Gift Cards that you don't want?

**Telephus44** · 12-27-2007, 08:58 PM

I was wondering what everyone does with gift cards that they don't want. We received a lot of gift cards for Christmas, and there's two that I don't really want:

$20 to Pizza Hut (I don't like their pizza, we never eat there)
$75 to Walmart (I'm anti-Walmart on principle)

So... I was thinking about looking up the sites where you can "sell" gift cards, then maybe thinking about the sites where you can swap gift cards, then maybe just donating them to our church for their outreach program for people in need...

Was just wondering what you would do.

**Kitten20** · 12-27-2007, 09:03 PM

I sell them for cash - usually to my grandmother. I got a $15 Starbucks GC (I don't drink coffee, but the person who gave me the GC doesn't know me well enough to know that) and Grandma happily snapped it up.

**AmyBoz** · 12-27-2007, 09:06 PM

I've sold/swapped gift cards on those sites before. It's always worked out well. No reason to use a gift card just because you have it if you don't like anything they are selling!

**geckoace** · 12-27-2007, 09:24 PM

walmart will give u cash on a return even if u pay with gift card so if all else fails go buy $75 worth of crap than walk over to customer service and return it. I did this once last year

**LizaZ** · 12-27-2007, 09:28 PM

I wouldn't sell something I had received as a gift, but that's just me. Once dh received a gift card in a contest at work that turned out to be to a store that catered to teenagers. He was watching one young man carefully select his items and count out his money. When he got to the counter Bob handed his card to the clerk and said put this toward his bill and we walked away. We heard the kid's mom call out "thank you" after us. That was so cool.
That gift card really wasn't for anything that anyone "needs" -- it was for fun stuff.

Once a neighbor gave us a Wal-Mart gift card for watching their apt. while they were on vacation. We don't do Wal-Mart either. I struggled with that one, because I definitely do not want to support Wal-Mart. But I ended up giving it to my elderly parents who live in a town where they are pretty much held hostage by Wal-Mart -- there really isn't much else left. What finally made me do that was when I realized that Wal-Mart already had the money whether the gift card was ever used or not.

If it were me I would probably give them to the church or if I knew of someone in need I might give them directly to the person.

**leezza** · 12-27-2007, 09:37 PM

My vote would be re-gift or give to your church charity.

JMHO,
leezza

**Neeley** · 12-27-2007, 09:45 PM

In my wallet right now I have a $25 O'Charlie's, $25 Jim 'N Nick's, $25 Olive Garden, $20 Bone Fish Grill, two $15 Movie Gallery and $5 movie Gallery and I will probably never use any of them. My mom gives them to me all of the time for no reason. I have had the Olive Garden one and the Movie Gallery ones for a year, the O'Charlie's for two months, the Bone Fish for almost a year and the Jim 'N Nick's for a month. If I don't re-gift them they will probably just sit in my wallet.

I have an Applebee's Gift Cerificate that is so old (several, several years old) it is not even a gift card - it is a paper certificate. I know it is not any good anymore, but I just have not gotten around to trashing it. Oh yea - I also have $15 in "Geoffry Dollars" (Toys R Us money)from 1991.

DS got $100 and DD got $80 in WM GC from various relatives. DH and I bought them off of them since they prefer cash and we will spend that much at WM grocery shopping in a week anyway. Luckily they will use the $100 iTunes cards and the $25 Barnes & Nobles - so I won't need to buy those off of them.

**FrugalMomof3** · 12-28-2007, 08:24 AM

I could use the walmart one ... if you decide to give to charity, can I be the charity case? Seriously though.

**Missourimom** · 12-28-2007, 10:16 AM

I think I remember seeing them on ebay in the past.

**wanderlusting** · 12-28-2007, 12:46 PM

I'd give it to a battered woman's shelter or some type of aid organization.

**MelissaMarie** · 12-28-2007, 12:59 PM

I've sold them on Ebay in the past and got back most of the cost of the card. I've also sold the cards for face value to my dad. He always shops at Target, so I got some Target gift cards from my credit card company through their rewards program (since I had a high balance) and sold them to hiim for face value. I have a Wal*mart card for 40 dollars that I got this Christmas, I am thinking I'm just going to go to Wal*mart and buy 40 dollars worth of stuff with the card and just return the stuff for cash... Wal*mart supposedly will give cash back for a return even if a gift card was used for the initial purchase.

**StartingOver** · 12-28-2007, 01:03 PM

I usually will regift them or give them to someone I know that frequents that certain establishment.

I personally wouldn't sell something I had received as a gift.

I'd rather give it to someone that I know can use it and appreciate it.

I truly believe in the goodness of human nature. So I like to "PAY IT FORWARD"

**oct2667us** · 12-28-2007, 01:08 PM

I know you dont like Walmart. But if you are trying to be frugal 75 dollars of stuff for your home or can food will go a long way. Walmart already has the money. It is not hurting them if you dont use it. but if you just cant go I would just give it to a shelter or something like that. Even a friend that really needs it.