Receiving a package and then discovering its contents exposed is bound to raise suspicion of tampering, which is why New York-based Reddit user TwinklingEyes83 was certain someone had messed with her mail. She received a birthday card from her mother with a gift card inside, but it arrived late, with rips on the envelope. What shocked her most was that the sealing tape had been torn off the gift card inside, leading TwinklingEyes to suspect it had been an attempted mail theft.
“I’m not sure why they changed their mind and didn’t take the actual gift card out,” TwinklingEyes wrote. She added that she called Visa about the gift card and, surprisingly, received confirmation that the $50 balance hadn’t been used. Her husband then quickly went on a shopping spree to ensure every last cent was spent from the card.
Commenters urged OP to report the incident to the USPS inspector, to which she said she would. As to why the money was still on the card despite possible signs of tampering, people shared ideas. “They look for cash. Probably too paranoid that the card can be traced back to them if they use it,” remarked a user.
TwinklingEyes responded with her own theory, imagining that someone might have taken the card home to look through, which is why it was delayed. “That part of the gift card has to be opened to scan it at checkout,” pointed out another, implying that the cashier who checked out the gift card might have ripped the card’s packaging open.
OP quickly shut this theory down, saying that her mom claimed the cashier did not mess with the gift card at all during purchase. After all, the barcode is visible for scanning from outside the box.
Some Redditors Blame Machinery for the Tears, But OP Wasn’t Buying It
Some people accused sorting machinery of being the culprit here. TwinklingEyes believes this couldn’t have been the case, considering the card was exposed as opposed to just the envelope getting torn up.
Although the money was ultimately on the gift card, one Redditor shared some sound advice about making sure letters with gift cards look as neutral as possible, with colorful envelopes or “birthday” stickers. “You’re right. Unfortunately, these are the times we’re living in,” TwinklingEyes wrote in response, adding that she warned her mom to be more cautious next time, lest she get another gift card next year with more mysterious rips from its postal journey.
