Now that Circuit City is getting liquidated, what happens to your gift cards? What about extended warranties and repairs? These burning questions and more, answered in our Consumers’ FAQ to the Circuit City liquidation extravaganza…

What happens to my gift cards?
Spend them before the liquidation sale ends. After the stores close, the cards will have no value.

I bought an extended warranty (Circuit City Advantage Protection Plan) from Circuit City. Is it worth anything?
You’re good. Extended warranties are handled by a third-party company.

I have a computer out for repair with Circuit City, will I get it back?
Any job already in process will be completed, but no new repairs will be accepted.

What happens to my Circuit City credit card?
The account will probably get sold to another retailer. When Montgomery Ward went under, Walmart welcomed its credit card customers to its big blue bosom.

I have some stuff from Christmas I didn’t get around to returning, will returns be accepted?
You’ve got until January 30th to return anything bought before January 16. All sales are final on anything bought after January 16.

I have a rebate that’s processing. Will I get it?
If the rebate is sponsored by the manufacturer, it’s fine. If it was sponsored by Circuit City itself, things might get dicier if the processor hasn’t received their payment from CC yet.

Are liquidation sales good places to find bargains?
No. Most of the time the liquidator raises all the prices back to their original number and starts marking down from there, with the markdowns getting steeper week by week. He’s still allowed to make big signs that scream 50% OFF!!!! even though that price at the time might be the same or even higher than the price before the liquidation. By the time prices actually get below what they were pre-liquidation, most of the inventory has been picked pretty clean. Except for the most dedicated bargain sleuths, liquidation sales are a ripoff.

(Photo: FastFord)

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