Plastic "gift cards" aren't perfect gifts ... except to the sellers

[Bozita]

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051207/BUSINESS06/512070420/1122

SUSAN TOMPOR: Plastic isn't perfect gift when costly fees apply

BY SUSAN TOMPOR
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

December 7, 2005


Looking for the perfect plastic?

But you're not sure if your niece's new boyfriend would want a gift card from Best Buy or Circuit City. Or is his favorite store Lowe's?

Well, hold onto your wallet if you think one of those use-it-anywhere gift cards is the perfect gift. You have to pay fees to buy those glitzy plastic presents, anywhere from $2.49 to $5.95 for the ones I checked out.

Then the recipient of your gift card may be hit with even more fees as he or she tries to use it. Want to check the balance? Some cards charge you 50 cents to do that. Don't spend all the money within seven months? Some cards will charge $2.50 a month until the money is gone.

It might just make you want to give the gift that my Dad always gave: cold, hard, fee-free cash. Guess what, kids? You still can use it practically anywhere.

more...

[AX10]

1. WTF? Since when did we have to pay fees to buy gift certificates?

Gift Card = Gift Certificate
This is absurd. Many of the stores I shop at do not require you pay a fee to purchase gift cards. This is such BS.

:eyes:

[I Have A Dream]

2. I think that they're talking about gift cards that aren't...

tied to a particular store, such as a Visa gift card.

[rinsd]

8. Yup, the article is a little misleading (nt)

[havocmom]

3. Been going on for some time now. Just recently getting noticed.

Your gift recipiant does NOT get the full value of what you paid for with many such cards. Spread the word!

[MADem]

4. Yeah, my take is that green goes with everything

I buy a pack of amusing money sized greeting cards, and stuff 'em. This years' version has a bigass monkey on the front wearing a Santa hat, and it says "HO HO HO" and inside "HERE'S SOME DOUGH!" or something along those lines. I can tell that my gifts are appreciated, the kids always are happy when I haul out the little sack with the money envelopes.

I just have no patience for tromping around stores here, there and everywhere, and odds are good I will screw up and get the wrong thing. I figure I save a bundle on gas, my time, my stress by just handing over the envelope!

I make exceptions for anyone in the "Santa" age range, but the kids who know the score, know they can score cold hard cash with me!

[deadmessengers]

5. The only gift-certificate I'll give

...is the kind with a picture of a dead President on it. Big box stores have been pulling this scam for decades.

[Bozita]

6. caveat emptor

[rinsd]

7. What a misleading article......

The author is writing about these temp credit card company issued debit cards, not gift cards/gift certs that you get from a store.

[Bamboo]

9. I send people who give gift cards money via Paypal.

I have heard that 15% of the money on gift cards is never used due to purchases not using up the balance.Cards get put away and forgotten or lost.When I get a gift card I zero it out immediately by spending more than value then adding some of my own money,less than a dollar if I am having a good day.
The millions never used is like a 15% profit,no wonder they hype them since it is free money.I consider gift cards in the same league as Hallmark Holidays,they are invented to create profit and the sentiment is to get the obligation out of the way.