$10 to mail a gift certificate
 

For several years I have given my brother a gift certificate for a nice restaurant at Christmas. People here have helped me select places in the past.

This year I decided to use a Punta Gorda, Florida restaurant that I had used a couple of years ago. I was stunned when they demanded and additional $10 to mail a $100 gift certificate.

If I wasn't close to the wire time wise, I wouldn't have done it, and I don't intent to return to the restaurant myself, in the future.

Is this something becoming common?

Keith

That's outrageous in my book, unless you requested overnight UPS delivery or something like that.
But I'm also curious. Is there a restaurant in Punta Gorda worth that?

Christmas Eve is 3 business days away. Even USPS Priority Mail shipping, which is not guaranteed, costs almost $5.

Because gift cards work the same as cash, I wouldn't be surprised if the restaurant wants to send it by a trackable, insured shipper. And because of the time crunch, UPS would be the only guaranteed solution. That runs about $7-8 for an envelope sent via UPS Ground, and I think it's perfectly reasonable for the to tack on that last $2 for handling (since it's doubtful they have a UPS pickup on site).

USPS Express will cost the same or more. USPS Priority could be shipped and insured for around $5-6, but they wouldn't guarantee holiday arrival.

The Perfect Caper, Patrick. You would know better than I, if it is worth that.

I made no rush requests and it sounded like that was the standard charge. I will be very surprised if it doesn't go regular mail.

Keith

Oh, and the certifcate is being mailed to Englewood. No reason for a special rush, even if they wait until Monday to mail it.

Keith

Wow. Looked at their website and it's pretty impressive, especially for Punta Gorda where I didn't know about anything beyond the Fisherman's Village caliber. The $48 rack of lamb sure sounds good.

But charging $10 to put your gift certificate in an envelope and mail with a 42 cent stamp locally really seems like a rip off to me!

Here's an idea...

Send a check for $100 to your brother and specify that it be used for that restaurant.

Better yet, make the check for $110 minus the 42 cents for a stamp.

This last August, my wife and I were in Denver and celebrated our anniversary at a very nice restaurant. When we asked for the check, the waiter told us that a major part of the bill had already been paid by our daughter and son per a prior phone conversation one of them had with the restaurant. I guess they gave credit card numbers for the amount of the gift.

Not to get into an "I can top this" conversation....but I was going to buy DS's SO a gift card for her local upscale shopping mall. They wanted a 10% fee, so as I was going to buy a $200 gift card, they were going to charge $220 *and* they do that even if you buy it in person!!

Someone has figured out that there is a way to milk gift card purchasers as your and my experience show. I was lucky, I shopped early and decided to pass on their gouging and bought elsewhere. You were close to the wire as you say, something they are counting on. :(

.... and we're all being warned to be very careful this year giving gift card.

Many stores/establishments are selling gift cards assuming they won't be around in a few months.

<i>Many stores/establishments are selling gift cards assuming they won't be around in a few months.

And even if they aren't <i>assuming</i>they won't be around, they won't be...not a good year for gift cards, IMHO.</i>

I also would not buy a gift card right now unless it was somehow discounted like a $50 gift card for $40.

If it is $50 for a $50 gift card, I'll just give cash with a recommendation that they use it in a particular store. But it would also be OK if they spend it elsewhere.

A lot of our local restaurants are offering a $20 or $25 gift cert with every $100 worth of GCs you purchase.

<i>A lot of our local restaurants are offering a $20 or $25 gift cert with every $100 worth of GCs you purchase.</i>

So instead of just having a worthless $100 gift card, you'll have $125 worth of worthless cards :-) (let's hope not, but in any event, spend 'em quickly).

Even with businesses not closing up, gift cards have always been known to be a big boon to business for merchants. A fair number of them get lost or forgotten and never used -- a huge source of &quot;found cash&quot; for the business. And many others will use something like 75 or 80% of the value, get a credit for the rest and then never use that either. Still others will spend the full amount, but it will be a lot more than they'd normally spend if they went there on their own (which they probably wouldn't have done without the gift card to begin with!)

The idea that a business would charge EXTRA to buy one of their own giftcards is really mind boggling.

I refuse to buy gift cetificates/cards. My grandsons are at the age (young male adults) that rather then trying to figure out what to buy for them and knowing that in the past they have not used GC given to them by other family members for one reason or another I give them cash. I always wrap it in some type of box or container so it is not obvious that I am giving them cash although I am sure they figure that is what they are receiving.

And I have known people that have received GC's for restaurants, manicures,spas etc. and within one month when they went to use the GC the business was out of business.

Charging you $10.00 to mail a GC to your brother is a ripoff imo Keith.

There is a cost to the business in processing and mailing gift cards, beyond the isolated out of pocket expense of mailing/shipping. There is an element of labor time embodied in each act of processing and mailing the cards. I doubt many businesses have unpaid volunteers who perform that function. And, most smaller retailers would not sell a volume large enough to automate the process (which would, in turn, embody an added cost for the machine(s))

If the service charge is too steep for your taste, why not forgo the service and the smears?

For the record, I detest the use of gift cards. They do carry the risk of loss, the establishment failing and non-use. I only purchase if discounted, or if widely accepted, such as an American Express gift card (if sold at par).

Merry Christmas.

We received quite a few gift cards this year including JCPenney, Macys, Target, &amp; Barnes &amp; Noble.

We made sure we spent them right away, as who knows if several of those chains will be in business, or at least keep their local stores open come the new year (esp worried about the 1st two).

We were quite disappointed to find out that the Macy's GC isn't the same as cash - you can't use it with certain sale merchandise, and there are other restrictions. A load of BS in my mind. B&amp;N we will continue to use &amp; buy as gifts for nephews/neices &amp; school friends, but definitely staying away from others that may disappear.

I didn't jump in to smear them, hmmm. Didn't even mention their name until someone asked. And even he didn't ask from the standpoint of saying not to go there. but to know if there was a place in that price range in Punta Gorda.

Keith

&quot;smears&quot;? What?

This is a travel website. If someone reports a problem with being overcharged at a hotel or receiving inferior service at a restaurant and mentions the name of it -- is that a smear?

Part of the value of this website is to provide information to others. Honesty SHOULD prevail. And as Keith says, clearly he didn't even mention the name of the place until I asked. That's hardly a smear.

And I'm still waiting to see or understand why a business which has just been given $100 in business feels it's necessary to charge $10 for the stamp and envelope and the 10 seconds of time it would take to address it. Your first paragraph to describe that in this situation is really a lot of BS in my book, hmmm. And I say that as a long time business owner.

It seems that the OP is not complaining about the fee. Or shouldn't be complaining: he paid it.

The OP was simply asking if this kind of fee is becoming common.

I can answer that by saying that if people continue to pay the fee then it will become common.

I have the opposite problem. I recently bought some restaurant gift certificates on restaurants.com. $25 gift cert goes for $10. 80% off sale reduces that to $2. Such a deal.

I believe the most recent coupon code to use at checkout was SANTA (80%) or THANKS (70%)(tip from txtravelpro)

hmmmm, if it's so isolated an instance that it isn't worth automating, it's also isolated enough that someone can address an envelope in their downtime. Are you telling me the manager or maitre d' is busy 100% of the time? Just bad vibe and should be bad for business (won't be, but should be).

Businesses spend huge amounts of money advertising in the newpaper, TV, and radio, HOPING to get customers. In the case of a gift certificate, they not only get a guaranteed customer, they get paid in advance. And if the person doesn't ever show up, they get to keep the advance payment in addition to any interest earned. Their return on that card, stamp, envelope and labor is huge.

You gotta figure that there is a reason that Wal Mart has dozens of cute and distinctive gift cards (FREE!) for you to choose from and load up with cash!

I'm glad you pointed out this new tactic, Keith. Hope you let management know you won't be patronizing them in the future.

If the customer doesn't EVER show up, they get to keep way more than the value of the card plus interest -- because they also don't have the costs involved with provided the product or service; it's all profit.

It's pretty funny that I just now opened this thread as I just returned home from using a gift card at Barnes and Noble. I had the certificate for three years and it was still good for it's full value!
The clerk told me that there is never an extra charge for their gift cards and they are good forever. Hooray for Barnes and Noble!!

I never said the OP smeared anyone. I was refering to the body of the thread. However, when one suggests that he won't patronize the establishment again because of the charge he is suggesting something was improper (or improvident) about it. Still, calling it a &quot;rip-off&quot; and the &quot;Perfect Caper,&quot; connote criminality or immoral practices.

There's an awful lot of hyperventilating about the charge which was clearly disclosed ahead of time, and, voluntarily paid by the customer. Can one really get &quot;stunned&quot; and &quot;outraged&quot; about that exchange that was freely entered without coercion?

Do we need to suppose about &quot;deadtime&quot; some poor employee was squandering so we can get outraged about the restaurant charging for that hypothetical underworked employee's services?

I'v had a very successful business for many years furnishing professional advice to businesses. I don't sell gift cards; I don't even accept credit cards. I don't impugn the motives and morality of folks who employ business methods I don't understand or don't embrace. If I don't like the terms of a proposed transaction, I refrain from engaging in it. I'm happy to still have the choice.

I hope the OP's brother enjoys the restaurant and appreciates the sacrifice his sibling made on his behalf. Merry Christmas

I didn't read the other answers, however, when I was told about a similar charge the service rep explained that the fee includes insurance in case the certificate falls into the wrong hands.

&quot;Still, calling it a &quot;rip-off&quot; and the &quot;Perfect Caper,&quot; connote criminality or immoral practices.&quot;

Huh?

No. Calling it &quot;Perfect Caper&quot; is just proper. That is the name of the restaurant!

LOL

Perhaps it's a good time for a Rosanne Roseannadanna mea culpa re Perfect Caper

&quot;Nevermind&quot;

And, calling it a &quot;rip-off&quot; and the practice &quot;gouging&quot; is what? Feigned &quot;victimhood,&quot; perhaps?

hmmmm, in the current economic times, in my humble opinion, a restaurant selling a $100 gift card and then charging $10 extra to mail it locally is a RIP OFF. In my book, they should be glad someone is willing to even buy one without a discount these days. You can call it good will, a slight inconvenience, a worthwhile charge, or anything else you want. I'll call it what I believe it to be, thank you.

You are right that the OP didn't have to accept the terms and if you read you will see he never blamed them for anything. He was so dumbfounded by the charge he went ahead and paid it. That doesn't mean he must forfeit his right to discuss the charges, does it? Well, maybe in your world it does.

NP: Very glad that the forum exists to have the discussion. As I've said, if the charge doesn't agree with you, don't pay it. No sense getting the vapors about it. Nice to have a sense of proportion.

Silly, stupid charge.
Silly for OP to have paid it, but stupid for others to try to justify the restaurant's rip-off.

I have given gift certificates to resturants for both Christmas and Anniversary gifts and I have never been charged anything to send it to the recipient and they have always gotten there quickly.

Now that the charge has been identified as a &quot;rip-off&quot; by the wise and gifted who are uniquely qualified to make decisions for us, let's have some bureaucrat with big, manly arms protect us from our own tendencies to make poor choices and ban the practice for the good of personkind.

I like to give and receive gift cards but was surprised this week when I purchased a GC for a teacher atv a local mall. Any store in our mall honors it for 100% value for 12 months and then starts deducting percentages from it. After 20 months, it's null and void. PLUS.....they tacked on a $2 service charge to the card. Augh!!

My opinion, I can see you going along with the $10.00 extra fee Keith because the GC to their restaurant is what you wanted to give your brother for Christmas. But I would have been ticked off too regarding their extra fee. Sometimes we pay an extra expense due to circumastances but that doesn't mean we are pleased about the extra fee. I can't help but think about the airlines charging for checking a bag, their fuel charges and their other charges for drinks, water, food etc. But often we bite the bullet but that doesn't mean we are happy about it. Anyway I sure understand your thinking.

I don't even think the fees are as bad as the factg that so many cards decrease in value if they are not used in a certain amount of time. They were paid full price for the card and decreasing the value really does seem like a rip off. I know some states are not allowing this practice.