yournamehere

A bit of a rant here - but I’m sure a few of you who read this can relate to it:

It used to be, before large corporations assumed they were the rightful owners of any money you might have, that if someone gave you a $100 gift certificate for Christmas, you could go into the store, buy something for $20, and get $80 change back.

Not any more.

Gift cards have replaced gift certificates nowadays, and with their magnetic strips keeping track of every penny, corporations are now not only making sure they make their profit on every bit of the card’s purchase amount, but also are forcing you to either:
A. Leave some of the money unused (In other words – getting paid $100 for a $78 gift card – if you don’t return), or
B. Forcing you to spend your own cash at that store to cover the difference in the price of what you want, and the balance left on your card.

To me, either way is an unethical way to do business, but it has become business-as-usual in this era of blatant corporate greed.

I got a $50 Best Buy card and bought a printer cartridge ($42). Instead of getting $8 change back, the clerk said, “You now have $8 left on your card.”
I said, “But you don’t sell anything here for $8. – I’ll just take the cash, please.”
Him: “But it’s not our policy to give cash back on gift card purchases – the card is as good as cash.”
Me: “But only in this store. I’d like to buy some ham before I get home – do you sell ham here?”
Him: “Manager – register 5!”

At a sporting goods store, I was dismayed to not find any of the 3 things I wanted to buy there with my $100 gift card. Knowing what to expect if I used the card, I went to Customer Service to just return it for the cash.
Her: “May I see the card?”
Me: “Sure” – watch as she scans card and big “$100” appears on screen.
Her: “Do you have a receipt?”
Me: “Of course not – it was a gift.”
Her: “We can’t give refunds without receipts.”
Me: “Let me speak to a manager.”
(20 minute wait . . . . )
Manager: “It’s not our policy to give refunds for gift cards.”
Me: “That’s a pretty lousy policy, if you ask me.”
Manager: “I didn’t ask you.”
Me: “May I speak to your boss?”
Manager: “He’s not in today.”
Me: “Fine – just give me his name and when I can reach him.”
Manager: “That information is in my office.”
Me: “Let’s go, then.”
Manager: “I can’t go there now – I have to stay on the floor.”
Me: “Why?”
Manager: “It’s my job to help people if they have any problems.”
Me: “Like you’re helping me? Never mind – I’ll just get the receipt and then come back for the refund.”
Manager: “It won’t matter – it’s our policy to not give refunds on gift cards - PERIOD.”

I would go on – after all – I got a gift card for Home Depot, too.
I can make an exception for them, though – most of my money seems to go there anyway. I know it’s not logical to excuse them – bad policy is bad policy – no matter where it happens. Besides – the reason I go to Home Depot now is because Lowe’s wouldn’t give me change back from a 1999 gift card . . . .


So – what do you think of this?
Do corporations have the right to demand that <i>all</i> of the gift card amount gets spent at their store? After all – they make their profit on whatever amount of the card you spend. Worst case scenario? Even if they refund the money, they still made interest on the $100 (or whatever) in the month or so they had it.

I’m wondering if these policies are even legal.

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