You’re running out of time if you want to get that special someone a gift they’ll cherish forever (or at least for a couple of minutes). And, right about now, you’re probably thinking that those stacks of gift cards in the supermarket don’t look so bad after all. Well, stop! If you’re really going to do that, give cash instead — and include a Consumerist Anti-Gift Card with it. If you’ve sent us a SASE, your card should be on its way to your door right now. If you still want us to send you one, feel free to follow the instructions here, and we’ll get one in the mail as soon as possible (you can always hand it out for Valentine’s Day).
For those of you who were too cheap to spring for a stamp, we’re gonna help you out, even though we probably should just let you get suckered into buying an Olive Garden gift card at 7-Eleven while you’re rushing to your girlfriend’s parents’ house on Christmas Eve. The zip file here has high-res templates for the front and back of our card. It’s designed to be printed out on glossy card stock with rounded corners, so if you’re going to be printing these at home, you’ll probably have to use two sheets of glossy photo paper, glue them back-to-back and then get one of those special scrapbooking scissors to do the corners. Yeah, would have been a lot easier to send us a stamp, bucko. But have a happy holiday anyhow, and try to be careful with those scissors.
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This post was a fail, http://consumerist.com/2009/anti-gift-card.zip does not exist :X
I am so proud of myself—- zero gift cards from me this year for the 1st time EVER! :p
my parents just sent me a box of them. srsly.
subway
chilis
walgreens
barnes and noble
kohls
although i prefer cash, gift cards > making mom worry
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Tasteful, thoughtful gift FAIL
Download doesn’t work.
Fixed. Sorry!
I refuse to print off any of those cards until there’s one that features a cat.
keyboard cat?
make your own…
http://www.threadless.com/product/1960/Three_Keyboard_Cat_Moon
You know, I like the idea. I would buy some plastic ones if both sides were reproduced like a ‘real’ gift card. Entrepreneurs?
Ours look pretty “real.” They’re not on plastic, but the glossy card stock we used gives them a high degreee of verisimilitude. If you want one, just follow the instructions here: http://consumerist.com/2009/12/our-gift-to-you-the-consumerist-anti-gift-card.html
I’m printing this out today – doing gift exchange this Sunday – thanks Consumerist!
the http://consumerist.com/our-gift-to-you-the-consumerist-anti-gift-card.html link doesn’t work guys.. 404′d!
LOL @ the back pretending cash doesn’t have hidden fees, I guess inflation isn’t a fee
Depends on what currency you’re giving it in (for someone who’s going to be traveling soon it’d be a nice idea to give them some of the currency of where they’re going, for instance, if it’s not in America).
One of the points we’re trying to make is that the value of gift cards automatically declines over time due to inflation unless you use them right away. With cash, at least you have the option to put it in an interest-bearing account. See this post for more info: http://consumerist.com/2009/12/10-reasons-why-gift-cards-suck.html
Gift card balances also decline due to inflation.At least with cash you can save or invest it and make it grow.
mine worked fine, and just in the knick of time! Shopping all DONE!