iDB Community Forum

Whoever thought of giftcards needs to be shot. They're the worst fad since pet rocks.

It's getting close to December and all I hear from my relatives are "What do you want for Christmas?"

Everytime I tell them cash, and try to explain that I'm saving up money towards something, yet the they'll always come back and ask me "Where do you want a giftcard from?" And they don't find much humor when I answer the United States' Treasury.

It's getting to a point where I'm ready to snap. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be picky here, but I literally sat down and tried to make a christmas list and I came up four items, all of which I will never find at any place I'd get a giftcard to.

I just REALLY do not want to be stuck with giftcards to Wal-Mart or Target or Best Buy that I know I will never use.

What's more over, my plan was to save up for a guitar amp (specifically a Roland Cube-30 or Cube-60), and since my parents won't let me get a job, it looks like I'll be stuck with my Ibanez (which I've already purchased) without an amp until the end of the summer.

So I'm here to just ask WHY? WHY? WHY? do people feel they need to give people giftcards over cash? Do they honestly think people are offended by recieving cash?

/endrant

I always wondered that too. But when I use a giftcard I feel like I'm in a special club. Like they'll say "That'll be 14.33". And I got BAM look at my card, I'm part of the VIB club so I'm not gonna pay for this.

That's how I feel anyway. Giftcards make me feel special.

Tell them you want a gift card to whatever store you plan to buy the amp from (IE: Guitar Center, etc)

I think the point is so that they know you'll spend the money and get something, instead of the money just sitting around being money. However, if what you want can't be bought with a giftcard, then it doesn't work.

If it's too expensive for relatives to pool their money that would go towards your gift and buy it, then maybe you could explain what you want and what the situation is and ask them to give money to your parents, who will make sure that it's spent on the amp.

Or simply say you're saving up for an amp and any money you get will go towards that.

Gift cards aren't that bad because they force you to buy stuff. I know that if I got cash as gifts, I wouldn't spend it.

Spaz Wrote:Gift cards aren't that bad because they force you to buy stuff.

Is that good or bad =X ?

People send gift cards because they think money is a cop-out. I always recieve books tokens rather than books. That's because the relative who sends them wants to get me a book, but doesn't know hwat I want so they get me tokens so I can choose my own book.

I'm not a fan of gift cards either...as I'm now in college, I really wish people would just give me money instead so I could use it to buy books for next semester. They won't though, so instead I'll get stuck with gift certificates to clothing stores I really won't shop at, and I'll be forced-once again-to pay for my books myself. *Sigh*

I haven't actually got a giftcard for a long time o_O Well, I think its sort of something along the lines of, "not much thought put into it". Money. Money is a simple present, and maybe people think giftcards have more "thought". But if you asked for money, I don't see why they'd give you a giftcard >.< And Dega, why won't your parents let you get a job?

The sender is just afraid you'll be "abusing" the money they give you, so they'll give you a gift card to shop at some store you know you'll never go to.

Also, the company of the card can charge interest, giving itself profit.

jasminech Wrote:I haven't actually got a giftcard for a long time o_O Well, I think its sort of something along the lines of, "not much thought put into it". Money. Money is a simple present, and maybe people think giftcards have more "thought". But if you asked for money, I don't see why they'd give you a giftcard >.< And Dega, why won't your parents let you get a job?

They're convinced my grades would plummit if I got a job...