I Face Missing Gift Card Refunds After My Stradivarius Return Was Approved

My friends gifted me two Zara gift cards, which I used to make a purchase from the Stradivarius online store totaling approximately $137. During checkout, I applied both gift cards and paid the remaining $11 with my own credit card. Everything worked normally up to that point.

After a short period of use, the pants I purchased began to show color fading in several areas. I took the item to the Stradivarius store at Izmir Forum, where it was sent for inspection. Some time later, I received an email confirming that my return request had been approved. I was informed that because the purchase was made online, an in-store exchange would not be possible and the amount would instead be refunded. The return was processed for pants item number d92 489182012025, and on April 3, only the $11 charged to my credit card was refunded. However, the amounts paid using the Zara gift cards were not returned.

When I contacted a Stradivarius customer service representative, I was clearly informed that, according to their system, $11 had been refunded to my Mastercard on April 3, 2026, and approximately $26 had been refunded to a gift card. I still have written records of these conversations. However, because the gift cards were originally purchased through Zara, I was told that Stradivarius could no longer access the cards or view their details, and I was directed to contact Zara.

I then spoke with Zara customer service multiple times through WhatsApp. During my initial conversations with K****, I was asked to provide the first six and last four digits of the gift cards, as well as their balances. Even though I had already submitted documentation showing the final digits of the gift cards from my email records, I still had to contact the friends who purchased the cards for me and obtain additional card information. In addition, I provided the order number, invoices, card statements, and every document requested.

Today, on June 2, 2026, I spoke with E****** and explained the entire situation again from the beginning. I was first asked to provide the receipt related to the refund period. I submitted the return approval email sent to me by Stradivarius, but this was not accepted. I explained that even if a receipt is lost, the detailed return confirmation email containing return codes and reference numbers should be sufficient proof that the refund exists. Despite this, I was told that no action could be taken without the receipt. I later located and submitted the receipt as well, but this time I was informed that the relevant department would review the information. When I asked how long the review would take, I was told that the timeline depended on operational workload and that no estimated completion date could be provided.

Since the beginning of this process, I have provided every requested document, including reference numbers, return codes, invoices, receipts, email correspondence, and all supporting records. Despite fully cooperating and supplying all available evidence, the process has been dragged out for an unreasonable amount of time, and I still do not have access to the funds that should have been returned to my gift cards.

I am requesting that the amounts originally paid with the two Zara gift cards used for my Stradivarius purchase be fully refunded as declared by Stradivarius, or reloaded onto the original gift cards. I also request written confirmation clearly showing how much was refunded to each card and exactly where those funds were sent.