Your Thoughts on Gift Cards/Certificates

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I like to give Gift Cards to the teenagers in my family, These day's it's hard to keep up with what they like. I'd rather see them get something they wanted and will use. For the smaller kids we usually buy something we know they will enjoy. Babies are easy to please a new doll or a soft blanket works just fine. I personally like Gift Cards they save alot of time and everyone ends up with what they wanted:)
 
I think we should all do gift certificates/cards. Think how much we'd mess up the stores that are expecting the influx of us. hehe

Anyway, personally, I would very much appreciate a gift certificate or gift card, especially from a grocery store.

My son and daughter-in-law gave me a gift certificate to a book store. Best thing I ever got, I'm a book nut. Love to buy cookbooks.
 
A year or so ago we got an anonymous gift certificate (we are sure it was someone from our church) for our electric company, good for one month's electricity. :cool:
 
A year or so ago we got an anonymous gift certificate (we are sure it was someone from our church) for our electric company, good for one month's electricity. :cool:

WOW!!!! Now I would love those type of certificates!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!! A certificate for oil would be nice too. :)
 
These are great if they are given with the recipient in mind. In other words, don't give gift cards or certificates to a shop or service that the person you're buying for would never frequent. I saw a thing on CNN that many gift cards are never used. So don't give a gift card to a place that YOU love. It is only a great gift if it is for something the person you are giving it to loves.

For example, if someone was to give me a gift certificate for a day at a spa, pedicure, manicure, massage, etc, I'd scream. I don't like that ... but my husband would love it.

On the other hand if someone gave me one for my local gourmet spice, food, or similar shops, I'd be thrilled.

In other words, as with most gifts, give something that has meaning for the recipient, not what you want them to be, or what you are.
 
I like giving and receiving gifts where some thought has gone into personal tastes. So for us gift cards to favorite stores (Barnes & Nobles comes to mind) are great as well as cards for restaurants, kitchen shops, services, etc. Just be sure you check to see if there is an expiration date, however. I learned the hard way and missed out on a manicure at a favorite salon because it had expired.
 
These are great if they are given with the recipient in mind. In other words, don't give gift cards or certificates to a shop or service that the person you're buying for would never frequent. I saw a thing on CNN that many gift cards are never used. So don't give a gift card to a place that YOU love. It is only a great gift if it is for something the person you are giving it to loves.

For example, if someone was to give me a gift certificate for a day at a spa, pedicure, manicure, massage, etc, I'd scream. I don't like that ... but my husband would love it.

On the other hand if someone gave me one for my local gourmet spice, food, or similar shops, I'd be thrilled.

In other words, as with most gifts, give something that has meaning for the recipient, not what you want them to be, or what you are.
I agree completely. I love looking for the perfect gift for each person, and sometimes the perfect gift is a gift certificate. My (soon to be ex) son-in-law always preferred gift cards to WalMart so he could pick out his own fishing lures and gear. I know if someone wanted to buy me a purse I would prefer a gift certificate because I am very picky about what kind of purse I get.

:)Barbara
 
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Love 'em!!! Receiving and giving. When I give one it's for a difficult to buy for person, but I get a gift card for a store or restaurant that I know that they love. When I get one it's guilt free shopping.
 
I don' t like to receive gift cards. (no presents period would do better).

I don' t like giving them to people. i think they are not personal (kinda saying well I don't know much about u so i got u something u could figure out and I didn't have to put much effort into) , unless its for a very specific store which I know they will make good use of, but they know whats better to buy for them. eg I know my sister is into art stuff etc so I got her a voucher at an expensive art shop.

Meanwhile if i get a gift voucher i will probably use it 1 day before it expires
at a shop I don't normally go to. I prefer people just didn't waste their money on me. Just not a present fan.

Some people just love them completely!! Each to their own!!
 
We've given and received them. Of our 5 children, two of them are very difficult to buy for. One of them likes/desires very little. The other travels for a living and is rarely home. Both of them have the resources to buy more extravagant things than Buck and I could ever give them. As a result, we give both of them gift cards to stores that offer "goodies" they like.

Both of them "flip" houses, so cards to Lowe's and The Home Depot are welcomed. One of them is an avid hunter...of anything, so gift cards to Wal-Mart, Gander Mountain, etc. are his cup of tea.

We'd love it if they would sit still long enough to establish some "habits" so we could give them more traditional gifts.

At the same time, we receive gift cards from them. Buck and I live in a very rural area and live pretty simply and have most of what we need or buy our toys, etc. That happens at our age. We love it when we get a nice fat gift card to our favorite online catalogue site or to a restaurant in our area. Our children are aware of our food preferences - no chains - and have been thoughtful to give us vouchers for restaurants in our area.

Another consideration, voiced by someone else, is the cost of shipping gifts. None of our children and/or their families live closer than 800 miles, so the cost of postage/shipping reduces what we want to "shower" them with for gifts. Again, gift cards are a good solution.

Just my comments.
 
I'd like to add a suggestion, if you send your gift cards via the mail, get it insured. My parents sent my DH a gift card for $50.00 last year for his birthday . . . he never received it. I'm sure it was "intercepted" along the way. Insurance through the post office is pretty cheap.
 
Ok, I'll say something nice, luckytrim..... I like your colorful avatar.....first time that I've seen it.................:)

good advice, Pytn Place, as I'll probably be sending a few this season
 
Have talked about this very subject many times to friends and also been on the receiving end when the gift card expired. Thinkin the companys that use these know people will either lose them, forget about them, or whatever but it'll be the company's win not the recipient of the card ultimately.:huh:
 
:)Another bonus for xmax gift cards is if you wait till after New Year alot of stuff will be going on sale so you can get what you want and then some or get the better item for less.More bang for your buck.
 
I knew someone whose daughter-in-law worked at WalMart and got the employee discount. My friend didn't have much money, and they lived in another state (shipping issues). She bought WalMart cards for her grandsons and they were able to get more with their mom's discount. Another thing she talked about doing (don't know if she actually did it though) was buying a WalMart card for herself and adding a little to it each month. Then she would use it for her Christmas shopping in December.

:)Barbara
 
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