JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A military family said they lost more than $7,400 after purchasing discounted Disney gift cards from a Jacksonville-area online business that Florida authorities accused of deceptive and unfair practices.
The allegations stem from a lawsuit filed by the Florida Attorney General’s Office against Gift Card Deal Marketplace Inc., which operated the now-defunct website GiftCardDeal.com.
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Earlier this year, a Florida court ordered the company shut down and imposed more than $800,000 in civil penalties and restitution, according to court records.
Now, new victims are sharing how the losses affected their families financially and emotionally.
Jason Brin told News4JAX he had successfully used the website several times in the past, so he trusted the company when he saw a deal advertising Disney gift cards at a 25% discount.
“I bought $10,000 worth gift cards for advertised $7,500,” Brin said.
Brin said he wired more than $7,400 to the company after being promised the gift cards would arrive within 30 days. He planned to use the cards to help pay for a Disney cruise for his family.
But the cards never came.
“They assured me that they would be delivered in time for the cruise. In which they weren’t,” Brin said. “After months and months and months of emailing back and forth, I pretty much knew that it was just a scam that I was not gonna get my money back. And it was very depressing.”
Brin said his family ultimately had to put the vacation expenses on credit cards while trying to recover from the financial hit.
“We’re a military family. We don’t have a lot of income, and it was very hard,” he said.
The Attorney General’s Office accused the company of accepting payments from customers without delivering promised gift cards. Court records show the state obtained a judgment permanently shutting down the business.
News4JAX contacted the owner of the site, Adam Johnson, about Brin’s case. Johnson said the company is no longer operating following the court proceedings and claimed that most affected customers have already been refunded, while some remaining requests are still being processed. He also said he would follow up on Brin’s complaint.
Brin said he hopes others learn from his experience.
“Accountability is the sure thing,” Brin said. “It’s a sad thing that families have suffered and are suffering.”
Consumer experts recommend anyone who believes they may have been affected file complaints with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission.