Your Thoughts on Gift Cards/Certificates

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Barbara L

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Another thread got me to thinking about this. What are your thoughts about giving and receiving gift cards/certificates?

I have always enjoyed receiving them, but I would not want to get only them. If someone doesn't know my tastes a gift certificate is certainly a welcome gift. When we were married we got gift cards from a few people. Then we were able to put them together to get something we wanted but would have been too much for one person to buy.

As far as close family, I have always preferred picking out the "perfect" gift. However, with our financial situation being so strained, if we have a set amount to spend on, for instance, our grandkids, we have decided that it is better to send a gift certificate for $20 than to only be able to spend a portion of that on a gift and part on shipping charges.

:)Barbara
 
I only give gift cards to people I'm not that close to or if it happens to be family, it is a last resort or they have asked me for it. While I don't really like them, I would rather receive a gift card than a gift I have no need for cos I wouldn't want to cause offense by returning it to the store or whatever, so I end up keeping it forever, just in case they mention it again. It becomes junk effectively then just because it is not required, which is a big shame.

I will sometimes take the person shopping for a present instead as then they get to choose something they really want, or in the case of clothes, something that suits and fits them. This is especially good when giving to my (extremely fussy and spoilt) nieces and they get a big kick out of spending someone else's money on whatever they want without having mum or dad say no.

I try to stay well away from generic gifts like gift baskets, etc. One of my fall-back presents is a plant as most people like them, even if they are only to sit on a desk at work or by the front door.

It is difficult with people far away. My brother has moved around a fair bit during his career and my mum and I have often had to think in those situations as sending any present is impractical in the extreme. Where the kids have been concerned, my mum and I have banded our funds together and sent the money to my brother for him to buy the kids gifts, as well as for himself and his wife. They have then done similar with us. Works well for us as a whole but may not work in all family situations.
 
I like the ideas of gift cards when you don't know exactly what someone likes. We give them for anniversaries, birthdays and even for Christmas. Our grandkids love Target cards so they can do their own shopping. For the grownups we give Home Depot (if they go there) or Lowes (if they go there) or restaurant cards. Everyone seems to enjoy choosing what they like. Also, no returns and size and color are always right. It's easier for them than cash, and not easily mixed up with pocket money like cash may be.The main thing is to make sure the card doesn't have a fee or lose value quickly.
 
I`m a little unusual (no Comments!) in that I love Book Tokens, even from people that are close to me, this way I can choose what I want, rather than someone spending the cash on something I won`t use or read.

I don`t find them insulting or objectionable in Anyway, in fact when asked what I would like I reply with "just get me a book token".
 
I think gift cards are a good idea if you you do not know the person very well or have no idea what they want. Oh heck, I do like gift cards - giving and receiving!
 
I've never received one, not given one. But, I do agree they can be a good idea. If I can't figure out what to give someone, chances are they don't get anything. :LOL:
 
I generally agree that a gift card is a good alternative. One "negative" aspect is this. Someone gives you a gift card for a restaurant you may or may not care for. The gift card is for $25. That means you must add your own cash to it to pay for a meal - something you wouldn't do if choosing a restaurant on yur own.
 
If you are mailing stuff, I vote gift cards. I just mailed a couple of squishy envelopes to Africa and it cost me nearly $60 to send some tea and magazines!! Sheesh. They wouldn't be able to use gift cards there though dang it all.
 
I much prefer to get them, even from my family. But I tell them which cards to get.

My mother hates this. She works at Macy's and loves to shop. But gift cards have prevented her from buying me another bathrobe and/or bathroom towels in colors that don't match.
 
I much prefer to get them, even from my family. But I tell them which cards to get.

My mother hates this. She works at Macy's and loves to shop. But gift cards have prevented her from buying me another bathrobe and/or bathroom towels in colors that don't match.

Oh my goodness. I feel your pain. I got lamps once that were peach coloured for my "ocean themed" bedroom. Ouch.
 
I have mixed feelings about gift certificates. I much prefer giving a personal gift to those I'm close to. There are certain people/circumstances where a certificate might be a better way to go. (i.e. an attorney that gave me some 'free' advice, or someone that helped me & asked for nothing in return.) I thought about a Macy*s certificate, but you never know where people like to shop. Had a certificate for the Gap, & never found what I wanted - especially around Holiday time. So it was a waste of time for me to run around & look for something I wanted. And, as Andy mentioned the giftee may have to add money to redeem it. I tend to lean toward practical (generic) gifts, or a certificate for groceries - something people will actually use. Hope that helps.
 
lol... My mother keeps buying me HOT pink shirts...! I never wear pink of any kind but, that doesn't stop her. lol
 
I think that it's kind of personal when you match a person's shopping preferences with a certain store. It's more personal than other generic gifts.
 
Bring them on, the more the better. At least then I can get what I want, instead of some junk i wouldn't have any use for it. I think nice people do just that when they do not know what I need or want.
 
I almost always give gift cards (never knew that was not the right etiquette for gift giving). I buy them for everyone - friends, family, kids b'day parties etc. I got into giving out gift cards after bad experiences. I mean people giving us tacky gifts (recycling them). I used to get super mad but then would directly put things in the donation pile. I did not let that change how I am as a person. I still give people gift cards or flowers and a nice chocolate box and think atleast you can add money and perhaps buy something that you like or consume it or enjoy the flowers for a few days.
 
We are in general not real fans of them (gift certificates or cards) but sometimes there does not seem a whole lot of choice.

A while back we used to get occasional gift certificates for $50 to a pricey restaurant we did not appreciate very much (was for extra time at work, that sort of thing). Seems the person in charge really liked the restaurant. We hated not to use them, but at the same time did not want to add another $50 from our wallets for a meal we knew we would not like very much. (We could not give them away, names were on it and was just not polically doable).

Prefer to send a gift of food or flowers if we really cannot find a more personal gift.

That does not include kids however. Kids you don't see very much and are getting older seem really to appreciate cash.

But sometimes the gift certificate/card becomes the best alternative, so we do send them.

This whole issue confuses me a lot. All we do is try to do is our best as I am sure all you do.

Wish there was a better way but heck if I know what it is.
 
For myself, the kids always get cards to Williams Sonoma, Napa Style or a wonderful place here at home Keller's I have always shopped for all 4 of my kids, picking up things I've heard them say they want or need and the little guys I love getting them all kinds of toys and games..But with the events of the past several months, and all the yummies they want for Christmas, it will be gift cards for the kids and food stuffs and I'll shop as usual for the little ones..After all Christmas is for the babies...I just don't have the energy nor much time to go hunting for just the "right"thing this year..My kids though won't care at all..We just enjoy time together.
kadesma:)
 
I'm a fan of gift cards and certificates. I like having the freedom to buy what I want with them. My dad usually gets me gifts that are not my taste because he thinks that gift cards are impersonal. But then I have a gift that doesn't get used.

Last year for Christmas we got a gift certificate to a nice restaurant. We can't afford to go out, so that was an exeptional gift for us. Ahhh, an evening without the kids. I'm crossing my fingers for that again this year.
 
:)I dont mind a gift card at all.At the same time I pay attention to what people have for instance one of my friends has a KA mixer but not the attachments the grater,slicer and so on so I got her that.Other times its a gift card or actual money.For baby showers I like to give money so the mom can get something she really needs instead of another baby blanket etc .For funerals I like to give gift cards instead of flowers especially to restaurants some of those have multiple places like Chilis you can go there or a couple of other places if you live in a city.Im guessing pizza gift cards could be good also.If you know your friends you know what they like its easier it gives them a little choice.So far they have been greatly appreciated.Especially for folks that dont have a whole lot of money.I just despise gift baskets a whole lot of money for a whole lot of nothing.
I know,I know but I will always be a practical person and in reality they remember the card better than another bunch of expensive flowers just to be left to rot at the grave site.Or another baby item they dont need or,or or.
 
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For baby showers I like to give money so the mom can get something she really needs instead of another baby blanket etc .For funerals I like to give gift cards instead of flowers especially to restaurants some of those have multiple places like Chilis you can go there or a couple of other places if you live in a city....I just despise gift baskets a whole lot of money for a whole lot of nothing.
For funerals, I have on occasion made a donation to the person's preferred charity or one that may have helped them to have lived longer or healthier, etc.
Baby showers, yeah I give them something for the baby, in the days before digital cameras, a disposable camera and something for the mother, like her favourite alcoholic tipple. Normally gets a smile!
If I give a gift basket, I have made it up myself, not commercially done.
 
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