Gift cards are impersonal but often practical

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    I wish I could say that I started my Christmas shopping early, but I didn’t.
    Like most males, I procrastinate when it comes to unpleasant tasks. I think it’s in our genes.

    I know some people enjoy the mall mobs during Christmas shopping. I don’t. I prefer to take a list, hit the stores early in the day and sneak things back into the house when my wife least suspects it.
    For these reasons and many others, I’m getting a few gift cards again this year.
    I know that some people turn their noses up at the thought of giving an impersonal piece of plastic instead of a “real” gift. If so, you’re fighting a losing battle.
    According to a recent Darren Fishell “Widgets and Digits” column in the Bangor Daily News, predictions on gift card use this year show a dramatic increase.
    Some marketing firms claim that gift cards will make up more than half of the holiday spending this year while another says that sales will jump 20 percent between now and 2016 because people “are getting more comfortable and feeling less guilty about asking for and giving gift cards.”
    From a practical standpoint, gift cards make a lot of sense when you’ve got relatives scattered all over the country. We have a daughter and family in Farmingdale, a son in Westbrook, another daughter and family in California and a granddaughter in Vermont.
    So we compromise. For the past few years, we’ve gotten a medium-value gift along with a medium-priced gift card for everybody. That way, when we’re gathered around the Christmas tree somewhere, the kids can open a “real” present and get the bonus of a gift card.
    I did learn a few lessons about gift cards over the years, however.
    When you buy a MasterCard or Visa gift card, there’s a charge on top of the face value. I think it’s about $5. That doesn’t sound like much, but I don’t think it makes sense to pay a 20 percent premium for a $25 gift card.
    If I get a retail or restaurant gift card, I try to make sure that there’s an outlet near their home. That sounds like a no-brainer if you live in central Maine, but more of challenge if you live in Vermont. So if I’m going to send out a Sears, J.C. Penney or Ruby Tuesday gift card, I make sure they don’t have to drive 100 miles to spend it.
    Beware of buying gift cards from companies that show up in the news frequently, usually for bad reasons. When you read about a firm that’s cutting its workforce drastically, closing stores or reporting huge losses, think twice before you buy one of their gift cards.
    If they go bankrupt, you’re at the bottom of the claims list. If the company is sold, they may redeem your cards. Or they may not. It’s the old “buyer beware” scenario.
    One final suggestion: Do your Christmas shopping close to home. The malls don’t need your money. Local merchants have plenty of gifts at reasonable prices. And they also sell gift cards.
    Mike Lange is a staff writer with the Piscataquis Observer. His opinions are his own and don’t necessarily reflect those of this newspaper.