Gift Cards of the Unique Variety - GiftCardy.com

Nicolle Camarata from Better.tv has a few gift card tips in this video. Her insight on gift cards can help make you a better gift card consumer. This gift card video includes quite a few helpful hints to make your gift card purchase as stress-free as possible.  Although the video gives some good tips, please note that gift card laws have been updated to better protect the consumer.  For information on the new gift card law please visit the new GiftCardy.com page, Must Read: Federal Reserve and FTC Gift Card Resources.

Minnesota State Parks have also caught onto the gift card craze.  They look to increase state park participation by offering their easy to use gift cards that will make it convenient to give the gift of the outdoors.  The gift cards can be used toward camping in the parks or use of the in park suites, entrance permits, tours, canoe and kayak rental, snowtube rentals, and state park gear.

Essential Tips For Preventing Exposure to Gift Card Scams

1. Don’t buy gift cards from online auctions. This is a large source of gift card fraud. While some of these cards are real, many are stolen, counterfeit or used. It’s not worth the risk.
2. Don’t buy gift cards off of racks in retail stores. These publicly displayed cards can be compromised in a variety of ways by a gift card scammer.
3. Carefully examine both the front and back of a gift card before you buy it. If you can see a PIN number, put the card back and get a different one. If a gift card looks like it could have been tampered with, don’t take the risk.
4. Keep your receipt as a proof of purchase as long as there is money stored on the gift card. Retailers can track where the gift card was purchased, activated and used. If the card is lost or stolen, some retailers will replace the card for you if you have your receipt (the old card will be canceled.)
5. Register your gift card at the store’s website. Some stores offer this option, This helps you uncover any misuse of your gift card sooner and also report it more quickly.

Amazon.com offers a nice variety of gift cards from some of the top retailers, restaurants, and entertainment sources.  If you are in need of a quick gift card, Amazon is the place to shop.  They have quick delivery and a history of excellent customer service. As of this post, they have over 70 different gift cards available for purchase. Gift cards available from Amazon.

Finally, a guaranteed risk-free way to buy and sell gift cards online.   PlasticJungle.com seems to have a knack for making the average gift card holder turn into a very happy one.  They have a few various methods by which you can surrender your otherwise unwanted gift card for another item you might desire.

The first of the redemption options is cash.  For a few additional dollars in compensation, you can choose an Amazon gift card.  Or you can choose to donate your card in full to a school.  Either way, you get rid of an unwanted gift card and therefore turn it into something you can really use.  Plastic Jungle is one of the best gift card tools on the internet.  If you find yourself stuck with an unwanted gift card that you wish to sell this holiday season, give Plastic Jungle a visit to cure your problem.

Below, I have included some of the links to gift cards from the best online merchants in a few different categories, including health & beauty, fun & leisure, department stores, men’s and women’s apparel, and food & gifts. This is by no means a complete list, but I wanted to spotlight a few of these so that gift card shoppers could refer to it to get some ideas and possibly some gift cards for friends, family, and others. Don’t forget gift cards this season for your school bus drivers, newspaper carriers, delivery drivers, sanitation workers, and teachers. A small gift card works wonders when you need a favor done too and it never hurts to carry a few in your wallet or purse. Have a wonderful holiday season. Beauty.com GreatSkin GameStop iTunes SmartBargains Bare Necessities Casual Male XL Mountain Gear Sierra Trading Post Magazines.com Omaha Steaks

Attention Californians—If you received a gift card this holiday season, you might want to send a thank-you note to state Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro.

She was the author of one of the more practical new laws that take effect today. Under Corbett’s legislation, consumers will have a right to cash in any unused or partially used gift cards when their value dips below $10.

Many of us have faced the predicament of having a gift card with just a few dollars left on the balance - and have been forced to decide whether to apply it to a purchase we wouldn’t otherwise want or toss the darn thing into a drawer, allowing the issuer to make a little windfall. It can add up to big money. According to the Consumer Federation of California, Home Depot and Best Buy each reaped $43 million from unredeemed gift cards in 2005 and 2006.