Gift cards are a scam. That is like free money for most of these large corporations. Many people dont cash them in plus many of these companies are making interest off of the money when they finally do. The fact is you not being creative by getting a gift card. You may as well give someone cash. Also some of these corps have the gall to take away money from these cards over time. I would like to see others weigh in on this thread.

I think giving cash is tacky. Tackier than a gift card, for sure. A gift card at least says the buyer either knew somewhere you shopped, or at the very least thought enough of you to go out and get you something.

If people are too dumb to cash them in, then so what? Stupid people are routinely taken advantage of by corporations.

Most stores have a policy about their cards that people need to ask about. Caveat emptor sounds appropriate.

People who think money is tacky can kiss my ass and then give me my money back.

I give gifts during the holidays simply because I am obligated. Otherwise the heartfelt stuff comes throughout the year as I find it. My mom usually gets a spa gift certificate for massages. My stepdad gets whatever he puts on his list that I ask him for beforehand. My brothers and sisters gets gadgets, clothes and toys and more shit they don't need. Everyone else gets cash. Actually, come to think of it, I gave my parents cash last year instead of the usual.

lol, My mom tried to put a limit on me this year.

I can't imagine anyone being like "oh my god, Robbie is so tacky, he gave me fifty bucks." Whatever. Give it back then!

I would rather get a gift card than some useless nick nack that I won't display. I don't think gift cards or cash are tacky, but it is awkward to give cash to friends. I wouldn't ever do that because it is kind of awkward. Like if I give a good friend $20 for her birthday, why not $30 or $40. I would rather get a gift card for her for $20. Plus, that is more of a gift, that they will use on themselves. If I get cash, it goes toward a bill.

I'll give gift cards, partly because I really don't buy anybody shit. That or cash in a card. If you buy something you like with the cash that I gave you, then that's your gift. If I see something that I want someone to have, then I'll get it for them. I can be a really good gift giver if I put some thought into it. Most of the time though, I don't.........cause like I said, I really don't buy anybody anything.

I don't give gift cards, I prefer picking out a more personal gift myself, a book, a movie, a shirt, a game, etc., but I DO get them, and I USE them.

IMO they're the perfect gift because I hate shopping for other people. You get them something that they don't want, or somebody else got them and it's just a bunch of nonsense. I'd rather give them a gift card and let them go get what they want. If they let it expire, then that's rude of them but hey, my hands are washed.

I'd rather have a gift card than some godawful set of bath salts & soaps that I will never use. That stuff ends up being in the way,tossed or re-gifted.

I give Barnes & Noble gift cards to my wife for her birthday and Christmas because she's such an avid reader. Trust me, those aren't the only thing she gets. I have picked out a book or two on occasion that I thought she would like but she enjoys browsing through that place. I renew her B&N membership each Christmas as a stocking stuffer. Sometimes iTune gift cards too.

Wads,

I don't think you're looking at it quite right. It's not like they're just sitting on the money. It also depends on what you get. When they sell a card, it's the same as as something they had to back order. They've been paid for items yet to be delivered. If the card was for one movie admission, and you wait to cash it in, while the price has gone up before you do. They've lost the difference in what you would pay to go now.

I got a card from friends for Lowes, I don't go there much, but found only they carry the type of boards I want for a fence I need to rebuild. I didn't want to have them kicking around until I was ready to use them, so its been almost a year and just got them. Unfortunately, the price went up in that time, so I didn't get as much as I could.

But it wasn't cause they saw me and my card coming, inflation, and rising costs is what cost me a bit. See, there is no difference to them if you walk out with $100 worth of stuff or a card, its still a sale, and the money is used by them in the normal way they would. If the cards for a specific item or service, you can't lose. If it's for equivalent dollars when cashed, like the bills in your wallet, the longer they sit the less they're worth.

Cards cost them to make and process, they're offered mainly to keep you from walking out without anything cause you can't decide what to get. So they still make a sale. I'm not pro big companies, but can see it from their view. As far as gifts, the same folks have given me clothes I rarely wear, so which am I getting more benefit from?

Now whats a rip off is cell phone and phone card minutes that expire even though you've paid for them. That is like having to buy a fixed large amount of groceries each time. What you can't eat spoils? Didn't know phone lines spoil.

You explained it well, Chris. It would be interesting, though, to know what percentage of gift cards sold are never redeemed. I would be willing to bet it is around 5%. People forget, or lose them. More and more are expiring within a year.

Also, a lot of people don't use them in their entirety. I am guilty of this. If I have a card that ends up with less than $5 on it, I usually forget about it and then it expires. I currently have a JC Penny and Starbucks in my wallet that have been there for a long time.

I have 2 gift cards from Macy's totaling $100.00 that I have had for a year. I also have 40.00 in barnes and nobles gift certificates which I have not used. I don't shop in Macy's, I think they are so over priced on everything. I forgot about my barnes and nobles cards, I do go to book stores. If your going to give a gift card make sure that person shops in that store. I give my sisters gift cards to Wal-Mart and they go berserk, they buy all their cleaning products and laundry detergents there and they use my gift cards for that. I usually give my brothers money, I like money too. If your going to give me a gift card make it from Amazon.com, I spend a lot of money there and a gift card would be great, otherwise give me money!!!!!!

Gift cards make the holiday shopping season 50% more bearable IMO. I wish my kids were a little older so I could get away with giving them that, as opposed to all of these extravagant gifts that they want....or what I think is a decent compensation for something they asked for there's no way they'd actually get.

Have you ever written a check to someone and had them wait forever to process it through your bank? For some people this can create havoc as far as their accounting goes. Same works for gift cards. The idea is to get someone back into their store to shop. They really don't want you sitting on a gift card indefinitely. So the monthly fees were supposed to be incentive to get you back in the store quicker. Now though more places are using prepaid visas and MC's which also puts a small percentage in their pocket when used elsewhere. thus the time limits are not as beneficial.

I like gift cards and in my opinion they're not a "scam".

I think gift cards are by and large, one of the hugest rackets to ever hit stores. There are a few exceptions here and there, but I will never understand the appeal of gift cards.

Gift cards are saving my butt this christmas because there are a handful of people who I have no idea what to get.