site just to add to the comments above with the possibility of helping the, so far as of to-date, 700+ people who are obviously in search of some sort of reprieve regarding their outdated, however, still valid MusicNow gift cards. I have the same scenario with my gift card that jimi explains except I'm still being tossed by Customer Service(s).
My initial contact was with Circiut City. They tell me they and MusicNow were purchased by Napster. Apologized and provided Napster web address and Customer Service (long distance, no less) number.
I forwarded the message to Napster. A quick, pat reply, sorry but MusicNow wasn't issued by Napster and that's why you can't redeem it online even though, their deceiving website makes you go through the hurdle and rigamorale of signing up, all with the hope of obtaining the golden pass to speak with Customer Service or the slight possibility that, problem solved, they allow redemption upon signing up for Napster. Alas, all my efforts turn around null.
I reply to Napster questioning their responsibility towards the Circuit City clients and brands that they have purchased. Napsters reply, we purchased Circuit City, but never MusicNow. Contact Circuit City (aka finger pointing sux).
So in summary, while enjoying the fact I've wasted and justified about 5x more time ($) than the card was worth, both in my time and providing job security for a many Customer Service lacky, I still await for someone to take responsibility.
However, I don't think this is completely a SCAM - as my husband says, don't attribute something to malice that can be explained with incompetence.
I bought a $20.00 card in 2005, and now I went online to redeem it. I was sent to this site. I hate that I can't redeem it, but I am glad you guys spared me from getting the run around. I'm just gonna go backto the store and see what happens. I probably get the same results. It's an unfortunate loss. Can we do a class action suite?
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