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..
gifts
By 11.20.08
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Need gift ideas? Curbly user ModHomeEcTeacher has put together a list of 45 different holiday gift guides from around the web. [Curbly]
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.
Michael's: "It's Store Policy Not To Accept Change"
By 9.27.08
Hayden wanted to buy a $4 wood plaque for his mother as part of a last-minute birthday gift, but Michael’s wouldn’t accept 16 quarters as payment. “It’s store policy not to accept change,” a cashier explained, forcing an embarrassed Hayden to borrow a few bucks from his younger sister.
Help! Macy's Gave Us An "Invalid" $120 Gift Card
By 7.21.08
Nate and Ashley got some duplicate gifts from Macy’s and attempted to exchange them for store credit. The trouble is, when they tried to spend the gift card they’d be given — they found out that it had never been validated. They’re pretty much resigned to the fact that they’re not getting the $120 in store credit back, but they’d like to let Macy’s know that they were treated very rudely by several employees.
Target Fixes Their Broken Wedding Registry, Will Let You Return Duplicates Without A Receipt
By 6.23.08
Reader Jon writes in to let us know that your complaining has had a positive effect on Target’s return policy. They will now allow you to return duplicate wedding registry gifts without asking your friends and relatives for a receipt.
5 Last Minute Father's Day Deals
By 6.12.08
Because Father’s Day is this Sunday (you knew that, right?) CNN Money has put together a small list of last minute deals that will put a smile on dear old dad’s face. The list, inside…
Target Bungles Wedding Registry, Won't Exchange Duplicate Gifts Without Receipts
By 4.13.08
Target doesn’t accept returns without receipts to keep criminals at bay, but Chrissy recently discovered that their policy also extends to wedding registry gifts. Chrissy and her husband ended up with several duplicate gifts when Target failed to keep track of her registry. Chrissy didn’t want a refund or cash, just store credit, but Target refused to consider any proffer until Chrissy provided receipts. One manager even urged Chrissy to call her wedding guests to ask for their receipts, because in Target’s book, that’s not extraordinarily rude or anything.
Which Is More Thoughtful, Cash or Gifts?
By 3.7.08
Cash gifts are the best – On every new year or birthday, Chinese children usually get cash gifts that they end up saving. This sounds pretty sad, but I remember being quite excited about visiting all the relatives and receiving red envelopes with cash in them. Red envelopes are the standard gift for any celebration, and they are considered the best gifts because the recipient can do anything with the money. In America it seems that cash is a less common gift because it is considered to be less thoughtful. Instead, cash is converted to gift cards or useless trinkets that are probably less appreciated by the recipient.
We really have to agree with this. Gifts can be very thoughtful, but in some cases gift cards are capitalizing on people who feel insecure about giving cash.
Dear Sur La Table: It Has Been 42 Days Since You Stole $100 From My Bank Account
By 2.9.08
Rachel used a $100 gift card to pay for her Christmas gifts, but Sur La Table decided to take the funds directly from her debit card. Sur La Table apologized for the error, but instead of overnighting Rachel a refund check as promised, they inexplicably charged her an additional $31.89. Now Rachel is angry and wants an explanation.
How States And Companies Make Money Off Of Unspent Gift Cards
By 1.28.08
In the last three years, New York has collected $19 million in unused gift card balances under the state’s unclaimed-property laws. Best Buy added $135 million in unspent gift cash to its total operating income over the past two years. “For individual retailers, unspent balances can range anywhere from 2% to more than 10% of all gift-card sales,” notes BusinessWeek.
Post Office Offers Refund In Stamps After Delivering Priority Mail Package Five Weeks Late
By 1.26.08
“I wanted to let you and my fellow readers know about the agonizing experience I had with the US postal service recently. They didn’t quite lose my “2 to 3 day” Priority Mail package, but inexplicably shipped it back and forth across the country for over 5 weeks, missing Christmas by over a week, and then told me I did not deserve a refund!”
Ungifting: The Art Of Selling Your Crappy Gifts To People With Bad Taste
By 1.7.08
If your family gave you something crappy this year, why not help the item find its intended audience by selling it online? The Chicago Tribune caught up with one woman who did just that. She didn’t want to return the singing penguin figurines her mother purchased from QVC, because she didn’t want to hurt mom’s feelings, so she sold them on eBay.
What Part Of "Must Obtain Signature" Did FedEx Misunderstand?
By 12.29.07
Frank told FedEx to require a signature before delivering his skis, instructions FedEx found vague and confusing. When Frank complained, FedEx said that in order to deliver the increased volume of goods over the holidays, they reserve the right to essentially chuck your delicate gifts from a speeding truck.
Use Your Gift Cards Immediately!
By 12.29.07
The Dallas Morning News and Consumer Affairs both say you should use those gift cards as soon as possible—otherwise you risk losing them, forgetting about them, or having them decline in value due to maintenance fees or expiration dates. We know this isn’t new news, but the idea that “$7.8 billion in gift card value will go unused this year” makes us cringe. If you really don’t want the card, consider selling it online, or giving it to a shelter or other charity that can make use of it.
Return Policies For 15 Major Retailers
By 12.27.07
Hate that stationary bike your hint-dropping friend got you for Christmas? Want to return it so you can buy something useful like a cook book or ten pounds of fudge? Well Mouseprint rounded up return policies for fifteen major retailers to help you offload all those gifts you never wanted. Retailers readily accept returns if you have a receipt and the original packaging with price tags. Most stores charge a 15% restocking fee and want their merchandise back within a few weeks. Happy returning!
Gift Idea: Buy Someone A Magnum
By 12.19.07
Tyler Colman, Ph.D., also known as Dr. Vino, suggests giving magnums this year because those huge bottles have a smaller carbon footprint due to the more favorable wine-to-glass ratio.
By 12.15.07
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“Shoppers who pay the full price of about $249 for an out-of-stock Wii on December 20 and 21 at retailer GameStop Corp will get a certificate promising a Wii ‘sometime in January,'” sez Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime. Only at GameStop, urg. [Reuters]
