The latest scam to involve gift cards is a decidedly low-tech one. It looks like someone crashed a bunch of weddings in California and stole the piles of gift cards (and cash) given to the bride and groom and has been doing so for several years. The problem is that gift cards are usually about […]
Archive for the ‘Tips’ Category
I have yet to do a comparison of all the major gift card secondary marketplaces of my own, but I recently came across an article that referred to a comparison of seven sites done by Consumer Report ShopSmart magazine. Unfortunately I am unable to find the original article as the ShopSmart magazine website has limited […]
I often criticize gift cards as being very impersonal gifts that shows you put little thought into what you got the recipient. Well, perhaps there is a way gift cards can actually be made more personal. My brother-in-law’s wife makes all her own cards – birthday, holiday, etc. They are truly amazing creations and she […]
As evidenced yet again by this “7 On Your Side” article, when something goes wrong with a gift card that shouldn’t have happened, such as the card not getting activated correctly, and the issuing company is dragging its heals, or flat-our refusing to help you, the best way to get results is to contact the […]
States escheat provisions (the turning over of unclaimed property to the state) for unused gift card balances has become big income for states general funds. But beyond gift cards, companies in general are required to turn over unclaimed property to the states which then administer an unclaimed property database where consumers can look to see […]
The National Conference of State Legislatures has put together this great summary of state gift card laws, which also includes each state’s Escheat provisions (state’s rules on claiming unspent gift card funds as unclaimed property that must be turned over to the state), something which the slightly simpler to read Consumers Union gift card law […]
Part of the reason I started GiftCardAdvocate.com was to educate people so that they could get more value from their gift cards. That information includes listing all the available options for selling your unwanted gift card. Most services listed there also sell gift cards at a discount. I was pleased to find this very straight […]
Ok, this post is really only loosely related to gift cards. Starbucks recently announced that they are making WiFi at all their locations free for everyone, as of July 1st. This is a great idea! How is this related to gift cards? Starbucks is one of the few gift cards that I can easily completely […]
A recent article on Forbes.com entitled How to Avoid Getting Stuck with a Worthless Gift Card has the following advice: So before you buy a gift card–particularly one you don’t expect will be used immediately–you may want to check out the financial health of the retailer or restaurant that issued it. Right, people are going […]
Gift cards have become a necessary evil in today’s society. Even if you don’t buy them, they are so ubiquitous and easy (read, lazy) as last-minute gifts, you are bound to receive one or more per year. So anything that makes gift cards easier to use is Ok by us. It is no great secret […]
A UCLA student managed to pilfer over $16,000 off of other peoples Visa gift cards over the course of a couple of weeks. It isn’t yet clear how the student got hold of the gift card numbers. We have yet to see open-loop gift cards that are not packaged well enough so that their sensitive […]
As we’ve reported on several occasions, States are getting more and more aggressive at appropriating gift card $$$ from retailers that are considered unredeemed. It is a long shot, but as Consumerist reports, it is worth checking States unclaimed property lists to see if there is anything under your name. But, even if getting any […]
Often times, when a closed-loop gift card received from another person is a pain. It might not be for something you use very frequently, and thus not very useful. Unless the giver really nails it by giving you a gift card to an establishment that you frequent, the gift cards can sit around for a […]
The Consumerist reports that some sites have popped up claiming to allow gift card holders to check their gift card balance. But what they are really doing is stealing the numbers so they can clone the cards and drain them. Only go to the website printed on your gift card to check the balance.
Security problems with store gift cards are widely reported and have been around for at least five years. As a recent report from StoreFrontBackTalk shows, many store gift cards, including ones from Target and Starbucks, are still allow for the simplest and most insecure of security holes. This security problem involves someone getting enough information […]
As evidenced by this story about an Amex gift card purchased at a Duane Reade pharmacy but not actually activated, mistakes like this can happen. It is a very smart idea to check the balance of your gift card as soon as possible after you purchase it to make sure it was activated correctly and […]
We recently updated and expanded our comprehensive list of gift card resources – websites that allow you to buy/sell/trade your unwanted gift card away; the list includes over 50 sites now. Over 10 of these sites are now in the deadpool. There are very few unique sites. Most follow one of the few business models […]
Judd over at ScripSmart has tackled one of the things I’ve had on my list for a long time but never got around to – compiling information on all lots of individual gift cards. Additional information included in his very useful site is information about gift card state laws, a comparison of state vs Federal […]
Some rebate cards, like those provided by Verizon wireless, carry the Visa or MasterCard logo and can be used as credit/debit cards. We just outlined how important it is to be careful with rebate cards as they don’t carry the same safeguards as gift cards and don’t fall under the new Federal gift card rules, […]
The latest Postal Service employee charged with stealing gift cards from the mail is believed to have stolen as many as 1,200 gift cards. The best tip we can give you is DON’T SHIP GIFT CARDS THROUGH THE MAIL! But if you do have to, don’t make them look like greeting cards with a gift […]
RSS