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Is it a cop out to buy someone a gift card?
Posted by BRQS • 11/24/07 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: gift cards, gifts, personal gifts, shopping
Is it a cop out to buy someone a gift card? Gift cards are really selling like crazy. More and more people are giving gift cards instead of more personal gifts. Do you think it's a good idea to give a gift card as a gift because it allows a person to buy what they want, or is this just a lazy way of shopping and an indication that you don't want to shop for something special?
User Comments
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We do for our nephews and nieces as its to hard to decide what they will want nowadays. Their mums and dads do the same for our kids. -
no, it works fine for some people
I prefer peole to make me things though. -
I recently saw an article claiming that more than 25% of gift cards are never used. I think they're a good gift for people in certain circumstances--someone who has just moved into a new place and might need a lot of things but you're not sure what, for instance--but generally not so much. I definitely have received a lot of gift cards that I've never used, just because they were for stores I didn't often shop at. I've also received several gift cards for nice restaurants that I either don't use, give away or have to work hard at making sure I use because I don't have a lot of time to eat out and when I do it's typically close to home. I think that most people prefer gifts that show that you know who they are and what's important to them (not that those are always easy to work out) -
it really depends on the person. i would LOVE an iTunes card this year as i have a huge wishlist of single songs. a giftcard for gaiaonline.com would also be nice for me ... but both of those are interests that i have.
my mom tends to do cop-out presents ... if i ask for music, she finds music she likes to give me. if we decide to exchange books, she'll refuse to buy according to my interests (or my sister's) but instead buy for either her interests or her interpretation of what we like.
last year, i got my cousins each a small thing that i thought they would like ... and an iTunes card to fill things out a bit. everyone seemed happy (they're both huge music lovers)
my aunt, a couple of years ago, got me a small gift of LEGOs (which I love) ... and filled out the present with a giftcard to target. it made me feel good that she knew me well enough to know that i live LEGOs ... and admitted to herself that she wasn't sure what LEGOs i would like ... so she got me a small set and then the means to pick what i wanted after that.
so ... my very long answer to you is this: depends on the person ... and you can personalize your selection of a gift card so that it feels like a good personal choice instead of a cop out.
EDIT: and MadameX makes an excellent point ... you have to think of the person and their needs/wants enough to know what kind of gift card to get that person ....
(my mom is notorious for sending coupons to restaurants we don't have up here)-
Mostly gift cards make me think, "Meh." But if a person has gone to the trouble of remembering your favorite store or something that you love and gotten you a gift card for that, it's a different story. My mother routinely buys me a Barnes & Noble card and a Starbuck's card so that I can sneak away for a couple of hours and have coffee and read a book in peace from time to time. It's taken me years of training to get to this point. LOL
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i try not to get gift cards, i remember giving out one and getting the a card from the same place back in return. with the same amount..
defeats the purpose. -
My sisters LOVE gift cards.. I don't dislike them.. and they are convenient to use at times.. (in fact I have some great tickets to a theater that shows fantastic independent films!) but I love personal, handmade gifts! They show more love to me than just running out and buying a gift card or a present from the likes of Pottery Barn (not that I don't like Pottery Barn because I do!).
I guess I like the idea of being thought about while the person is crafting the present for me. -
If I do give a gift card, it's in conjunction with other 'real' gifts to even it up from other gifts given. And, I make sure to pack it in a small box, then a larger box, inside an even larger box and.. well, you get the point ..
My wife claims that I'm an idiot for doing that ... but, yet everytime I do it I see so much joy in the unwrapping of presents that it's not only a giftcard .. it's an experience! -
gaiaonline has giftcards now? geez. I think I still have some letters from like 2002 or something lying around. Wonder what their worth is now.-
they're prolly worth umm NOTHING ... give them to me!
heeheehee
(i'm enderFP over there ....)
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Sending gift cards is a thoughtful gesture, and they don't cost alot. Internet funcards are always amusing! -
Well we are using up groceries points to get people gift cards for christmas I think if the gift card is relevant to the persons lifestyle it doesnt matter and for us it saves money using our points -
i love getting gift cards! i also request them, instead of actual gifts, for my kids...they love choosing their own things. we always use them...they are never wasted in my house! i think they make great gifts. kids love them because they get to choose whatever they want. there is no hassle of returning unwanted items! they aren't cop outs! -
Wonderful discussion here... Good input.
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I give gift cards along with little presents to unwrap, more like stocking stuffers.
I gave up trying to find something they like years ago, because I would run across gifts I'd given them that they had stuffed into closets, tucked into the corner of their garage, or even for sale in their garage sales. (and they were nice gifts too!) Also, one family member routinely returns ALL gifts for money, no matter how nice the gift. So why bother? -
I don't think this can be generalized. It's all about the recipient. In gift shopping I try very hard to get a gift that the person will really enjoy. Some people enjoy the freedom of selecting their own gift while others feel that it IS a cop-out to give a gift card so I wouldn't give one to those people.
Gift cards are all about convenience, but I think many people look at the convenience aspect from the wrong side. If I am going to give a gift card as a present it has to be because its convenient for the recipient and not just convenient for me as the shopper.
MadameX mentioned getting a gift card for a restaurant. The only way I would give that kind of gift is if I knew that it was for a restaurant that the giftee frequented anyway. The recipient should never have to go out of their way to make use of a gift. -
I like the way you guys are thinking.... And some good stories. Mdsanta brings up a good point. What happens when you give and get the same card?
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If I don't send cash or gift cards I usually spend about $30 a year in postage
sending presents to my family across the state.
But personally I feel irritated when close family members give me money or gift card instead of a present. It takes the fun out of Christmas. I'd rather open presents. -
I like them better, because it is hard to shop for people once they get a certain age. -
gift cards say i don't know you well enough to get you something you like,
but i like you enough to give you something you can use -
I don't mind getting the credit card gift card, this way you can go where ever you want to go. I usually go to the supermarket and by food. Yep that is gift enough for me, Go the store, shop, drag the bags home and then cook for everyone. -
I don't understand why, unless it was over the internet, the person didn't just give me a wad of cash. What is a gift card except cash that you can't use at 99% of the world's retailers? -
Yea, why not a paypal gift card or just cash. I got cash as a kid, and I thought it was great. I never spent it though, I just liked putting money into a piggy bank jar, and taking it out so that I could pretend to put more money back into the jar.
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Paypal is great and can be used so many places now.
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Gift cards are environmentally friendly too. -
Too often my family members have already bought what they really want. So gift cards are just practical. -
De-ja-vous - sure I contributed to a similar discussion a few weeks ago?? anyway - we (at Fabulous Photo Gifts) were approached by a customer asking if we did gift vouchers as the gift was for a couple going on a cruise so the picture hadn't been taken yet.
We didn't at the time but we thought why not? so I added a quick voucher as a shop item to the website and she ordered.
She recently came back for another voucher order - the people she'd given it to were so thrilled when they'd received theirs etc.
After her initial visit, we did add a full gift voucher option to all the photo gift ideas. They've proved very popular so in answer to the question, I (we) don't feel its a cop out as each instance has a usually unique reason - can't send money anymore, a cheque requires you to pay it in etc. -
Good Feeback Wandadog. I don't recall the past discussion. There's no doubt some of these issues get recycled. I just saw one of my old topics taking a new and better form.
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