Anyone else find those Amex/Visa giftcards more trouble than their worth?

[aphex]

Every store I try to use them in, the cashiers always have problems ringing them up. The last two stores we used them in, took about 5 rings through the register before they went through.

Anyone else run into these problems?

 

[Gibson486]

My gf got one and it kept getting denied everywhere. There was still $50 on the card, but no register seemed to like it.

 

[SoulAssassin]

I've got like $6 left on one I was going to use to buy gas but they don't work at the pumps. PITA

 

[StevenYoo]

I made a purchase for like $46 on amazon.com using a $50 amex gift card, i just cut the card up and tossed it after that.

and yes, it's a major PITA to use them online if you're making a purchase over the card balance.

 

[Squisher]

I agree, is suck.

Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. I wouldn't have thought it would take them this long to fix whatever problems they were having, but they're as flaky as the crust on my wife's apple pie.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: StevenYoo
I made a purchase for like $46 on amazon.com using a $50 amex gift card, i just cut the card up and tossed it after that.

and yes, it's a major PITA to use them online if you're making a purchase over the card balance.

You used it online?? I always thought you couldn't because the address wasn't tied to the card.

 

[StevenYoo]

Originally posted by: aphex

Originally posted by: StevenYoo
I made a purchase for like $46 on amazon.com using a $50 amex gift card, i just cut the card up and tossed it after that.

and yes, it's a major PITA to use them online if you're making a purchase over the card balance.

You used it online?? I always thought you couldn't because the address wasn't tied to the card.

yeah I was able to use it like a regular credit card online, as long as I kept the purchase under or at the card value

 

[Gooberlx2]

I've never had any problems with them. Every now and then my wife can hire me to do an odd job for the store she manages. It's less work and corporate red tape for her to just write an expense report and then pay me with a giftcard.

 

[Exterous]

Not a fan of them at all. You have to go through a song and a dance to find out the balance, plus a lot of them charge fees just for getting the card

 

[paulney]

I have a $50 Amex giftcard sitting in the drawer, but I can't use it - the paper wrap which had the pin code is lost, and cashiers refuse to accept it without a pin code.
Don't know what to do about it.

 

[RichieZ]

i hate these, nothing but trouble trying to use them

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: paulney
I have a $50 Amex giftcard sitting in the drawer, but I can't use it - the paper wrap which had the pin code is lost, and cashiers refuse to accept it without a pin code.
Don't know what to do about it.

Is it really old or something? I didn't use any pin code with mine, just swipe it like a credit card.

 

[paulney]

It's a couple of years old. It's my wife's actually, not mine. I think what she wanted to do was just turn it into cash, and they requested a pin.
Maybe I could try again and swipe it.

 

[BarneyFife]

Never understood giftcards. Just give cash to someone.

 

[TheNetAnalyst]

I've worked in retail and the restaurant business for 5 years and those cards are the biggest pain in butt. They never work and all the customers get pissed off and flip out. Don't buy one!

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: BarneyFife
Never understood giftcards. Just give cash to someone.

Gift cards are more personal. When someone just gives me cash, I feel like they are simply paying me out of obligation. I didn't feel like this until I got a little older though and realized what the purpose was behind the gift.