What's the point of gift cards?

vyle

goater78 wrote: »

Its a nightmare trying to spend Scottish currency in England. A lot of retailers won't take them. Although the other week I got a Northern Ireland £10 and that was even worse to get rid of!

I live in england and the only place I've ever had trouble offloading one was on a bus. I get a few a week at work, it's not exactly shocking development. I'm surprised people still don't know what a scottish note is.

lucy03 wrote: »

It also enables you to give a gift which you know the recipient will use,

No, a gift you know they won't be able to use should the shop go into administration before they can use it.

lolavix

arbroath_lass wrote: »

Sell them and buy something you would like! At least then it is not all wasted.

Or buy stuff and sell it on!

Still a huge waste of money though as either way I won't get the face value!

Knowing me they'll end up staying in my purse and never being used, I can't be bothered faffing around selling them or buying stuff to sell on...

chewynut

My brother used to get a load of Halford vouchers because he's an ex-mechanic and he loves cars therefore nobody ever has to use their imagination for presents.

It nearly reduced him to tears because he had to spend about £80 in Halfords on a bit of stuff, when it could've gone a lot further where he usually shops.

don9999

Do 'I' believe in giving Gift Cards as presents? No. Never have, for all the common reasons mentioned earlier.

However, they DO have ONE very good use, and hence I use them extensively! Through work, we are allowed to purchase a large variety of gift cards at a discount. eg. Asda cards 4% discount, Sainsuburys 5% discount, Thomson Holiday gift card 10% discount, B&Q, Boots, Argos, PC World, M&S, New Look, Toys R Us all at 8% discount, etc, etc.

Hence we do pretty much all the family shopping on Gift Cards! I buy the gift card (at the discounted price) using a cashback credit card (so a further 1% discount), and then go to the relevant shop (or online) and buy the required goods. All my groceries and fuel is bought on a Gift Card.

So they DO have a very good use!

But not as presents!

I suspect most people give Gift Cards as presents, because they actually believ/feel that they are 'buying something'. Giving money seems like an easy way out - not making any effort. With a gift card they allow themseleves to feel that they HAVE made an effort to buy a present (a figt card). Not thinking through that their 'present' is actually a worse present than money, as they are restricting the recipient to a single shop!

Personally I hate receiving money as a present too! (I appreciate that a lot of people would love to receive money, but I don't). Hence I never give money either. Even if I (or the other recipient) could make use of the money - of course 'anyone' could! - it does smack of 'no effort' to me. I would rather receive a small gift, or give a small gift that I have thought carefully about that the recipient would appreciate. I know it is often difficult (impossible for people like fathers!) but that's the whole point! You have to 'really' think hard to find something that would be appreciated.

pmduk

arbroath_lass wrote: »

It is to me though which is why I said I'd give vouchers :rotfl:

Surely the purpose of a gift is to provide the recipient with what they'd enjoy, not what you like? I bought a friend a box set of CDs for christmas of sporting commentaries, personally I'd not listen to them under torture, but he loved them.

keyser666

Faith177 wrote: »

Have you ever tried to spend a Scottish note in London??

90% of retaliers will refuse it as they don't believe it to be legal tender.

I never have that problem in London

pixo

If someone where to give me money as a gift - I will probs use it towards bills!!

If someone where to give me vouchers - I will be truley selfish - espcially if they are boots vouchers!!

MothballsWallet

I prefer to give money to my mum and Mrs - they can spend it where they want and not be tied to a particular store, perhaps a good idea with a number of places in trouble just now (Jessops just gone, HMV on the brink, Blockbuster nearing the edge, and so on).

Mk14:37

geekgirl wrote: »

I would be wary of buying gift vouchers now. HMV has just folded and they are no longer accepting gift vouchers.

As are Jessops... as have Comet...

I once received an incredibly generous gift of £80 of theatre tokens as a leaving gift from all my colleagues, but as I didn't realise that they only had a 12 month validity the tokens "expired" and the £80 is now lost to me and is pure profit for ticketmaster.

Helix

My family stopped buying gift vouchers after MVC and then Music Zone went into administration and stopped accepting vouchers. I would have thought Woolworths would be the wake up call for most people though, but no they still buy vouchers and then complain when shops go under and don't accept them.