FROM:
HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE:
NOVEMBER 27, 2012
RE: PRESS RELEASE – TIPS FOR BUYING GIFT CARDS
Shopping
for gifts can be a real dilemma. Gift cards may be the answer, as recipients
can get exactly what they want from a retailer or restaurant. The Ulster County
District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs offers these tips when
shopping for gift cards:
-
Buy
from sources you know and trust;
-
Read
the fine print before you buy. Is there a fee to buy the card? If you don’t
like the terms and conditions, buy elsewhere;
-
See
whether any fees will be deducted from the card after you purchase it;
-
Inspect
the card before you buy it. Has it been tampered with in any way?;
-
Give
the recipient your original receipt so they can verify the card’s purchase in case
it is lost or stolen;
-
Consider
the financial condition of the retailer or restaurant (if the business closes a
store near the recipient, it may be hard to find another location where the
card can be used).
The
Division of Consumer Affairs can be reached at 340-3260.
