Gift Cards might not be a good idea for some stores.

@suspenseful (40193)
Canada
December 6, 2008 9:59am CST
I got this information from a myLot friend and she suggested that I let everyone know. I do not know how this impacts those in Canada, but for the States, this could serve as a warning. A heads-up if you are a frequent gift card purchaser for the holidays. Several stores plan to close in January and gift cards will no longer be honored after the holidays. There is no law preventing retailers from selling gift cards, which may become worthless as early as January 1, 2009. Buyer beware, this practice is referred to as 'Bankruptcy Planning" and you need to be cautious when making purchases this holiday season. If you get gift cards, maybe you had better start getting them redeemed as soon as possible. (This means, I had better buy that piano keyboard right after Christmas. Below is a partial list of stores closing, note this list is growing daily: Circuit City (filed Chapter 11) Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide closing Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, and Catherine's to close 150 stores nationwide Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January Cache will close all stores Talbots closing down specialty stores J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots) Pacific Sunwear (also owned by Talbots) GAP closing 85 stores Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January Wickes Furniture closing down Levitz closing down remaining stores Bombay closing remaining stores Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January Whitehall closing all stores Piercing Pagoda closing all stores Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January. Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick ) Macys to close 9 stores after January Linens and Things closing all stores Movie Galley Closing all stores Pep Boys Closing 33 stores Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores JC Penney closing a number of stores after January Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores. Wilson Leather closing down all stores Sharper Image closing down all stores K B Toys closing 356 stores Loews to close down some stores Some Dillard's to close some stores Oh here is the Snopes url. http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/storeclosings.asp Maybe giving cash, or for those wanting gifts, heavy hinting would be a good idea.
7 people like this
17 responses
@snowy22315 (169684)
• United States
6 Dec 08
That is an excellent idea. I think that the giftcards are usually good but some of those are a problem. It was good of you to bring this to everyone's attention. It is importatnt to be able to use them when you buy them for someone.
3 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
6 Dec 08
I hope Sears does not close nor Future Shop, Best Buy, or Zellers and certainly not Home Outfitters. I want to get something good from those places if I get cards and really for me, adding an extra $300 on two $100 gift cards , and getting a blu ray player in June is much better then taking out the money in January or putting it on credit.
1 person likes this
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
7 Dec 08
I live in Canada and a law has just been passed in June that all gift cards can not expire. The stores have to honor all gift cards even if they are ten years old. They are still monatary value since at some time some one paid cash for them. So this couldn't happen anymore in Canada. I know I have received gift cards that I forgot about and then when I went to use them I was told no, because they were expired. I have gotten so mad about that because they were paid for with money so how can money expire. So I was quite happy when the law was passed and all the stores have to honor them or they could get prosecuted in court for not. I guess it is different in the states but it shouldn't be. Money doesn't expire so why should the gift card expire. Someone paid money for it. Alrighty then, talk to you later my friend, Have a good mylotting day, Chris
2 people like this
@callarse1 (4783)
• United States
7 Dec 08
Hey Chris! Some of them don't expire. The Consumer Union (company that makes the "Consumer Reports") is trying to make a law to prohibt that because exactly money shouldn't expire. Due to this fact, I use the gift cards quickly. However we did have that happen once (for a restaurant). My mum complained to the store manager & they agreed to honor the gift card. As for the companies that do banckucpy (the one that clears all their debts like Chapter 7 or chapter 13) they can be sued to pay the money on the gift card. Pablo
2 people like this
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
7 Dec 08
Sorry, I was under the impression when I heard about it, that it was all of Canada, not just certain provinces. I know in Manitoba the law was passed a few months back and same in Alberta.
1 person likes this
• Canada
7 Dec 08
I am not aware of any Canadian law that was recently passed in all of Canada. As far as I know this type of consumer legislation is the responsibility of the provinces as as recently as last month British Columbia has press released information on recent provincial legislation. http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/mediaroom/events/2008-oct-18/index.htm Ontario banned expiry and fee on gift cards a year ago, but many cards have exceptions to the ban, so you have to check. I think that the legislation should be for all of Canada but to be sure you have to do a search and check the legislation first in your own particular province. If you could cite the Canada wide legislation I would be interested in seeing it.
2 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
6 Dec 08
Glad I dont buy them. So many stores closing !
2 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
6 Dec 08
yup!
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
6 Dec 08
I was going to hint to my husband that I want a Panasonic Blu-ray player but we are on pensions, so guess I will have to save it up for myself.
1 person likes this
@luvstochat (6907)
• United States
6 Dec 08
If you want to get a gift card you could get a visa gift card that is good anywhere that way you don't have to worry about the store closing or sending cash in the mail. That would be so sad to get a gift card for Christmas and then the store shuts its doors. You can use gift cards online thought too if there are still other stores open. My son usually gets a gift card to Walmart for Christmas and he is getting on to Mcdonalds also so I think the gift cards we are getting will be ok.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
9 Dec 08
We do not have that problem in Canada. It is illegal to put expiry dates on gift cards and I think they should have a law like that in the States. I prefer gift cards from the stores that I shop atc. and I try to find out what stores my family shops at. I hate it when we get a card for a sports store, etc. I never had a Visa gift card, but that might be a good idea.
@fasttalker (2796)
• United States
6 Dec 08
I'm doing no gift cards this year. I usually do a few but I had rceived this via email and opted for restaraunts this year. I did a few Restaraunt gift cards but as unstable as everything is this year I would be afraid to try the gift cards. Some of the plces that have alreay gine out were selling gift cards right up to the day they closed the doors. What were those people thinking? Thanks for sharing!
2 people like this
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
7 Dec 08
So if we traditionally exchanged gifts and decide to do cash instead of gift cards, I give you 50$ and you give me 50$, is that still considered gift giving? In Canada there appears to be an increasing push to ban the expiry and service charges that seem to be built into the gift cards. I don't know what happens in the US but there were lots of cards that used to expire after two years or some started to start "fees" after six months, so if you did not use it right away, you could lose some or all of the value of the card. This should be universally outlawed. I have never been a big fan of gift cards, but I guess they do fill a need, and I have never been a big fan of compulsory gift giving, especially to professionals who are already getting paid like teachers, your postman, etc. They already have well paid union jobs and might even be making more money than you. They should be giving you presents for using their services so they can thank you for their jobs.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
9 Dec 08
We still have these with Sears. We have these point gift certificates and we have to use them without a year. With Zellers, FutureShop, and Bestbuy, they have no expiry date. But I hate the idea of something running out. And I also hate the idea that if I cannot afford to give a person more than $50 worth of presents, then even if he makes more, he can get away with just $50 himself. My husband is giving everyone one hundred dollars each, but I cannot afford to do that. I would like to give something instead, but I do not know what dvds our sons would like.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
7 Dec 08
Yeah I read that in another post. I think they should honor them or have people send them to them for a full refund for the amount on the card value.
1 person likes this
@jfeets726 (775)
• United States
8 Dec 08
Thanks for the list. I am buying gift cards this year, but I am using my best judgment. I think that is the biggest tip to remember. By keeping your list in mind and just listening to rumblings online or on the news, it is easy to tell what stores may end up going under.
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
6 Dec 08
Hi Suspenseful. i would like to thank you for sharing this information. © ronaldinu 2008
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
9 Dec 08
Your welcome. We usually go with gift cards from the Bay chain of stores, and Future Shop as they are fairly safe and I got one from my husband from Sears, so I do hope that is going to be all right. But the other stores, like Footlocker,sometimes it has some shoes that my sons would like, but I guess I will stick to the ones that are safe.
@callarse1 (4783)
• United States
7 Dec 08
Well since I don't get gift cards from these shops I don't think I will be shopping there. I usually spend the gift cards right away. That would be the suggestion I would give. I believe it's up to the person if giving a gift card or not. Cash is always good, but it depends on the person, right? Thanks for the information. Pablo
1 person likes this
@terri0824 (4991)
• United States
6 Dec 08
Yes, I have heard about this already. Sad but true. Thanks for sharing this with others so that people here at mylot are aware of this.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Dec 08
I never buy people gift cards. I'm old fashioned and think it's insulting to give someone a gift card--I know this is not considered valid by most people, and I don't hold it against anyone who uses gift cards. I prefer to shop for gifts, that's half the fun! It's good that you posted this because there are a lot of pitfalls in buying and using giftcards.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
9 Dec 08
I do not think any of my family has enough money to buy me a blu ray dvd player or a piano organ keyboard. Maybe next year we will have use some very heavy hinting. And I would really love to have that Rachel Ray cookset, the ones she uses on her show, but I do not think she wants to part with hers.
@Blondie2222 (28611)
• United States
7 Dec 08
Thx for the info. I just bought a gift card to home depot for some one too. But are store doesnt say their closing so who knows. Ours has pretty good business. So we shall see!
1 person likes this
@mayhem23 (185)
• Canada
6 Dec 08
I too received the same list. It's a very good head up for people who are going to make purchases from such stores around Christmas season. Purchasing a gift card would be a very bad idea. Imagine giving someone an expensive card and then the person not being able to use it as a result of the store closing. Thanks for the list. Good information!
1 person likes this
@meme0907 (3481)
• United States
9 Dec 08
whoa I like buying gift cards too |:O Glad I didn't see gamestop on the list but you know they should at least give an address where the recipient could get a check in the mail or something. |:)
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
6 Dec 08
Thanks for a great discussion, I'm sure this list will be very helpful for lots of people! I'd heard of some of these store closings but not all of them. It's really a shame, all these people losing their jobs not to mention the snowball effect they will have on other area businesses where they close. I've given money for years and haven't gotten a single complaint so far and I sure don't mind receiving cash! I may not look "fancy" or have a pretty design on it but at least the recipient can be sure it won't end up being worthless by the time the New Year rolls around. Annie
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Dec 08
I buy gift cards all the time as a gift for people because I don't know what else to get them. JC Penny and Circuit City are stores I regularly purchase gift cards from. It's a shame they won't tell people about this, I know it has to be about the money, because if they mention it at all they know that a lot of people might not purchase any more gift cards from them. Thanks for the heads up on this information.