abcgiftcards.com sells store gift cards in the secondary market through its website. I purchased a Barnes&Noble(B&N) gift card at a 12% discount from face value. I paid $150.97. When I tried to use the card at a B&N store for the first time, it showed a ZERO balance--meaning that the card was fraudulent. I immediately contacted abc, and they demanded that I send them a scan of the card, which was not possible at the time because I was travelling and do not have a smartphone. I asked that they cover my cost of sending a scan (which would have to include renting computer time) from the hotel, and they ignored my request. I asked them why they couldn't accept an email with the card number and pin number, and they could only parrot their requirement of a scan. Eventually, I managed to get a scan over to them, but the process took over 2 weeks to resolve. Having researched problems with gift cards over the web, I think it quite likely that the gift card was probably bought via a stolen credit card or number, and re-sold to abc. The card was probably cancelled by B&N once they found out about the fraud. Another possibility is that the seller kept the number and PIN and bought merchandise at B&N's website, where a physical card is not necessary. ABC only guarantees cards for 45 days, so it is imperative to spend the card as soon as possible after receipt.