Gift Cards for Christmas

[bharpaz]

Hi. My name is Beth Harpaz. I work for The Associated Press, the news wire service. I have permission from the Web site to post a query here about gift cards. I am writing a story for the AP about the boom in gift card sales over the past five years, and I am looking for some "real people" to quote in the story.
My questions are -
Do you give gift cards? Why or why not?
Do you like getting gift cards? Why or why not?
I'd love to hear from any of you, but I need your first and last names and your hometown and state in order to use your quotes in the story. You can google my name _ "Beth J. Harpaz" _ to see some of the stories I have written for the AP - most of them are about travel but I also write on other topics occasionally.
You can email me directly if you want or post here. My email is bharpaz@ap.org.
Thanks for listening!

[jeffrey]

Re: Gift Cards for Christmas

Moderators, I approved this post

[cicy33]

Re: Gift Cards for Christmas

Do you give gift cards? Why or why not?

Yes, Generally to teenage relatives or friends because I rarely know what they really want. We have given them to family for restaurants since we know they would never eat out like that otherwise.

Do you like getting gift cards? Why or why not?

Love it! then I can buy what I want and not get stuck with something I will never use.

Cristi Smith
Johnston City IL

[zakity]

Re: Gift Cards for Christmas

I love getting gift cards because I don't need more crap to clutter my house. I like to go to Red Lobster and we really can't afford it. It also is nice because my sister and I try to go once or twice a year together for our birthday's. The gift cards that I receive as presents makes it where it fits into the budget.

I also give gift cards as gifts. I try to get them for things they already buy or will need. I get Grandma ones to the store that sells her make-up (she wears like Clinique or something) and Nolan (Grandma's husband) gets ones to Home Depot or Lowe's. They have reached the point in their lives that they don't need more "pretties" for their house, they have a lifetime of that.

Most of my family doesn't need more "stuff" for their houses. We all have our own styles and tastes and they all are at the other ends of the scale. We can never pick out what the other person likes. Gift cards allow us all to go pick out the exact color we want something or the style of something we like instead of someone else picking out something and it wind up being horrid (in our taste, not theirs). It also eliminates the "size" issue. None of us are 98 lbs waifs and we all have our figure issues, trying to buy something that will fit someone else is sort of impossible.

[debtfreeme]

Re: Gift Cards for Christmas

I too prefer to receive and give gift cards. Often I would like to recognize the anniversary or birthday of friends who live far away, what better way to say I was thinking of you on your special day then sending them a card that works at a local restuarant or store? It might take a little work to locate something special in their town but it shows you care about them and what they need and could use.

Also, while I would prefer to give a true gift sometimes during the holidays, it is better that the person can choose something they really want and need and can use. I have given gift cards to grocery stores and when i was in college my sister gave me gift cards to a local gas station. Practical and yet at the same time says, i was thinking of something you can really use and enjoy.

I gave gift cards to my employees for holidays and jobs well done. It allows them to choose something that works for them.

Kristina Moffitt
Placerville, California

[meaghanchan]

Re: Gift Cards for Christmas

I don't like to give or receive gift cards, as I don't feel it's very personal. I would rather get something that's not perfect, knowing that whoever bought it for me had to think about what to get. It's the thought that counts, right?

That said, when my sister was living overseas, instead of buying her books that would have to be shipped there ($50 in shipping costs alone!) and shipped back when she moved back home, I did choose to just buy her a Barnes and Noble gift card. It saved both of us a lot in shipping costs.

[TBH]

Re: Gift Cards for Christmas

I do this for my neice and nephew. They're teenagers and I can't keep up with the fads and so on. My nephew is always happy with a Best Buy card, and my neice likes WalMart or Kohl's to buy jewelry and clothes.

I also like to get gift cards for wedding presents. I find out where the couple is registered, and then I buy a gift card for that store, so they can buy things that nobody bought from their registry list. Also, I figure they must like the store or they wouldn't have registered there.

The other reason I like to buy gift cards is I get a Upromise kickback from giftcertificates.com.

As far as receiving them goes--I like it. It would make me sad if all my presents were gift cards, because then I'd feel like nobody knew me very well. But among all the gifts I get that I don't really need, it's nice to have some gift card money to buy what I'd buy for myself.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Gift Cards for Christmas

I find that a gift card is always a way to make me spend more money. you get a 20$ card and your purchase comes to 23.95, or you skip one item and have a card with 40cents on it. I hate that.

BUT! if you get a card to a store you always shop at (I love grocery store cards) or for a store selling something you really wanted but couldn't quite afford (or justify the expense) that isn't a prblem.

So I can't answer with a straight yes or no...

[Firefly]

Re: Gift Cards for Christmas

I do not usually give giftcards. I feel they are impersonal.