I saw on CNN's Headline News last week, that the popular Gift cards for
stores are not always redeemed in time. It seems reasonable enough,
being cards are lost, misplaced, or forgotten before they expired.
BestBuy (the consumer electronics store) reported that in 2005, the
amount of unredeemed BestBuy gift cards totaled $42 million dollars!
I wonder how much the other giants (Sears, Lowes, HD, etc.) gained in
unredeemed gift cards.

--
Bill
in Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, delete the double zeroes after @

"Willshak" wrote in message
...
I saw on CNN's Headline News last week, that the popular Gift cards for
stores are not always redeemed in time. It seems reasonable enough, being
cards are lost, misplaced, or forgotten before they expired.
BestBuy (the consumer electronics store) reported that in 2005, the amount
of unredeemed BestBuy gift cards totaled $42 million dollars!
I wonder how much the other giants (Sears, Lowes, HD, etc.) gained in
unredeemed gift cards.

If you're going to give a gift card, just give cash or a cheque instead.

Willshak wrote:
I saw on CNN's Headline News last week, that the popular Gift cards for
stores are not always redeemed in time. It seems reasonable enough,
being cards are lost, misplaced, or forgotten before they expired.
BestBuy (the consumer electronics store) reported that in 2005, the
amount of unredeemed BestBuy gift cards totaled $42 million dollars!
I wonder how much the other giants (Sears, Lowes, HD, etc.) gained in
unredeemed gift cards.



I'm pretty sure that here in Massachusetts, when unredeemed gift cards
"expire" with funds left in them that the issuers are obligated to turn
tose funds over to the Commonwealth's Treasurer. FWIW.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Willshak wrote:
I saw on CNN's Headline News last week, that the popular Gift cards for
stores are not always redeemed in time. It seems reasonable enough,
being cards are lost, misplaced, or forgotten before they expired.
BestBuy (the consumer electronics store) reported that in 2005, the
amount of unredeemed BestBuy gift cards totaled $42 million dollars!
I wonder how much the other giants (Sears, Lowes, HD, etc.) gained in
unredeemed gift cards.


Not very much, most states have unclaimed asset laws that require that
the money from unused gift certificates, uncashed checks etc be turned
over to the state after a certain period of time.

Some of the sleazy big box stores may get around that by having a
"maintenance fee". They take your money and benefit from the interest
but charge a huge fee if the card isn't used and then keep on applying
the fee until they run the balance to zero.

Jeff Wisnia wrote:

Willshak wrote:
I saw on CNN's Headline News last week, that the popular Gift cards for
stores are not always redeemed in time. It seems reasonable enough,
being cards are lost, misplaced, or forgotten before they expired.
BestBuy (the consumer electronics store) reported that in 2005, the
amount of unredeemed BestBuy gift cards totaled $42 million dollars!
I wonder how much the other giants (Sears, Lowes, HD, etc.) gained in
unredeemed gift cards.


I'm pretty sure that here in Massachusetts, when unredeemed gift cards
"expire" with funds left in them that the issuers are obligated to turn
tose funds over to the Commonwealth's Treasurer. FWIW.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Last I knew in CT it was illegal for gift certificates / gift cards to
expire or have monthly charges, being considered as cash equivalents.

Pete C.

"Pete C." wrote in message

Last I knew in CT it was illegal for gift certificates / gift cards to
expire or have monthly charges, being considered as cash equivalents.

Pete C.

True, at least for store cards. I looked at a prepaid Visa card and it has
a service charge after some period of time, (I think it was a year?) but it
also cost $4.95 to get one. That's a hefty percentage for a $25 gift.

Stores and VSIA go a long way to push those cards for very good reason.
They make money and don't have to honor a lot of them but already have the
money. You can't say it's their fault for the consumer not taking advantage
of it They are at fault though when they conceal that they expire in such
small fine print that the normal person would never know. That and I also
saw where people are copying the information off the cards, that are located
out in the store front area and then when some generous pernos purchases the
card for a relative or friend and activates it the person that copied the
information checks to see if it has been activated or to get a balance on
the card and purchases against it leaving the true gift precipitant left
with less than they had on the gift card or even nothing. Buyer beware and
demand a card that has not been out on public display.


On 12/29/06 2:26 PM, in article ,
"Willshak" wrote:

I saw on CNN's Headline News last week, that the popular Gift cards for
stores are not always redeemed in time. It seems reasonable enough,
being cards are lost, misplaced, or forgotten before they expired.
BestBuy (the consumer electronics store) reported that in 2005, the
amount of unredeemed BestBuy gift cards totaled $42 million dollars!
I wonder how much the other giants (Sears, Lowes, HD, etc.) gained in
unredeemed gift cards.

A way around that scam exists. Only use cards that have a concealed PIN
number.
I received a card fro BassPro Shops. When I called their 800 number to find
out what it was worth, I had to peel off the tape and provide the PIN to
customer service before they would tell me the value.

Charlie

"Gary KW4Z" wrote in message
...
Stores and VSIA go a long way to push those cards for very good reason.
They make money and don't have to honor a lot of them but already have the
money. You can't say it's their fault for the consumer not taking
advantage
of it They are at fault though when they conceal that they expire in such
small fine print that the normal person would never know. That and I also
saw where people are copying the information off the cards, that are
located
out in the store front area and then when some generous pernos purchases
the
card for a relative or friend and activates it the person that copied the
information checks to see if it has been activated or to get a balance on
the card and purchases against it leaving the true gift precipitant left
with less than they had on the gift card or even nothing. Buyer beware
and
demand a card that has not been out on public display.


On 12/29/06 2:26 PM, in article ,
"Willshak" wrote:

I saw on CNN's Headline News last week, that the popular Gift cards for
stores are not always redeemed in time. It seems reasonable enough,
being cards are lost, misplaced, or forgotten before they expired.
BestBuy (the consumer electronics store) reported that in 2005, the
amount of unredeemed BestBuy gift cards totaled $42 million dollars!
I wonder how much the other giants (Sears, Lowes, HD, etc.) gained in
unredeemed gift cards.

George wrote:

Not very much, most states have unclaimed asset laws that require that
the money from unused gift certificates, uncashed checks etc be turned
over to the state after a certain period of time.

Some of the sleazy big box stores may get around that by having a
"maintenance fee". They take your money and benefit from the interest
but charge a huge fee if the card isn't used and then keep on applying
the fee until they run the balance to zero.

Why the hell should the STATE get the money? I'd much rather the store kept
it.

Willshak wrote in news:12paqva9sphu808
@news.supernews.com:

I saw on CNN's Headline News last week, that the popular Gift cards for
stores are not always redeemed in time. It seems reasonable enough,
being cards are lost, misplaced, or forgotten before they expired.
BestBuy (the consumer electronics store) reported that in 2005, the
amount of unredeemed BestBuy gift cards totaled $42 million dollars!
I wonder how much the other giants (Sears, Lowes, HD, etc.) gained in
unredeemed gift cards.



Gift cards are BS.

Forces you gift to be gotten at one place.

Equivalent of you going in to a store and playing for something without
taking is. They still have merchandise to sell and cash for cash flow.

You lose card, they still have cash often ending in 100% profit.


Case of toilet paper. Now who's not gonna need that.

Al Bundy wrote:
Gift cards are BS.

Forces you gift to be gotten at one place.

The few gift cards we've given in the last year were Visa gift cards,
which only force your gift to be gotten at some place.

--
Nazi: a person who is winning an argument with a liberal.