gift cards suck. don’t decide for me where to spend the money, don’t give me something that will eventually become invalid if i forget to use it (i probably will). they’re such a scam.
i pledged years ago to never buy those again. always cash instead, or wire transfer money.
I… what? This is so incredibly far from where I stand on the matter that I can’t relate at all. Give me the gift card, please. I’ve never received a gift card that I didn’t use within a week.
Emphasis on nice. I would much rather receive a single pair of nice merino wool socks or something with a neat design than a 10 pack of Walmart white crew socks.
Someone just moved and need to get furniture? I don’t want to decide what lamp you get yourself. Giftcard!
Or by using my self as an example; I never buy my self fancy chocolates, incense, scented candles or such, but I like having them. If I got a gift card for a store of that kind I would be forced to spend it there and thereby forced to make my self happy.
Of course a gift card at Amazon or whatever would not be very fun. There is zero thought behind that.
giftcards are a more controlling form of cash. It is not more thoughtful. Genuinely a shittier gift where you lock down where someone can spend their money.
When you can give a real gift to someone, do that. When the choice is between cash or a gift card, then never choose a gift card.
If it’s a gift (rather than helping me out because I’m struggling to pay my bills), I’d rather have a gift card. Give me cash and it’ll just merge with the rest of my money and go towards bills. Give me a gift card and I’ll spend it on actual treats.
A previous employer gave me over £100 in Love2Shop gift cards (generic high street gift card) and I used them to buy a ton of art supplies that I wouldn’t have bought if I’d just been given cash (which probably would have just gone straight into my savings).
That reminds me, my last employer gave me £150 in cash when he had to make me redundant and it’s still gathering dust as an emergency cash fund. So yeah, if he gave me a gift card, I’d have had to use it to buy myself something.
By that logic, giving someone a physical thing is the most controlling. @Hanke made the example of getting a gift card for a lamp or furniture store instead of picking a lamp. Isn’t the card less controlling in that vein?
People wrote around what it is. It’s a gift. I can get you a new lamp after hearing you need one that you won’t like or I can find a close, fancy shop with lamps, get gift card and give it to you.
Cash always has more important things to get spent on. Gift card are just this - gifts. Shitty ones, like for whole mall, are sad. Specific ones are great, they give you choice while clearly showing thought and care.
Hell. Both cash and non-specific gift cards aren’t even gifts imo, there’s no care nor thought behind them.
Gift cards are a raw cash bump for stores perpetrated by idiots upon society. I’m rarely preachy irl, but gift cards always set me off. You’re just giving stores money for no reason. Why are you donating to Amazon? Bestbuy doesn’t need your money. I don’t even like massages.
You know what’s better than a gift card? Cash or making plans to just veg out for a couple of hours together. I will gut you like a fucking fish if you hand me a gift card. I will end your bloodline if you force me to call a phone line and register an account to access fucking money as a gift. You’ve inconvenienced us both. Just place the bills in an envelope and draw a smiley face on the front before I have to invent a hate crime
Edit: Per another comment, this seems to differ by country, and might be an impossible “win” for the US, where I haven’t seen expiring ones in ages.
When is the last time you’ve used a gift card? I haven’t had to fuck with making an account for one in over a decade. I’m also seeing other people in the comments talk about expiration, which is another thing I haven’t had any of them due in quite a number of years (pretty sure some laws changed so they can’t anymore).
I’d totally prefer cash, but it’s not some horrible affront to the natural order of things anymore.
Outside of those psuedo-debit card monstrosities. I still see those with extra fees, registration, and expiration (technically maintenance fees down to a zero balance). Those are extra dumb as fuck. Just give me the cash.
A bit extreme, but true. I fucking hate gift cards. ‘oh but this one is branded visa and you can use it anywhere’ well I want to deposit it in my bank account but they won’t let me do that directly noooo so I have to send you the money you just gave me in this moronic format through fucking PayPal which will take a 3% cut so that you can send it back to me with less value so I can finally transfer it to my bank account. Plus whatever shitty fee that you paid to get this garbage piece of plastic.
It took years of me saying ‘just CASH’ to family members, and eventually they started giving my gift cards, to which I recited a variation of this message, and the last few years they fiiiiiiinally have been just writing me checks.
It took like 15 years but I get all my gift, you save ‘card fees’, no bullshit middle-man, everyone wins.
gift cards suck. don’t decide for me where to spend the money, don’t give me something that will eventually become invalid if i forget to use it (i probably will). they’re such a scam.
i pledged years ago to never buy those again. always cash instead, or wire transfer money.
I… what? This is so incredibly far from where I stand on the matter that I can’t relate at all. Give me the gift card, please. I’ve never received a gift card that I didn’t use within a week.
Are you spending them on things you were already going to buy, or are you buying frivolous stuff?
Fine. Pack of socks instead.
Depends, are they thigh highs :3
Of course. I would never get someone clothes unless I know it’s in their style.
I would accept a gift of thigh highs and some skirts >w<
Nice socks are an underrated gift.
Emphasis on nice. I would much rather receive a single pair of nice merino wool socks or something with a neat design than a 10 pack of Walmart white crew socks.
I got 60 pairs of dickies socks for a birthday years ago. Still rocking them and I never have to worry about mismatched socks.
Did wonders for my mild “ocd”
I actually think gift cards can be just fine.
Someone just moved and need to get furniture? I don’t want to decide what lamp you get yourself. Giftcard!
Or by using my self as an example; I never buy my self fancy chocolates, incense, scented candles or such, but I like having them. If I got a gift card for a store of that kind I would be forced to spend it there and thereby forced to make my self happy.
Of course a gift card at Amazon or whatever would not be very fun. There is zero thought behind that.
why limit what someone can buy. Just give them cash.
Because this is part of gift? “Don’t give me present, cash will do. No, I don’t want any proof you care, just money, please.”
Damn ya all soulless
giftcards are a more controlling form of cash. It is not more thoughtful. Genuinely a shittier gift where you lock down where someone can spend their money.
When you can give a real gift to someone, do that. When the choice is between cash or a gift card, then never choose a gift card.
If it’s a gift (rather than helping me out because I’m struggling to pay my bills), I’d rather have a gift card. Give me cash and it’ll just merge with the rest of my money and go towards bills. Give me a gift card and I’ll spend it on actual treats.
A previous employer gave me over £100 in Love2Shop gift cards (generic high street gift card) and I used them to buy a ton of art supplies that I wouldn’t have bought if I’d just been given cash (which probably would have just gone straight into my savings).
That reminds me, my last employer gave me £150 in cash when he had to make me redundant and it’s still gathering dust as an emergency cash fund. So yeah, if he gave me a gift card, I’d have had to use it to buy myself something.
By that logic, giving someone a physical thing is the most controlling. @Hanke made the example of getting a gift card for a lamp or furniture store instead of picking a lamp. Isn’t the card less controlling in that vein?
People wrote around what it is. It’s a gift. I can get you a new lamp after hearing you need one that you won’t like or I can find a close, fancy shop with lamps, get gift card and give it to you.
Cash always has more important things to get spent on. Gift card are just this - gifts. Shitty ones, like for whole mall, are sad. Specific ones are great, they give you choice while clearly showing thought and care.
Hell. Both cash and non-specific gift cards aren’t even gifts imo, there’s no care nor thought behind them.
You are getting a 40# case of oranges apples or onions from me, solely based on how much each cost at the time.
Gift cards are a raw cash bump for stores perpetrated by idiots upon society. I’m rarely preachy irl, but gift cards always set me off. You’re just giving stores money for no reason. Why are you donating to Amazon? Bestbuy doesn’t need your money. I don’t even like massages.
You know what’s better than a gift card? Cash or making plans to just veg out for a couple of hours together. I will gut you like a fucking fish if you hand me a gift card. I will end your bloodline if you force me to call a phone line and register an account to access fucking money as a gift. You’ve inconvenienced us both. Just place the bills in an envelope and draw a smiley face on the front before I have to invent a hate crime
Edit: Per another comment, this seems to differ by country, and might be an impossible “win” for the US, where I haven’t seen expiring ones in ages.
When is the last time you’ve used a gift card? I haven’t had to fuck with making an account for one in over a decade. I’m also seeing other people in the comments talk about expiration, which is another thing I haven’t had any of them due in quite a number of years (pretty sure some laws changed so they can’t anymore).
I’d totally prefer cash, but it’s not some horrible affront to the natural order of things anymore.
Outside of those psuedo-debit card monstrosities. I still see those with extra fees, registration, and expiration (technically maintenance fees down to a zero balance). Those are extra dumb as fuck. Just give me the cash.
A bit extreme, but true. I fucking hate gift cards. ‘oh but this one is branded visa and you can use it anywhere’ well I want to deposit it in my bank account but they won’t let me do that directly noooo so I have to send you the money you just gave me in this moronic format through fucking PayPal which will take a 3% cut so that you can send it back to me with less value so I can finally transfer it to my bank account. Plus whatever shitty fee that you paid to get this garbage piece of plastic.
It took years of me saying ‘just CASH’ to family members, and eventually they started giving my gift cards, to which I recited a variation of this message, and the last few years they fiiiiiiinally have been just writing me checks.
It took like 15 years but I get all my gift, you save ‘card fees’, no bullshit middle-man, everyone wins.