Gift Cards

[Mutley]

Poll question: Gift Cards

Why?

[bicentennial_baby]

1. I love getting them!

Mainly b/c I'd rather buy my own stuff :)

[Mutley]

5. Me too.

And I love giving them because you can ensure that the receiver will get a gift s/he likes.

[MissMillie]

2. depends on who you are giving them to

if you're really stumped on what to get someone or when you know they're terribly picky, then a gift card is about the best you can do.

But when you really do have some idea of what someone likes... you should get them a gift.

[Mutley]

6. You're right about that.

But it also depends on how well someone can pick out a gift. I happen to be a terrible gift giver unless the perfect gift is painfully obvious. :D

Gift cards work well for me.

[NightWatcher]

3. other: screw cards, give cash.

then we can use it anywhere we like on anything we want. I dont want a Red Lobster gift card- I would rather spend the cash on some icky-sticky bud, thanks aunt gladys

[Mutley]

7. Too bad they don't give gift cards for that.

;)

[no name no slogan]

4. If it's from the grocery store or Target, hell yeah!

I have too much shit crammed into my microscopic apartment-- the last thing I need is another "gift" I can't do anything with, but feel bad about giving away.

Plus, given the fact that I've been without an income for most of this year, I gladly take gift cards for necessities. I could use a couple days' worth of groceries much more than a fake fish trophy that sings "Don't Worry, Be Happy".

[Mutley]

9. Hell yeah.

I got a $100 Gift Card to a grocery store last year. That fed me for two and a half weeks. :D

I'm getting one for my sister this year. She's in charge of buying food for the house, and she lost her job a month ago. Knowing my sister, I know she'll love it.

[DS1]

8. I prefer the non-store specific types

like the Visa cards. If I get three cards from three different people, and one is for amazon, one is for best buy, and another is for target, my spending options are now severely limited as opposed to three cards I can use all at once

:)

[Mutley]

11. Some stores make it very difficult to use those Visa cards, though.

I worked at Toys R Us last year, and they'd make the customers jump through some pretty ridiculous hoops for those cards. I would have been pissed, too. :o

[DS1]

12. hmm. weird

I've never had a problem, but it's usually been rattling off number for card one, then two, then my own credit card to someone on the phone :)


Toys R Us is the suck, though. They stopped being good around 1985. Not that I frequent them, of course.

[Mutley]

14. Good.

They treat their employees like crap.

[ThomCat]

10. I love getting gift cards IF the person knows that I like to shop

and knows where. :)

[Mutley]

13. I choose them for the appropriate store if I know of one

If not, I tend to do Target. If they can't find something there they like, I'm sorry. I'll do cash next year. :P

[ThomCat]

15. Target is always a good bet.

People who send me gifts know I am very, very happy with a supermarket gift-card (from a good supermarket) because I love food. Yes, I know that's weird. I'll go and build myself a fruit basket or a cornacopia of fresh veggies and have a wonderful holiday. :P

I also love receiving flowers. I'm easy. :7

I just received a starbucks gift card from one of the receptionists. She knows I crave my coffee about mid-afternoon. I usually go someplace else for coffee, but I'm thrilled with a starbucks card because I know why she gave it to me. It was a very incredibly thoughtful gift.

[Mutley]

16. Supermarket and anywhere-I-can-buy-good-coffee gift cards always work

for me too.

I go through periodic "broke as joke" times, so supermarket gift cards are great for that. And I'm just a coffee addict, so... yeah. :D

[Gormy Cuss]

17. I don't like getting them but I will give them to someone who does.

Supermarket ones are a popular choice for those on tight budget who wouldn't ask for help with the groceries but don't mind getting a gift card for them. I give music store gift cards to teens because there's always a CD they want.

Otherwise I avoid them because 1)they make the recipient do the work, 2)it's not always easy to pick the right store or restaurant, and 3)in most states the stores make money off of monthly fees if the recipient doesn't use them right away.

[Mutley]

18. True, but they made that illegal in Maryland a few years ago.

I haven't had to worry about that part.

Most of the people I know seem to prefer buying something they really want with a gift card rather than receiving something they don't want in gift form. But as I said up thread, I am not a very good gift-giver. :P

[Gormy Cuss]

20. Several states are suing the gift card companies over fees.

Some companies just try more creative ways to extort the unused balances when a state has a law against expirations, fees, etc. It's so greedy because gift cards are huge money makers for the issuers -- buyers tend to spend more money than they would if they bought an item, and recipients tend to spend more when using them than they would otherwise.

[Mutley]

25. This is true.

I usually spend a few extra dollars when using a gift card I've received. And you're right about the fees, etc., and how greedy that is. In Maryland a company can't remove a balance from a gift card unless it's reported lost or stolen. Hopefully other states will follow that example.

[PassingFair]

19. I'm only giving rude, crude cash this year.

After realizing that my wallet had "gift cards"
from 2000 that had de-valuated to nothing, after
reading that Visa cards wouldn't allow you to
spend the last $5.00 without adding money onto
the card, after LOSING quite a few cards....

Why not give people money and let THEM decide
where to spend it.

I'm giving THESE away this year:

[Mutley]

22. That's a really good idea.

Can you just get those at the bank?

Thank goodness I'm a procrastinator and haven't bought any gift cards yet. :P

[PassingFair]

34. Most banks have them.

You can also get them from stamp machines at Meijers and other
megastores. Put in a 20 and buy one stamp....

Presto!

You get your change in dollars...

My husband has found a double-struck dollar this way.

If you want a certain president though, go to the bank...

[Ariana Celeste]

21. my family loves them

at least all of us wimmin folk. we're all a little picky and we all enjoy shopping, so. in my family it's a great gift

[Mutley]

23. ...

:hi:

:hug:

Howya been?

[Ariana Celeste]

32. pretty good

:) :hug:

how about you? :loveya:

[terrya]

24. I like getting them

One of my sisters bought me an Amazon gift card. I very, very much appreciated it! :-)

[Mutley]

27. Yes. I get my dad Amazon gift cards for

every birthday and Christmas. Takes the surprise out of it, but he loves reading more than anything else. I think it works well for both of us.

[AlCzervik]

26. it depends on who it's for.

My daughter gets them for itunes and the book store but my 2 college student niece and nephew get cash because i have no idea where they like shop. I have 2 other nieces so for them i got gift cards to mall, they're good at any store there.

[Mutley]

28. Mall gift cards are good.

I got one for my niece for her birthday this year. She loved it.

[AlCzervik]

29. my poor niece almost never gets to pick out her own clothes, my sister buys them

or takes her to the store and basically just has her try stuff on that she my sister has picked out. I called my sister "You will let Ariana spend that gift card on what she wants--yes?" and she wears she will, she's going to call me after she goes shopping.

[Mutley]

30. My mother was like that.

Never understood why a parent can't let children dress the way they want. Within reason, of course.

[AlCzervik]

31. My niece is modest, she never wants anything hoochy looking but my sister

is just really overbearing in that department, Ariana wanted some jeans, just normal jeans and my sister said no, just no. I send her clothes now and then, like board shorts and tshirts and thats all she really wants, something a little fun that did not comes from Land's end.

[LSK]

33. Why? because I know what I want better than anyone else

I love getting them.

[NewWaveChick1981]

35. It totally depends...

We draw names on my side of the family, and this year we got my sister and my BIL to buy for. We set a limit of $25 per person. My sister specifically asked for a gift card from her favorite store. My BIL ALWAYS asks for a gift card from his favorite home improvement store. So they're getting gift cards. :) I gave Target gift cards to my staff this year along with homemade goodies and candy, and they were thrilled. But I don't give gift cards as a general rule because it's not appropriate in every situation.

Now on the other hand, I LOVE getting gift cards... :bounce: