Gift cards issued for gun redemption in Houston have ‘technical issues’ with seller, commissioner says

HOUSTON. Several participants in Saturday’s One Safe Houston gun redemption program reported that gift cards given in exchange for firearms were having problems. A viewer told KHOU 11 that they were being shown as expired when they went to buy them back.

Section 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said in a statement that they are aware of the issue and are working with the gift card seller to resolve it. He said the supplier told them it was a technical issue and expected to be resolved by Monday.

Ellis’ full statement can be read below:

We’ve been receiving reports of issues with online gift cards issued with gun redemption today. To all those experiencing issues, please know that we share your frustration and are working with the Online Rewards gift card provider to rectify the situation. They informed us that this is a technical issue that is being fixed and promised that the issue would be resolved on Monday. Please redeem your gift card at this time. If you are still experiencing issues, please contact our office at [email protected].

“We are committed to ensuring that everyone who turns in a firearm today is compensated.”

People who turned in weapons received gift cards worth between $50 and $200, depending on the type of weapon and whether it worked.

Law enforcement checks to see if a weapon is linked to crime before destroying it.

In the first case, police collected over 800 firearms and handed out almost $100,000 worth of gift cards. During the last action in July, more than 1,200 firearms were collected.

Meanwhile, if you don’t want to give your guns away for cash, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office is giving away free gun safes to residents. At least 1,000 gun safes have been purchased and will be distributed at various monthly meetings hosted by the Houston Police Department, according to the district attorney’s office.

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