Gee, Thanks

Umbra on gift cards 10

Dear Umbra,

I received a gift card this holiday season from a friend to a company which I generally avoid due to its subpar eco-practices. Since my friend has already given the money to this company, do I forgo my moral objections and use the card, or is there another way I can make the most of this generosity without sacrificing my beliefs?

B.S.
San Diego, Calif.

Dearest B.S.,

Alea jacta est. Your gift card is akin to scrip. If it is not redeemed, the store will be the one receiving a money-for-nothing gift. Which is probably worse than a money-for-something purchase. Your choices are to shop wisely, to regift, to be weasely, and/or to shop under protest.

Register your discontent.

Gift cards are the perfect gift from the giver and retailer standpoint. From a giver’s perspective, it’s like thoughtful cash. Retailers like gift cards as they frequently are either completely unredeemed or partially redeemed. Two factoids from Consumer Reports: unused gift cards amounted to $8 billion in 2006, and in that same year Best Buy estimated earning $43 million from unredeemed cards.

So the first part of shopping wisely at your sub-eco store is to keep its windfall profits down by fully redeeming the gift card. At the store (or online), buy something good. Buy something you need that will last years, contains no poisons or vinyl, maybe something with an eco-pedigree, maybe something to reduce your ecological footprint. Calculate your spending to the penny in order to avoid giving the store extra money above the gift card amount (or see “weaseling,” below).

If you cannot bear to set foot—or internet browser—in this unnamed, offensive establishment (we all want to know what it is!), convert your scrip into a donation to a worthy cause. Regift the card. Give it to a friend who needs it, or to an organization that works with poor families. Or call said organization, ask what they need, and buy it for them using the gift card. A good deed to counter those subpar eco-practices.

Now, because you live in California, you have an opportunity to be slightly weasely. In California, a retailer must refund the remaining balance of a gift card for cash if the value on the card is $10 or less (an option also available in Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, and Vermont, though the minimum amounts vary slightly). If it would give you satisfaction, you can do your ecologically and morally correct shopping and purposefully spend up to $10 less than the amount of the gift card. You then would demand the cash refund, hence diddling the company out of $10. Woohoo!

Here is the protest part: No matter which combination of my shopping tips (or none of the above) you choose, feel free to also write a letter to the company expressing your moral discontent.

Ah, gift cards. Your friend only meant to give you a nice bit of extra “cash,” and look at the dilemma you are in. That’s why I give everyone gold Krugerrands.

Sympathetically,
Umbra

 

Yours is to wonder why, hers is to answer (or try). Send your green-living questions to Umbra.

Umbra Fisk is Grist Research Associate II, Hardcover and Periodicals Unit, floors 2B-4B.

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  1. sje333 Posted 3:33 am
    21 Jan 2009

    How about putting it on Craigslist?If you sell the card on Craigslist or eBay, someone who would have otherwise handed cash to the store uses your gift card.  80 cents on the dollar is a typical price you can get for gift cards at the big-box retailers (so $40 for a $50 card).  I've done this several times.
    The obvious downside is that the buyer is getting a 20% discount on a new 8-foot-tall PVC inflatable snowman/snow globe from Wal-Mart.

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  2. topsymax13 Posted 5:56 am
    21 Jan 2009

    Find a gift card amnesty programOne of our local bookstores takes any and all gift cards, no matter where they came from.  Ask around at your local businesses to see if any of them have the same policy.

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  3. Wrightsfd Posted 6:11 am
    21 Jan 2009

    Exchange it onlineWell, there is another option that Umbra overlooked and that is a gift card exchange website.  It will not stop the money from going to the store you dislike (I'm the same as you in this respect as I avoid Wal-Mart's all around greed, and Macy's for what they did to Marshall Fields) as it has already been handed over to them.  It will however allow you to dollar-for-dollar trade for a gift card you will feel less guilty about using.  Try the following:
    http://www.cardavenue.com/

    http://www.giftcardrescue.com/

    http://www.stargiftcardexchange.com/
    I once got a gift card for a store that was 1500 miles from my house.  Duh.

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  4. Corey McKrill's avatar

    Corey McKrill Posted 6:22 am
    21 Jan 2009

    Assist the retailer in being socially progressivesince you know they won't do it on their own.  Buy something that you can donate to a good cause.  Canned goods for the food bank.  Clothing for a homeless shelter.
    If you buy something that you can hand to people on the street, you'll get the personal satisfaction of watching their eyes light up when you give it to them.

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  5. redambrosia99 Posted 2:04 am
    22 Jan 2009

    "Other" bankCheck to see if there is an "other" bank (toilet paper, shampoo, soap, feminine supplies, etc) or a "baby" bank (diapers and formula) in your area and spend the gift-card on that.  There's plenty in need who would be grateful for your generosity.

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  6. ten4leafclovers Posted 8:44 am
    22 Jan 2009

    On Unwanted Giftcards....givecards.orgI have recently found the website http://www.Givecards.org.  This organization takes your unwanted or unused gift cards and turns their remaining balance into cash, which is then donated to one of four selected charities.  Right now the charities are Blood:Water Mission, The American Red Cross, The American Heart Association, and The Salvation Army. An estimated $8 billion is lost a year due to small balances unused or forgotten on gift cards.  If you have a gift card with a remaining balance more than the cost of posting (which is free for you, paid by the organization), givecards.org is a great way to donate the remaining balance.    

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  7. MeowAllieCat Posted 5:16 am
    23 Jan 2009

    The same thing happened to me...I decided to use the gift card on soymilk, tofu, and organic veggies, to encourage Hel*Mart to stock these environmentally- and morally minded products. You have at least a year until it expires, so you can use it whenever you run out of those. I considered giving away the card, but figured that other people would just use it for planet/animal exploiting products.

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  8. mtvyfan's avatar

    mtvyfan Posted 1:46 am
    27 Jan 2009

    I'm betting the card is to Mall-WartThat sounds like the most likely suspect to me.
    On the bright side, if you look really hard and are a diligent label reader, they do carry some organic products. Just be sure to check for the USDA organic label or some other organic certifier, because according to http://www.cornucopia.com they have been known to use their "organic" shelf tag on items that are natural, not organic. Caveat Emptor!

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  9. dandel Posted 12:38 am
    29 Jan 2009

    Givecards.orgSeems like a good idea, but their website is pretty sparse.  I wish they had a FAQ on how exactly they convert the cards they receive into cash (is it a 100% conversion of the card balance?) and whether donating cards to them counts as a charitable contribution.  Unless I missed it, I didn't even see a way to contact them with questions.  I like the idea, but some more transparency would be nice.

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  10. cckid Posted 3:35 am
    06 Feb 2009

    How about this?There's actually this web site called MonsterGiftCard.com and instead of using the card for something you don't want, you can trade it in for another card from a store you agree with or you can even sell it.
    Everything is guaranteed and official.

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