See this gift card, the one that says “GIFT CARD” in big letters? Ticketmaster insists it’s really a “Discount Card,” and thus, not covered by the California law preventing gift cards from expiring.
gift cards
Verizon Gives Customer $50 Gift Card To Apologize For Taunting Her With Unavailable FiOS
By 4.2.09
It’s strange, the way some customer/CSR encounters go so well when others seem headed for failure before the first sentence is finished. When Nix called to complain about being mistakenly sent a $100 gift card offer that she can’t take advantage of, the Verizon rep on the other end not only addressed the real issues, but later sent a $50 gift card to Nix as a goodwill gesture.
By 3.19.09
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If you transfer a prescription to RiteAid, you’ll receive a $25 gift card. Emily, who tipped us to this, says the cashier told her you could do this for up to four meds, but their website says just two. Also, you can’t use the gift card to pay for prescriptions. Still, hey, free money if you don’t mind where you get your prescription filled. [Rite Aid]
Shrink Ray Now Hitting Rewards Programs
By 2.18.09
We’ve seen food items, airline mile programs, and credit card limits all shrink as the economy worsens. Now it’s time for other rewards programs to become just a little less rewarding—and somewhat sneakily, too, in these two stories recently sent in by readers.
Three Men Arrested In Heartland Data Breach For Using Fake Visa Gift Cards
By 2.15.09
The U.S. Secret Service has arrested three men in Florida on “hundreds of counts of credit card fraud” for using fake gift cards imprinted with account info stolen from Heartland Payment Systems last year. The Secret Service still thinks an Eastern European group is behind the Heartland breach, and that the Florida guys are smaller-time crooks who most likely purchased a subset of the stolen data.
Oh No, People Can't Afford Stupid Crap This Valentine's Day
By 2.14.09
Yesterday I passed by a Godiva store in midtown Manhattan and saw that it was packed with frustrated looking men in suits lined up to the door. It reminded me of how manufactured this particular holiday is. After all, these men hadn’t all shown up at the same store, on the same day and for the exact same reason, spontaneously; it took years and years of conditioning. But is there room in the new Poor America for the sort of spendy nonsense that Valentine’s Day demands? The New York Times takes a look at how people are cutting costs, and ignoring mass-marketed fauxmance for cheaper and more personalized experiences.
Office Depot Comes Through On Promised Gift Card
By 2.9.09
Last week, Jake wrote to us wondering why Office Depot hadn’t mailed the gift card they promised back in November. Someone from the company contacted Jake, and they all made up, and hugs, and happy Monday morning there’s a gift card in the mail heading Jake’s way now.
Office Depot Comes Through With Stellar Customer Service, But Then Doesn't Deliver On Promise
By 2.5.09
Jake couldn’t place an order for an Xbox 360 deal on Black Friday—yes, we’re talking about a failed transaction from two and half months ago—but he got surprisingly helpful customer service from Office Depot. Margaret at the Office of the Chairman even gave him her personal number and promised him a raincheck of sorts in the form of a gift card for a future purchase. Her offer sounded almost too good to be true, and maybe it was, because as of February he still hasn’t seen a gift card. And Margaret won’t return his voicemail messages, not even to say the deal is off. Update: Office Depot saw this post, and they contacted Jake.
Gift Card Settlement Refunds Quarter Million Dollars In Inactivity Fees
By 1.6.09
A Connecticut mall has to pay $259,000 in settlement fees to consumers who bought gift cards that had monthly inactivity fees.
ExxonMobil Gift Card Results In Higher Prices At Pump
By 12.29.08
ExxonMobil says their gift cards are “better than cash.” They also say, “This cash card is not a credit card.” But Rob in NY was hit with a credit card surcharge when he used his.
KB Toys Manager Says Use KB Gift Cards Before Their Final Closing Day
By 12.12.08
A tipster claiming to be a KB Toys manager says that consumers should use their gift cards before the final day of the liquidation.
Panic: Are Consumers Scared To Buy Gift Cards?
By 12.1.08
Earlier this year when the Sharper Image declared bankruptcy, they briefly stopped accepting gift certificates. Eventually, they did start accepting them again — but with the requirement that consumers buy twice the face value of the card. This, it seems, has caused a fair amount of panic among consumers. Chain emails are circulating warning shoppers not to buy gift cards from various retailers — claiming that they are going out of business. But are they?
Gift Cards From Ailing Retailers Can Be Boobie Prizes
By 11.24.08
When Sharper Image went under (oh no, where will we find a new vibrating massage pinball machine for dad?), people lost about $60 million locked up in gift cards, reports NYT. If you’re holding a gift card, you’re technically an unsecured creditor. If they go bankrupt..
Which Store Has The Worst Return Policy?
By 10.12.08
As part of their multi-pronged effort to fight the financial Godzilla besieging the world economy, the European Commission today proposed a 14-day no-questions-asked return period for any online purchases made within the European Union. The “two-week cooling-off period” is designed to give consumers a chance to shop across borders for the best prices without worrying about return policies. The practically adorable European decision to respond to a financial crisis with consumer protections made us want to look inwards at some of the onerous return policies Americans face.
Get Your Expired Bloomingdale's Gift Card Balance Restored
By 10.1.08
Pam had a Bloomingdale’s gift card that went unused for a couple of years, and when she tried to spend it last weekend, she was told it had expired. Pam found a way to get the balance restored fairly quickly, though. If you’ve got a card from before February 2008, try Pam’s advice below.
Verizon Told Me Their FiOS Gift Card Promotion Never Even Existed
By 9.30.08
Reader Jacob says that he’s been getting the runaround for months after signing up with Verizon during their free $200 Circuit City gift card promotion, but he finally reached his breaking point when a Verizon rep told him that the promotion never even existed. Too bad it did exist, and we wrote about it.
Ever Used A Gift Card At Buy.com? Surprise, You May Owe Them Money
By 9.15.08
Seth was recently contacted by Buy.com and told that due to an error, an order he placed over a year ago had a balance due. They’ll be debiting his credit card “on or about 09/22/08.” Seth emailed them back to ask why they were just now settling the billing issue—surely it hadn’t taken them this long to notice it. Apparently, it had, and it’s not just Seth’s account that’s messed up.
Guitar Center Corrects Prices On iPods, Gives Refunds Plus $10 Gift Cards
By 9.12.08
We received an email from Guitar Center’s Chief Marketing Officer this afternoon letting us know that the $100 markup on their iPods was a pricing mistake, and that they’re automatically refunding the difference to anyone who bought at the wrong price as well as giving them $10 gift cards.
