Georgia Perry, a 40-year-old mother from Yarraville, Melbourne, purchased four $500 Apple gift cards from Coles on May 19, motivated by a promotion offering 20 times the usual Flybuys points. However, when she tried to redeem the cards for a new iPhone, she discovered that the redemption codes were missing, rendering the cards useless. Perry returned to the store seeking a refund but was told that the cards were third-party products and that there was nothing Coles could do. Frustrated with the lack of support, she took to social media to share her experience, which resonated with many others who reported similar issues with gift cards. In response, a Coles spokesperson stated that they are aware of the situation and are in contact with Perry to investigate further. They emphasized the importance of protecting customers and investigating potential tampering with gift cards, which are treated as cash equivalents and typically cannot be refunded or replaced in-store. Perry criticized Coles for not taking the issue seriously and called for better monitoring of gift card sales.