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Another option would be to contact the store where you bought it. You should have a receipt or an activation receipt. They may be able to give you another card. I gave my niece a google play card for her birthday last September, and it the stripping on the back was messed up. My sister in law called the store, gave them the information on the activation receipt, and they were given another card number, which worked without a problem.
Good luck and keep us posted!