Since it’s my birthday, I thought I’d talk about something that really bugs me about gift cards.
As I’m filling up at the gas station, I look up and see a sign that reads “Give the gift they wont want to regift”. Yes, that’s right – a gift card for a gas station. Now first let me say that I’m not a huge fan of the gift card. Sure, I like getting them alright, because I can go get what I want instead of having to deal with what someone else thinks I want. I understand their appeal.
I also understand the appeal as a gift-giver, because you don’t have to put a lot of thought into the gift, and I think that’s why I don’t like them. Basically it means you don’t have to think about it a lot. You just go to the store and get a gift card, and you’re done. In a busy world, it’s very convenient. Heck, a lot of stores even offer you a selection of gift cards for other stores. It’s the very epitome of lazy shopping. The hard part is determining which card to buy.
But a gift card for gas? That’s just too much.
I can at least justify a gift card for a home store, because someone might be redoing their kitchen or bathroom and they need to purchase a sink, a toilet or even some tools. Don’t laugh – I’ve actually used this one. More than once.
Any sort of home furnishings store makes sense, because they have all sorts of useful gadgets, and I can hardly keep track of the gadgets we have here. I certainly won’t know what sort of gadgets you have, nor will I know which ones you want.
A card for an entertainment store is good for someone who consumes media, because that way they don’t have to spend the money out of their own pocket. This could also work for a movie theater, and could stretch for a date or something if you’re thinking about a single person in your life, so you could expand this to include restaurants.
But giving a gift card for gas? I understand that just about everyone needs gas. I get it. But that’s just a cop out. I would be so disappointed to get a gift card for the gas station. It would be worse than socks. The company can’t even think this is a good idea, because unlike a regular gift card that might sit unused and collect unearned income, the gas card is going to get used. It’s like the bad idea that keeps getting worse. Am I the only person who sees this?