Online Gift Cards ,Yes, A Gift Card Is A Great Present ,Store Closings and Gift Cards
 

Watch those store money cards and gift cards.. and credit slips! Stores that informed the Security Exchange of closing plans between October 2008 and January 2009.

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Online Gift Cards
There are different occasions when you need to buy a gift for your family, friends and acquaintances. To choose a gift can sometimes become a difficult task. Certain things always crop up in the mind of the buyer, whether the recipient will like it or not or it may be the case that the person has everything. To save you from this problem online gifts cards have come which will provide the complete satisfaction gifting something of his/ her choice. They make the perfect choice for gifting as the recipient can buy anything that their heart wishes. The online gift cards work like gift vouchers. Internet companies with storefronts and retailers that do business usually offer gift cards. Online gift cards are available in different denominations. You simply have to choose one and the company will take the pains of sending the Virtual card directly to the recipient along with an encrypted e-mail having ID number to ensure safety of the gift card. The online gift cards work like gift vouchers, you have to type in the virtual number given when you check out after choosing the gift. After receiving the gift people go to the particular ***site, place the order of the items they want after that they enter the ID number at checkout. The amount of the item is deducted from the account and the left over amount can be used later.

It has been found that many people who have gifted the online gift cards and those who have used it both feel satisfied and *******ed. People prefer to go for it simply because it does not require lengthy procedure, you don’t have to tax your brain or search shops for the ideal gift for your near and dear ones. Even the recipient does not have to compromise with what he/she gets. While choosing a card make it a point to search online the stores which offer wide range of products. These cards have no expiry date which makes it the best choice. The one who possess the card can redeem it even after 3years. Some people prefer giving cash instead of gifts but that usually ends in spending the money on other thing except buying a gift.

One such gift card is E bay gift card from E bay- the world’s online market place. For choosing this card you need not to be the registered user of E Bay once you shop here you will find there is something for one and all. But to buy E Bay certificate it should be purchased using Pay pal (an E Bay company). One should check the conditions laid out for redeeming the certificate before buying the card. In all the online gift cards are a wonderful way to present someone so that the person can really go in for a product of his or her choice. So next time, you want to gift someone, just don’t forget about the online gift cards.

Article Source: Online Gift Cards
Posted by Zakariae at 5:33 AM 0 comments
Friday, March 20, 2009
Yes, A Gift Card Is A Great Present
Almost everyone has at least one person on their shopping list that seems impossible to buy for. That person may be incredibly picky; may go out and buy everything they want when they want it; or may be someone you do not know all that well.

For example, some couples who get married do not register for gifts because they already have their households established and do not feel they need any additional items. In that case, a gift card or gift certificate to one of their favorite restaurants, the theater, or for travel from an airline or travel agency would likely be appreciated. Or maybe the person you are buying the gift for is someone who lives far away and the gift you want to purchase is very bulky which would make shipping expensive. In that case a gift card or gift certificate for that item would work well.

A gift card can also be a great gift for someone you know extremely well. For example, my sister-in-law loves to get massages. But she has four children and a tight family budget so massages are a luxury she cannot usually afford. So for her birthday and for Christmas I give her gift certificates for massages or to a day spa. She loves receiving them!

I’ve also given my children gift cards. For example, last year my son wanted a recliner for Christmas. We wanted to get it for him but he lives 600 miles away and one wouldn’t fit in his vehicle for his drive back home after the holidays. Buying one and shipping it didn’t seem cost effective to us. We decided we would rather put that shipping money into a nicer recliner so we gave him a gift card to buy a chair where he lives. Because we weren’t sure what furniture store he would want to buy the recliner from, we gave him a Visa gift card which can be used anyplace a Visa charge card can be used.

The major credit card companies, including Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and Visa all sell gift cards. The gift cards are redeemable wherever their credits are accepted.

Gas gift cards are another gift card I like to give. My nieces and nephews who drive love them, because like most other teenagers who drive they are always scrounging for gas money. And since gas gift cards can be used for gas and also for purchasing snacks inside the gas station, they are a gift that is very appreciated.

Teenage girls usually love gift cards or gift certificates to the local mall. For me, teenage girls are difficult to shop for and I have a teenage daughter! Most teenage girls love clothes but can be very picky about what they like. Also, choosing the right size can be difficult since sizes are not uniform among stores. I prefer giving a gift card in order to avoid the recipient having to go through taking the unwanted or wrong size item back to the store to exchange.

If you need to find a gift for someone who loves to go to restaurants and you want to buy them a restaurant gift certificate, consider purchasing one from your state’s restaurant association (if they offer gift certificates). Then the recipients will be able to go to any one of the association’s member restaurants which usually gives them a large choice. For example, the Wisconsin restaurant association sells gift certificates to use at any one of their member restaurants of which there are over 7,000.

If you are looking for a gift for that person who seems to have everything, consider giving them something similar to a gift card – give a gift in their name to a charitable organization such as the Red Cross.

Some people say giving a gift card is the lazy way to give a gift. I don’t agree. I think a thoughtfully chosen gift card is a wonderful gift. It shows the recipient that you want them to have something special they can truly use.





Article Source: Yes, A Gift Card Is A Great Present By D Ruplinger At Isnare.com Ezine Articles





Gift Card Packaging - How to "Wrap" Your Gift Card
Gift cards are an ideal solution when you're stumped for the perfect gift. But part of the reason giving a gift is so much fun is the ceremony around unwrapping it. The recipient may shake the box to see if they can guess what's inside. Then comes the fun of taking off the bow, undoing the decorative ribbons and tearing through the wrapping paper.

When you give a gift card, you want the recipient to experience the same excitement as a beautifully wrapped gift. And they can -- if you get creative with the packaging.

Packaging That Creates Excitement!

To keep your card from feeling impersonal, following are some packaging solutions that will create the excitement that gift giving is supposed to entail.

Gift Card Boxes

When you purchase a card to give, usually there's no packaging that comes with it. However, there are holders that can dress up the card, so to speak. For example, if you want your card to be a surprise, put it in a box - just like a traditional present.

You can buy beautifully decorated boxes with colorful bows, streaming ribbons, and other accents to make it stand out. The recipient then gets to "unwrap" an actual present.

Gift Card Bags

Putting a card inside a decorated bag is another way to dress up this present. Gift bags come in almost every size, color and material imaginable. They also come in special shapes, which make for some truly interesting choices. You can stuff your bag with colorful tissue paper and attach decorative streamers and bows for some all out gift-giving fun.

Children, in particular, appreciate presents that they have to unwrap. As they don't understand the value of money, the wrapping will make it especially fun for them to open. And, when you explain that they can buy anything they want with their Toys R Us gift card, for example, they'll soon be squealing in delight.

Many industry surveys have shown that gift cards are a preferred gift by many. Dressing them up in attractive packaging make it a fun way to give them.

Article courtesy of Elliot Klier, Director of Marketing, ABCGiftCards.com: At ABC Gift Cards, we sell cheap gift cards. Remember, gift cards are just like cash. So, always buy them from reputable sellers. You will find gift cards for every occasion at ABC: from children's products, to travel and entertainment, to food, clothing and jewelry! We stand behind every transaction we make. ABC Gift Cards is accredited by the Better Business Bureau for outstanding customer service

Article Source: Elliot Klier - EzineArticles.com Expert Author

Posted by Zakariae at 7:41 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Store Closings and Gift Cards
STORES TO CLOSE DUE TO RECESSION
It seems there are lots of stores that are closing due to the "recession" and the fact that people are not shopping. If you have any "gift cards" from these stores, make sure you use them, or you will lose them !

Watch those store money cards and gift cards.. and credit slips! Stores that informed the Security Exchange of closing plans between October 2008 and January 2009.




PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

Circuit City stores... most recent (? how many)

Ann Taylor - 117 stores nationwide are to be shuttered

Lane Bryant,, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 store nationwide

Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January

Cache will close all stores

Talbots closing down all stores

J. Jill closing all stores

GAP closing 85 stores

Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January

Wickes Furniture closing down

Levitz closing down remaining stores

Bombay closing remaining stores

Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January.

Whitehall Jewelers closing all stores

Piercing Pagoda closing all stores

Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.

Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ (New Brunswick)

Macys to close 9 stores after January

Linens and Things closing all stores

Movie Galley Closing all stores

Pacific Sunware closing stores

Pep Boys Closing 33 stores

Sprint/ Nextel closing 133 stores

JC Penney closing a number of stores after January

Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.

Wilson Leather closing down all stores

Sharper Image closing down all stores

K B Toys closing 356 stores

Lowes to close down some stores

Dillard's to close some stores.





Article Source: Store Closings and Gift Cards - Urban Legends


Posted by Zakariae at 6:12 PM 0 comments
Stores assure shoppers safe to buy gift cards
By Alexandria Sage

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - U.S. retailers are trying to assure customers that buying a gift card this holiday season is still safe amid a flurry of industry bankruptcies and store closures.

Store gift cards had become a popular option in recent years, boosting sales and profits at many a retailer when redeemed in the weeks following the holidays.

But in a dismal selling environment in which shoppers have dramatically cut spending and retailers from Steve & Barry's to Mervyn's have gone bankrupt, some shoppers are questioning whether the gift card option is still safe.

Retailer and catalog company Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc recently sent an email to its customers, citing a "hoax" email it said was "intended to discourage consumers" from buying gift cards at its stores and other chains.

Eddie Bauer, which sells clothing and products for the outdoors, assured customers of its "robust" online and catalog division and noted that the closing of some of its stores in January was part of the company's normal course of business.

The hoax email cited by Eddie Bauer, viewed by Reuters, warns customers of risks associated with gift cards, saying that stores planning to close after Christmas are still selling gift cards "even though the cards will be worthless January 1." The email's origins and the extent of its circulation could not immediately be verified.

Rather than just warning of bankrupt companies like Circuit City, Sharper Image Corp and Bombay Co, the email includes retailers that have decided to shutter certain stores to cut costs.

They include AnnTaylor Stores Corp, Lane Bryant, Pacific Sunwear of California, Gap Inc and JC Penney Co Inc.

Ann Taylor sent a message to customers citing "false and misleading information" being circulated, assuring shoppers that store closures were part of a strategic restructuring and that gift cards remain a popular option.

Gift card sales are expected to fall nearly 6 percent during the holiday shopping season, which kicks off this Friday, as shoppers try to save money by buying deeply discounted merchandise, according to the National Retail Federation.

NO EXPIRATION

Gap spokeswoman Kris Marubio said the apparel giant had been talking to customers, as well as landlords, to assure them that it was safe to buy their gift cards, which are redeemable online and in all stores and don't carry an expiration date.

"Yes, we're aware of it, yes, we've had calls from customers," Marubio said of the email. "There's absolutely no reason to be concerned about our gift cards."

ABC's "Good Morning America" also debunked the hoax email on its television program Tuesday morning, saying that while there was risk in gift cards from bankrupt stores, other retailers like Gap or Home Depot Inc were getting a "bum wrap."

Some bankrupt companies are still trying to preserve their ability to accept gift cards. A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Monday allowed Steve & Barry's to accept the cards throughout its liquidation, citing their benefit to sales.


Article Source: Stores assure shoppers safe to buy gift cards | U.S. | Reuters
Posted by Zakariae at 6:09 PM 0 comments
Plastic Jungle Guarantees All Transactions For Buying, Selling and Trading Gift Cards
Leading *** Site for Discount Gift Card Exchanges Adds Features: PlasticVault Manages Gift Cards, Helps People Replace Them When Lost, Stolen or Damaged

FRESNO, Calif. -- Plastic Jungle, the leading *** site for discount gift card exchange and services, whether users want to buy, sell or trade pre-owned gift cards, has announced that all of its transactions are guaranteed. Now users can purchase gift cards at substantial savings, offload them for quick cash, or trade them with others without any hesitation since Plastic Jungle assures that every gift card listed on its site is accurate and valid, or they receive their money back.

Plastic Jungle's gift card guarantee is the first and only in the industry, providing its tens of thousands of registered users with complete protection from fraudulent gift cards. With hundreds of new gift cards added to the site every day, any person who receives a card that is invalid or less than the amount indicated will be reimbursed by Plastic Jungle. The new policy takes effect immediately and applies to all gift cards posted on Buy Discounted Gift Cards, Sell,Trade Gift Cards: Plastic Jungle.

"Online fraud is an issue that concerns anyone who has ever made a transaction over the Internet," says Tina Henson, founder and CEO of Plastic Jungle. "We have always taken extensive measures to ensure that our user community is protected from fraudulent gift cards, so guaranteeing every transaction was the obvious next step for creating peace of mind. No one ever needs to worry about any of the gift cards posted on Plastic Jungle because we stand behind every one."

New features ease gift card buying, selling, trading - and replacement

In addition to guaranteeing all transactions, Plastic Jungle has unveiled an array of new features designed to make buying, selling, trading and managing unused gift cards simple and safe. PlasticVault acts as a gift card manager where users enter their entire gift card portfolio, whether or not they plan to use them, sell them or trade them. The secure site can help people replace their gift cards in case they are ever lost, stolen or damaged, plus it tracks the account balances and transactions for all active gift cards registered for sale or trade on Plastic Jungle.

"Gift cards are often thrown in a drawer at home or stuffed into a wallet, but what if there's a fire or your wallet gets stolen? How will you be able to replace them?" says Henson. "PlasticVault is as much a convenience as it is a virtual safe where your cards will always be kept secure."

Other new features include GiftGuru, a tool that uses data collected from the site along with other pertinent information including age, gender and relationship to help users identify the right gift card to give to others. Plastic Jungle also created a wish list in which users are notified when a desired card becomes available. Notifications for the wish list as well as all other transactions on Plastic Jungle can now be delivered via **** messages. Soon, Plastic Jungle will provide the ability for consumers to mobilize their gift cards, enabling them to check gift card balances.

About Plastic Jungle

Plastic Jungle is the leading *** site for gift card exchange and services - whether users want to buy gift cards at substantial savings, sell them for cash, or trade pre-owned gift cards with others. Plastic Jungle guarantees all transactions and offers industry-leading features like PlasticVault that helps replace cards if they are lost, stolen or damaged, and instant *****s via **** or email. It is free to list gift cards on Plastic Jungle - users are only charged a 10 percent transaction fee when their gift card is sold or traded.




Article Source: Plastic Jungle Guarantees All Transactions For Buying, Selling and Trading Gift Cards | Business Wire | Find Articles at BNET


Posted by Zakariae at 6:07 PM 0 comments
Gift Cards Motivate Consumers to Buy
Research Indicates Gift Card Promotions Have Positive Impact on Purchase Intent

DENVER -- Merchants looking to influence consumer buying behavior should consider gift card incentives, according to a study by First Data Corp., a global leader in electronic commerce and payment services. The use of gift cards as consumer incentives is a growing trend to which consumers are responding positively.

Incentive gift cards have mainstream awareness, as indicated by an online research survey conducted with 526 survey respondents. Two-thirds, 67 percent, of survey respondents state they were already extremely or very familiar with them. During past purchase decisions, over half, 57 percent, of those who have used an incentive gift card report the incentive not only influenced their purchase overall, but their choice of store, 52 percent, and their choice of brand, 41 percent.

Gift card incentives can take many forms. A merchant may choose to offer an incentive store gift card when a consumer makes a major purchase, when a certain brand is selected or when a spending level is reached in a single day. They can also be used to encourage a customer to try a new product or service.

Three out of four consumers, 76 percent, are interested in purchasing or testing a product based on receiving an incentive gift card for doing so. In addition, nearly three-quarters, 74 percent, of total respondents would be more likely to make a purchase at a store offering a gift card as an incentive promotion versus a store that did not. Nearly nine in 10 consumers, 87 percent, who have used an incentive gift card are interested in continuing to receive gift cards as an incentive.

"Consumers like gift cards because they are convenient to use and simple to redeem," said Mark Herrington, president of First Data Prepaid Services. "Our research indicates that gift cards continue to be a powerful tool for merchants to attract consumers and incent them to buy. From large discount stores to fast casual restaurants, many verticals are now utilizing incentive gift cards to retain current customers as well as acquire new customers through partnerships with non-competing brands."

Data for the First Data Consumer Incentives Study was collected in March 2007 using the TNS Online Panel with a statistical confidence level of 95 percent. Individuals surveyed included users of incentive gift cards; those who are aware, but are non-users of incentive gift cards; those who are not aware, but are interested in incentive gift cards; and those who are not aware and are not interested in incentive gift cards.

About First Data

First Data Corp. is a leading provider of electronic commerce and payment solutions for businesses worldwide. With operations in 38 countries, First Data serves over 5 million merchant locations, 1,900 card issuers and their customers. It powers the global economy by making it easy, fast and secure for people and businesses around the world to buy goods and services using virtually any form of payment. The company's portfolio of services and solutions includes merchant transaction processing services; credit, debit, private-label, gift, payroll and other prepaid card offerings; fraud protection and authentication solutions; receivables management solutions; electronic check acceptance services through TeleCheck; as well as Internet commerce and mobile payment solutions. The company's STAR Network offers PIN-secured debit acceptance at 2 million ATM and retail locations. For more information, visit First Data.




Article Source: Gift Cards Motivate Consumers to Buy | Business Wire | Find Articles at BNET