I recently reported on Frendgiftr and GiftCardMall.com, both of which are convenient because they have a large number of gift cards available in one place. Today I came across this site, snapgifts.com, which carries lots of different gift cards and appears to have quite a few more (750 different retailers) than the other two. If […]
Archive for the ‘Tips’ Category
From our friends at the Federal Reserve comes this consumer friendly version of the new gift card rules.
www.giftcardconverter.co.uk is the first UK focused gift card site I’ve seen. An interesting tidbit in the article about this site is the claim that up to 25% of gift cards in the UK are unspent. The site will buy cards, trade them, or customers can donate them to charity. Cards donated to charity do not […]
Sometimes the fine print doesn’t even tell you the full story. Like this customer who received a $50 promotional gift card from Hollister for purchases she made there. The purchases were made on Dec 16 and when they tried to use the card the following February, they were told the card expired on Jan 31st. […]
I’m not sure why I haven’t thought of this before, but since Amazon.com sells lots of different gift cards, and they have a pretty healthy and well-respected product review system, it is a perfect way to find out which kinds of gift cards people like the best, and what kinds of problems they might have.
I haven’t verified the legitimacy of this site, but GiftCardGiver.com will take any and all gift cards with any amount left on them. This is a much better way to get rid of your card with just a few bucks left on it. You simply write how much is on them with a Sharpie and […]
If you try to use your open-loop (Amex, Visa, Mastercard) gift card for certain purchases, you will find out just how futile it can be. The problem is that certain retailers will routinely try to authorize a certain amount just to pre-validate the card. For instance, if you want to use your card at the […]
From what I have seen, most of the gift card auction/trading/buyback sites are focused on the US or Canadian markets. It is nice to see other markets getting some of these useful tools, like the new site Cardlimbo.com.au, which serves the Australian market.
As smart phones become more ubiquitous, applications related to gift cards are bound to appear with greater frequency. We’ve previously reported on an iPhone app from Wildcard Network that allows you to store your gift card information (so you have it when you need it), but few gift cards are supported. Joining the ranks of imperfect […]
While the details are as of yet thin, Target announced gift cards that can be kept on mobile phones. Hey, I am for anything that makes it more likely you will have your gift card with you when you shop.
This story reminds us that it isn’t a good idea to purchase gift cards that are not packaged with the numbers clearly inaccessible where anyone can access them.
According to this story, getting a general purpose (Visa/MasterCard) gift card from a bank is a royal pain in the butt. I understand that banks have financial reporting regulations but do they really need to make you jump through all the paperwork hoops for a $50 gift card when you can buy one at CVS or […]
GiftCards.com recently launched a new service where people can trade in their unwanted gift cards and pay bills (electric bill, cell phone bill, car payment) with the cash they get. The first question that comes to mind for me is, is this something people actually want? Why wouldn’t someone just get cash for their unwanted gift […]
I haven’t quite made up my mind about electronic gift cards (e-gift cards?). Electronic only gift cards like one we recently received for Barnes & Noble have been around for a while but have mostly been online only, but a new offering by CashStar, for stores such as Home Depot and CVS, allows for gift cards […]
Amex seems determined to provide the best gift card product. One customer reports their gift cards being lost in the mail, so Amex simply invalidated the old cards and send him new ones. (story)
This article in the Chicago Tribune’s Consumer Help column tells us a couple of things anyone should know: First, contacting either a newspapers or TV stations consumer help guru is possibly the best way to get stubborn banks or other companies to change their minds and give you what they want. Almost every story I have […]
If this app from Wildcard Network works the way it claims, it may solve a problem I’ve always had with gift cards, not having them with me when I am at a store and want to use them. The app allows you to virtually store your gift cards in the iPhone so that you can use them […]
Consumers Union released their annual reminder list of gift card gotchas.
Here is a handy guide that compares gift cards on fees and other things.
I recently came across a story about an IRS employee arrested for stealing gift cards from the mail being delivered to the IRS facility where he worked. Apparently stealing gift cards from the mail isn’t limited to Postal employees. Now you have to work about the workers in the mail room at your business. If you […]
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