Visa gift cards: Complete crap.

[Rider]

Originally Posted by Trip

I am sure he would be fine with money, especially with the gay rates.

In his case, he is a little more cautious with his spending when he has a gift card. Cash burns a hole in his pocket, but these gift cards make him really think about the purchase. Not sure why, but they do.

[Rider]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

Are his emo jeans so tight that he can't carry a few bills in his pocket?

No, he wears regular fitting jeans. Not too tight and not too loose. This is a kid that would wear sweats to school everyday if I let him.

[azoomm]

Originally Posted by Rider

In his case, he is a little more cautious with his spending when he has a gift card. Cash burns a hole in his pocket, but these gift cards make him really think about the purchase. Not sure why, but they do.

Hey Daddy, there's a lesson to learn here

[Rider]

Originally Posted by azoomm

Hey Daddy, there's a lesson to learn here

You and I know that CC buying is bad but for someone who doesn't have to pay a cc bill each month, I'm a little baffled at his spending habits with these cards but I'm not complaining if that habit can carry over into his adulthood.

[racedoll]

I buy thousands (double digit) of dollars of these every month for work.
We don't get the card fee but we used to get charged a cash advance fee because I used my company credit card to purchase them. We have since changed that process.

Originally Posted by The Chi

Well, that explains why mine didnt work the other day...i was trying to use the rest of the balance before using my debit card and it didnt work...

It could have been that the cashier didn't know how to ring it up with that card and a low balance. This was one reason a few people at work didn't like them.

The secret that I found is that you give the cashier your other form of payment first so that the balance on your gift card matches your amount due.

If you try to use it at a gas pump it will try to authorize for $50. If that amount isn't available it won't authorize. Pump your gas, then go in and there should be no issues.

Originally Posted by shmike

Using them is not a problem.

The fees ( and restrictions) associated with them is what people are having a problem with.

Fortunately for the companies issuing them, most people don't know or don't care about those fees.

The fees suck, but you have to read the fine print. Most at work use their entire card right away so it isn't an issue. Although I had one guy who let his expire with $300 left on it. There was nothing he can do, maybe repeal but who knows if that would really work.

Originally Posted by Homeslice

The issue is, I can walk into a grocery store and buy a Starbucks or Kohls or Shell gift card, and there is no fee at all. Plus they don't need to know anyone's name. Why does Visa/MC/Amex have to know the person's name?

I've never had them ask me for a name when purchasing the VISA/MC. When I did AMEX they did.

Originally Posted by azoomm

Right. This isn't news.

Quick, we better get some government protection and regulation because consumers expect everything is for free and don't read the fine print.

Exactly. I used to get so pissed at the people at work for bitching about their card yet they would never read the fine print. I would go through my speech and they would be like "how did you know that"? Um, the fine print that comes with every card.

[Porkchop]

Originally Posted by The Chi

Well, that explains why mine didnt work the other day...i was trying to use the rest of the balance before using my debit card and it didnt work...

I work retail, we get these fuckers all the time. They are a pain in the ass. The problem with them is unless you know the exact ammount on the card, they will not run. When a retailer runs the thing as a credit card, unless you the card has a high enough balance to cover the entire purchase, the retailer must put in the exact ammount left on the card instead of the purchase total. If you don't know the balance, of course there is a number on the back of the card to call.

Originally Posted by goof2

Yes, you can buy a Starbucks, Kohls, or Shell gift card but then the recipient is stuck using that card at Starbucks, Kohls, or Shell. I have seen a few gift cards that work within a network of chains but the networks are typically very small. For example Outback cards work at Bonefish, Carrabba's, etc. because they are all owned by the same company. There is much more flexibility built in to the Visa/MC/Amex gift cards. Instead of doing that I give cash, but some people don't like doing that, which leads to the existence of these cards.

I think the parent company you are talking about is Darden Restaurants. They own Carabbas, Smokey Bones, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bonefish, etc etc etc..... and the gift cards work at all of them.

[EpyonXero]

I think there are benefits for store specific GCs over cash. One is as a way to introduce someone to a store that you think theyll like but they may not be aware of. The other is as a way to "allow" someone to shop at a store they do like. When you give cash the recipient might end up buying gas or paying bills with it rather than buying something they might enjoy which is the idea of the gift.

[goof2]

Originally Posted by Porkchop

I think the parent company you are talking about is Darden Restaurants. They own Carabbas, Smokey Bones, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bonefish, etc etc etc..... and the gift cards work at all of them.

Not Darden, OSI. They own Outback, Bonefish, Carrabbas, Flemings, and Roys. They also used to own Lee Roy Selmon's but got rid of the chain a couple years ago.

[Rangerscott]

Just fucking give someone a bag of nickels.


It's sad when you try to buy something with cash and the store prefers plastic.

[defector]

Like Apple?