Topic: Problem with $20 eShop card

It appears to accept the code, and shows the correct amount, but when I tap Add, I get error 026-6838 "The code you entered could not be recognized."

Is it for the right region?

It is.

I guess maybe contact Nintendo.

Tried sending a Support Ticket, nothing so far. Same with making a post on the tech forum.

No, I have not.

Call them. I had that happen once and they pushed it through and gave me 10 bucks extra credit. Just know you are going to be on the phone for a while. I had to escalate twice.

How do I call and will it cost anything? Also, what do you mean by "had to escalate twice."?

Whoops, sorry I don't tend to track where I post. Call their customer service line... check Nintendo's website for the number. Also sorry former Applecare call center employee so I still use the jargon: when I say I had to escalate I mean I went "May I speak with your supervisor? Thank you." . Hope that helps.

Sorry, I forgot to mention, but I did call Nintendo Support. They said that the code was inactive, but that they could do nothing to help. See, I got this code in a trade over at GameFAQS.

Seems you got a card someone stole from a store or something. So they can't do much to help you unless you present them with evidence that you paid for it in a store, one that they know sells them.

I once bought a card at a walmart and the cashier forgot to activate it (the cards were new then and it seems their system simply didn't recognize it), since I had the card and the ticked Nintendo simply added the amount to my eShop account the day after I contacted them.

Well, I do believe that the card somehow was not activated. However, trying to convince the guy that I traded with (he calls himself ClessAlbane, my username is MurraySkull) has proven to be impossible. From what little I can get from him, it seems that he is convinced that I am trying to scam him out of a SECOND eShop code, which I am not.
I have even provided proof of what happens when I try to enter the code.

Interestingly, I was able to get out of him that when he tried the code, it said the code was already entered.

He scammed you.

Just cut ties with him and learn from the experience.

Yep this is just one of those hard to learn lessons. Unless you can prove he scammed you there is nothing you can do, chalk it up as lesson learned. This is one reason I don't trade for eShop codes online.

The code does work it lets me redeem it but I have not hit add

....woo, another dead thread.