Support NeoGAF

[Boxster17]

Do they not put a clear sticker over the code that has the scratch stuff on it? I've never bought an eshop card, but I know the PSN ones have that. That should help prevent these kinds of situations and seems like an easy fix, unless they already do and people are cutting through that as well?

EDIT: The iTunes ones are the best, so much easier with the peel off stuff.

 

[Aarglefarg]

So that's why The Colonel needed the scissors.

Take responsibility for your actions and learn a lesson.

It is easily fixed with a call to customer service. It isn't bad to fix problems.

 

[Adam Prime]

I used a coin on my eShop card and it rubbed the letters/digits and smearing them, making them unreadable.

THANKS NINTENDO.

 

[baconcow]

According to a quick internet search that may be wrong, 5 digits from a set of 36 characters means he has 60,466,176 different combinations. Should take a few hours.

If the card does not use O or I, since they look like 1 and 0, there are 34 unique characters, it would be a total of 45,435,424 options.

 

[Lord of Ostia]

Wow, you guys got some ancient stuff over there.

Here, any point/cash card system (inc. PS/Nintendo cards, even Amazon) don't use scratch panels any more.

After our payments are confirmed, the cashier just imprints the point card with our national profiles. To get the code, we press the card on our nose and sniff; the code is then telepathically transfered to our brains. Our noseprints (like fingerprints) makes it so we're the only ones who can redeem the code, and the sniffing is the trigger for the telepathic transfer.

This gave me a chuckle.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

I used a coin on my eShop card and it rubbed the letters/digits and smearing them, making them unreadable.

THANKS NINTENDO.

I used keys apparently I scratched it too hard. Scratched the second one and had better results

 

[Mister_Ruck]

I have done the same just rubbing too hard with a coin and somehow smearing the code. Support will hook you up, don't worry.

 

[TheGamingBox]

If the card does not use O or I, since they look like 1 and 0, there are 34 unique characters, it would be a total of 45,435,424 options.

yeah nintendo doesnt use I,O,Z in their codes

 

[MTC100]

I usually try to peel off the stuff you have to rub with a coin because I fear of smudging the code or even erasing it. There are some quite shitty cards out there and I've seen them all. I never used a Nintendo eShop card before but my guess is that they are too of the shitty kind, though I would never ever use a sharp object to get rid of the sealing...

 

[gypsygib]

TAKE IT BACK!

If a lady can get 100 million for spilling coffee on herself, you can get a replacement card for FAULTY manufacturing. The symbols should not have scratched off the scratch card.

 

[Deadpool_X]

Contact Nintendo. My kid did the same with a $30 card and a coin the other week. I hit up eshop support through the website, did an online chat, and they just added the credit to my Nintendo account. Took less than 10 minutes.

 

[toythatkills]

TAKE IT BACK!

If a lady can get 100 million for spilling coffee on herself, you can get a replacement card for FAULTY manufacturing. The symbols should not have scratched off the scratch card.

You can scratch almost anything off of anything if you're using the sharp part of a pair of scissors.

 

[Zeus The Dino]

This happened to me with a gold card lol, but it was ony 2 characters. I had to post it to reddit to get help

 

[Tyraniboah]

You could have used so many other things. Car keys, other credit cards, your fingernails......but you might try calling Nintendo and seeing what they can do. As another poster said, keep your receipt and the card number at the bottom. If that doesn't work and if GameStop won't work with you, try to guess based on what you do have. It can't hurt. I scratched too hard with one of my coins on a card once and damaged a couple of numbers. Kept trying until it finally worked. Don't just call it a day. That's $50 not worth wasting.

Next time have them print the code on a receipt.

Petty edit:

TAKE IT BACK!

If a lady can get 100 million for spilling coffee on herself, you can get a replacement card for FAULTY manufacturing. The symbols should not have scratched off the scratch card.

I'm sure you're being facetious, but did you see her burns? The coffee was at a temperature that would have burned her mouth pretty badly had she just drank it and not spilled it. I was under the impression that the settlement was because the temperature of the coffee being sold to people was unsafe. Also, using the sharp side of the scissors to scratch absolutely will remove some numbers. That's not faulty manufacturing.

 

[Previous]

I like the iTunes cards because they have a peel off for that material

Certain denominations of Amazon cards peel off too, I know the $25 card does.

 

[sirap]

Of all the things to use...you picked a scissor?

Bruh

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Next time, use coins. Any coin.

 

[CuckFupertino]

Apple has a way to send folks iTunes Gift Card codes that have been damaged, provided you still have the barcode number (that's exposed, not beneath the scratch off). I'd assume Nintendo has a similar process. You'll likely need proof of purchase from the retailer, so get with GameStop if you lost that - otherwise just call Nintendo and see what's up. Let us know what happens.

 

[meppi]

According to a quick internet search that may be wrong, 5 digits from a set of 36 characters means he has 60,466,176 different combinations. Should take a few hours.

shhh

 

[chronos4590]

Contact Nintendo. Same happened to me when the switch launched, As long as the last coulple of digits are fine and readable, they should be able to help and get your credit. use their text Chat.
Goodluck

 

[NeonBlack]

You don't have keys?

TAKE IT BACK!

If a lady can get 100 million for spilling coffee on herself, you can get a replacement card for FAULTY manufacturing. The symbols should not have scratched off the scratch card.

180 degree coffee. Enough to cause third degree burns.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

I bought a PSN card and messed it up once. It's possible (or was possible) to actually peel the foil up off the card instead of scratching it if you could get underneath the silver part a little bit. I would do it sometimes to save on the mess even though it sometimes made it harder to read the numbers.

Because the numbers aren't actually printed on the card, they're printed on the adhesive strip which is then covered in foil. So you scratch off the foil and actually leave the adhesive, which has the numbers on it.

One time I peeled off the whole strip, adhesive and all, leaving the clean plastic card without a number on it at all. I tried to smooth out the strip and scratch it off and it just smudged and wrecked it. It was bad.

PSN support actually ended up helping me get the code. I needed the receipt to do it, but thankfully I got the money off.

It's the worst feeling to mess up a gift card. It's like dropping a $100 down a storm drain.

 

[uncleslappy]

I did this exact same thing once with a 360 card. Called MS and they gave me a new code.

 

[baconcow]

yeah nintendo doesnt use I,O,Z in their codes

Do they use both S and 5?

 

[exfatal]

i remember for the life of me couldnt get an eshop card to work, i called into nintnedo and they were able to verify the code for me. turns out i was mistaken a number for another.

They should be able to save ur code if u have all the other info.

 

[SmokedMeat]

If the card does not use O or I, since they look like 1 and 0, there are 34 unique characters, it would be a total of 45,435,424 options.

Good thing it's the weekend.

 

[deadeyekiwi]

TAKE IT BACK!

If a lady can get 100 million for spilling coffee on herself, you can get a replacement card for FAULTY manufacturing. The symbols should not have scratched off the scratch card.

It isn't common knowledge but that coffee spill lawsuit was completely legitimate. They did not out the top on the coffee correctly so when she grabbed it the coffee came out and it was so hot that she needed intense reconstructive surgery and 2 years of medical attention. McDonald's did not need to put the warning on the cup they did it because they were salty they lost and wanted to make her look stupid and it worked.


Edit sorry thats not related to the thread, but I hate that people trust this corporation over the victim.

 

[tesqui]

Lets see a pic of it OP. Maybe we can decipher it for you.

 

[pinkurocket]

Don't bite your nails!

 

[Ploid 3.0]

What do you consider to be a "regular card"? Every card that I have ever bought for Nintendo eshop, psn and xbox live has had a panel to scratch off to reveal the code.

Either that or the code is printed on a receipt after purchase at the till.

Bad luck OP. I've got close to ruining a card before but never done it.

When I first entered this thread and read the op I thought this was about a gift card bought at a gaming store. The gift cards I got never had a scratch code, and I thought he used scissors to cut out a card from a larger packaging or something because he didn't have change to buy what he wanted with.. it was a odd first read.

 

[Gorilla Shark]

This happened to me after I bought 2 eshop cards from gamestop. I tried to scratch the portion to see the code and accidentally scratched through the code.

Called Nintendo and they took care of it in 10 minutes.

 

[Shang]

Did this with a steam card, I sent them a picture of it and they were able to give me the funds to my account. Nintendo customer support isn't as good afaik but give it a shot

 

[AEREC]

why not just call nintendo? I peeled off an amazon sticker recently and it pulled most of the code off with it. I just called Amazon and gave them some numbers off the card and they were able to add it to my account.

Hopefully Nintendo can do something similar.

 

[Nose Master]

I've done this with a PSN card with a pin. If you call customer service they should credit you with some pictures and as much of the code as is legible.

 

[JCHandsom]

Between this and the How do I swallow a pill/Get ice cubes out of the tray threads in off topic, it's looking to be a good day on GAF.

 

[JaseC]

I like the iTunes cards because they have a peel off for that material

As do Steam Wallet cards these days. It's actually a wee bit annoying as, in my experience, the material rarely peels off in one go. Better that than a potentially illegible code, though.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Just call/email Nintendo support. I had this happen and they can handle it for you quickly.

The must get plenty of complaints about this, but they still use shitty card stock.

 

[JP]

Wasn't this also an episode of My Name is Earl?

 

[Icedburden]

Bought it at gamestop, didnt feel like looking for change...used scissors and completely fucked it up. Went all the way through 5 symbols. Im fucked but i deserve it for being an idiot. Just took 50 dollars and flushed it down the toilet.

Call Nintendo and tell them what happened. Make sure you have the receipt. They'll make it right.

 

[specdot]

sweet scissors technique dude

Sucks that this happened to you OP. I'm sure Nintendo will help you out, but this gif was entirely necessary.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Of all the things to use...you picked a scissor?

Bruh

I know right? Shoud have done it the right way.

 

[visiblemode]

According to a quick internet search that may be wrong, 5 digits from a set of 36 characters means he has 60,466,176 different combinations. Should take a few hours.

Yeah, seriously, LOL. Guessing is not the plan.

Definitely call Nintendo.

 

[FleetingFlowAir]

Call Nintendo, and learn the same lesson I did about only using coins to scratch them out. Years back, I was an impatient dummy who used a key to scratch it out. It made the code ineligible to read and I had to contact Nintendo, give info about the card I had, and receive my 'lost' amount.

 

[Biske]

I've done something similar with a quarter, that scratch code shit is awful.

Ever since then I'm super careful. I think you can even just peal it all off asits like a layer on top of it.

 

[Regiruler]

Can't you just... hold the pieces of the card together and puzzle out the code? How many times did you cut it?

 

[Pagusas]

Can't you just... hold the pieces of the card together and puzzle out the code? How many times did you cut it?

He didn't cut it. It was a scratch off card and he used sizors to do the scratching with, which destroyed the numbers under the scratch off area.

 

[maxcriden]

I used a coin on my eShop card and it rubbed the letters/digits and smearing them, making them unreadable.

THANKS NINTENDO.

I used keys apparently I scratched it too hard. Scratched the second one and had better results

You guys got replacements though right?

 

[Qdor]

If you have the receipt Gamestop will just replace your card. Call them to double check though.

 

[Kindekuma]

I just use the rounded off end of my house keys to scratch off codes when there isn't a coin around. Scissors? C'mon man. You got yourself to GameStop somehow, you had to have some keys with you!

 

[OCD Guy]

Unlucky but you should be able to get it resolved.

To be fair some of these scratch off panels are shit and even get destroyed using coins.

In the UK most stores tend to print off the code on a receipt, much better that way in my opinion.

Unless you had store credit or were trading in or something, I find it better to just buy digital codes digitally. But I'm lazy lol