Patch Lady – second day of Christmas

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On the second day of Christmas we bought a lot of gift cards.  And many of us end up not using those gift cards as billions end up not being used.  An
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Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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Lori, PhotM, geekdom, Elly, SueW, woody

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Good advice!! Also, be aware some cards automatically ADD 15% gratuity to restaurant checks!! So if you have a 100$ card, the card co. earmarks 15$ of your card before you even use it!!!

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There are a few specific exceptions, but for the most part, gift cards in California can’t have expiration dates.

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Make sure you have money to cover the purchase in the event the gift card is bad.

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So sorry to hear about your experience with your Dad and the gift card you sent him. I had a somewhat similar experience myself. I sent a good friend of mine and his teenage son, both in the Tampa Bay area, two Macy’s gift cards for a hundred dollars each for them to use at the Macy’s flagship store during their Christmas trip to NYC several years ago.  They went shopping at Macy’s in Manhattan and the cards came up empty and already used. Luckily, I had sent them the store receipt and register activation slips with the cards that I purchased at a large supermarket.  Even though it was time consuming and embarrassing for them, they finally got customer service at Macy’s to honor the cards, even though the balances had been stolen  (it turned out by the cashier when I purchased them, who reprinted copies of the receipts at the register and used the cards online.) So yes, definitely check the balance online!

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Simply not a problem here….I completely ignore gift cards altogether. I buy or give personally any gifts I want to give. Seems like in today’s world, there is a string, scam crook or angle attached to everything a person does.

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In some cases, gift cards are a wise choice and greatly appreciated as they avoid sweaters that fit a chihuahua, giving unwanted “presents” to Goodwill, and receiving “I just knew that was you” gifts that defy description.

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dlsdjh

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Best way to give gift cards:
1. Buy cash card and envelope at local store.
2. Insert cash and write a note on the card.
3. Seal card into envelope.
4. Hand envelope to recipient.

Even better than getting a gift card to some chain whose nearest location is 50 or more miles away, or that you don’t enjoy eating/shopping/going to.  Plus, it’s never going to be surreptitiously activated by an unscrupulous clerk, doesn’t expire, and can’t be guessed and spent by some on-line thief.

What I find to be rather nasty is the stores that sell all of these gift cards while they know that some of the chains whose cards they are selling have absolutely zero locations within 50 miles and no way to get the purchase price refunded.  Yeah – really want to drive 50 miles to see a movie at a chain in order to use a $15 gift card, especially when there are about 50 theaters showing that same movie within 20 miles of me.

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Stick to cash.  I can’t stand gift cards, but seeing franklins and jacksons in my present box is the perfect gift.

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