Why?
After seeing/getting ads through email and social media, not to forget standard commercials, I’ve ascertained that gift cards are the ultimate insult gift.
Now, you may rebut that it’s ‘easier’ or more efficient, or something. Perhaps. But let’s think it through.
[after original post: https://blog.knowbe4.com/beware-of-holiday-gift-card-scamshttps://blog.knowbe4.com/beware-of-holiday-gift-card-scams ]
Correct me if I’m wrong, but you grab a card from the rack at some store (say a $25 card) and it rings up as $25 on your receipt. If you were to check the value of the card at the store of the card, it would show a value of $25.
But maybe the person who sent you the card didn’t realize that you don’t support that company, or that the closest location is 150 miles away and you can only use it online (maybe).
Looking at it from the business side, you’ve got that $25 to spend at business X. You go to the website, there’s nothing exactly $25, but you can go higher or lower. Maybe as close as $1. If higher, you give up a dollar, if lower, there’s a dollar change that is left on the card.
{ A correction: it is possible to spend the exact amount from a gas station gift card, since you control what comes out of the pump }
The card seller isn’t required to send you that remainder. And if you don’t use it within a set period, it reverts to the company that created the card (not necessarily the company labeled on the card). These monies are estimated at tens to hundreds of millions of dollars, per year.
A sucker play, par excellence.
Now look at it from the person/personally side. I’ve covered folk that don’t know your preferences. If you haven’t displayed your corporate allegiances on your preferred social media platforms, the gifter imposes their corporate preferences onto you.
(Huffs) Well! Excuuuuuuse Me! (thank you, Steve Martin) Okay, maybe the gifter is simply trying to broaden your consumerist horizons. I do that with food/restaurants all the time – but in discussions/unwanted suggestions. And I usually provide choices for the other person.
A lot going on in the previous sentences. Why does gifting have to be difficult? If only there was a simpler method… hey! How about cash/check/money order? Same base value, usable in the country of issue, at anywhere. Now, the supposed downside is the safety of transmission (the mails).
It’s well known that scumbags rip off peoples mailboxes whenever they think they can, and even the government mailboxes located on the street. But nowadays, there’s apps for exchanging money, whatever hidden fees are comparatively minimal. More secure than mail.
So, why don’t we gift cash? This Reddit thread is pretty good with different explanations. And this is my conclusion: get over yourselves, you may feel that no thought went into the gift you were given. That feeling is incorrect. If there was no thought, then there would be no gift (or acknowledgement) of your special event/holiday.
Rants Unto the Ether 