141–150 of 180 posts
Why not just write a note and give that alongside some cash?
The only time I buy gift cards is if I can get some sort of a discount. There's no other reason for me to buy them.
Gift cards are the ultimate anti-consumer scam: - If you buy a gift card that isn’t worth enough for what you actually buy, the store “wins” because you will probably make up the difference with cash and they then sell you something you either would not have bought at all, or bought somewhere else. - If you buy a gift card that is worth more than whatever you end up buying, the store “wins” again because they have re…
Gift cards are the ultimate anti-consumer scam: - If you buy a gift card that isn’t worth enough for what you actually buy, the store “wins” because you will probably make up the difference with cash and they then sell you something you either would not have bought at all, or bought somewhere else. - If you buy a gift card that is worth more than whatever you end up buying, the store “wins” again because they have re…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Cool! I wonder if it’s maybe an analog to westerners giving extra big tips at the holiday season to their hairdresser, barista, cleaning lady, etc
Is that a Western thing? I know they do it in South Africa (along with a "13th month" of pay), and I'm assuming the US too. Outside of those two, I don't really know of any other Western cultures where tipping is much of a thing at all - let alone big tips at the end of the year.
Maybe nowadays this is the Amazon and Deliveroo zero-hours-contract drivers.
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2524513/En...
I still don't understand why it faux-pas to just put cash in a nice card... I just do it anyway. It's a more universal gift card without fees and expiration dates... Anyone who tries to put me down for doing so will simply not be receiving a gift from me next year... Screw stressful stores. plastic cards, and standing in line, my method is much more "green"... :P
Maybe it is in the US. Here in Russia it's kinda common to gift cash. There are even special cards for that. Many stores do sell gift cards, but I've yet to see someone buy or redeem one.
I still don't understand why it faux-pas to just put cash in a nice card... I just do it anyway. It's a more universal gift card without fees and expiration dates... Anyone who tries to put me down for doing so will simply not be receiving a gift from me next year... Screw stressful stores. plastic cards, and standing in line, my method is much more "green"... :P
> why it faux-pas to just put cash in a nice card Maybe it is in the US. Here in Russia it's kinda common to gift cash. There are even special cards for that. Many stores do sell gift cards, but I've yet to see someone buy or redeem one.
For gamers, Steam cards are not too bad.
Gift cards are the ultimate anti-consumer scam: - If you buy a gift card that isn’t worth enough for what you actually buy, the store “wins” because you will probably make up the difference with cash and they then sell you something you either would not have bought at all, or bought somewhere else. - If you buy a gift card that is worth more than whatever you end up buying, the store “wins” again because they have re…
Escheatment laws in most US states ensure gift card issuers can't just keep unredeemed balances for themselves. Unclaimed balances are remitted to the states.
Gift cards are the ultimate anti-consumer scam: - If you buy a gift card that isn’t worth enough for what you actually buy, the store “wins” because you will probably make up the difference with cash and they then sell you something you either would not have bought at all, or bought somewhere else. - If you buy a gift card that is worth more than whatever you end up buying, the store “wins” again because they have re…
Except when I get 20% off the gift card, and use it for stuff I was already going to buy. Like food.
I got Visa cash gift cards from my employer as small bonuses. The terms sucked - don't use it and you get hit with a fee, it had an expiration date that cost money to "renew", etc.
Amazon's gift card policy is great. The money just sits in your account, doesn't expire, can be used for anything (except other Amazon gift cards) and there is no fee to reload it with a credit card AND you can reload with an exact amount.
So as soon as I got a crappy visa gift card, I'd just transfer 100% of the money to Amazon and spend it down over the next year. It was a perfect solution.
Gift cards are the ultimate anti-consumer scam: - If you buy a gift card that isn’t worth enough for what you actually buy, the store “wins” because you will probably make up the difference with cash and they then sell you something you either would not have bought at all, or bought somewhere else. - If you buy a gift card that is worth more than whatever you end up buying, the store “wins” again because they have re…
Except when I get 20% off the gift card, and use it for stuff I was already going to buy. Like food.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don’t think it is, at least not in my family. Cash is no more of a faux pas than a gift card, at least. I happen to think either is a pretty lame gift. Instead of a gift card to LUSH, for example, just buy me a bath bomb or whatever. Maybe I won’t like the scent you choose, maybe I’ll love it—that’s the nature of receiving a gift. Besides, gift cards are rarely enough to cover an actual purchase with taxes and etc…
I'm not great at gifts but the thing I've learned is, consumables. Chocolate, wine, your bath bomb, fancy cookies, etc. They're fairly universal, won't run into the "already have it" problem, and don't leave the recipient feeling like they now need to hold onto something forever or risk offending you. You may not score a direct hit but generally if you know people at all you can't go too far wrong.
They aren't fancy or anything, but they scale up well and folks will look forward to it.