Gift card warning to consumers over Christmas

[Anonymous]

Gift card warning to consumers over Christmas

Source : BBC NEWS.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24868288

[MI5]

May just be me but I don't get the point of gift cards.
Why force or be forced to spend money in a certain shop? What's wrong with a £10 in the Christmas card ???

[Anonymous]

In one of my local shopping malls you can buy a gift card at customer services which then can be used in any of the shops within.

[Anonymous]

You should be ok then with that unless the whole centre goes down

[Anonymous]

Nothing's guaranteed i suppose !!

Can you imagine the line of people at the customer service desk if it did !

[Anonymous]

Think they would close it mate

[Anonymous]

A good day to call in sick.

[Anonymous]

I prefer giving cash but gift cards do have their place.  I give Amazon gift cards to my Godchildren as I don't like sending cash through the post and their Mum suffers with agrophobia and it means she doesn't have to go out to pay in a cheque as it's traumatic for her.

I feel very sorry for people who had Jessops vouchers (or similar).  In a lot of cases people spend a lot of money on the vouchers and it must be heartbreaking to find out it's lost.  My husband bought a DSLR camera last year and, as he wanted a lens, I was going to get him a Jessops voucher just before they went bust.  The only reason I didn't was because they charged a lot for postage if they bought it online and I couldn't get into town - a lucky escape for me.

[perksie]

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@MI5 wrote:
May just be me but I don't get the point of gift cards.
Why force or be forced to spend money in a certain shop? What's wrong with a £10 in the Christmas card ???

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I always keep a supply of gift cards that can be used almost anywhere for any product.

They're called cheques!

Voucher holders have never been high on the list of those who get paid when a scheme or company goes bust, about the same as shareholders.

[Toby]

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@MI5 wrote:
May just be me but I don't get the point of gift cards.
Why force or be forced to spend money in a certain shop? What's wrong with a £10 in the Christmas card ???

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I reckon its a half-way compromise. It's a bit like saying, "I know the kind of stuff you like, but not quite exactly what that might be ;)"