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Post by elaine on Mar 19, 2023 23:49:50 GMT
***DISCLAIMER: this is a first-world self-centered vent on my part!***
As a teacher, I received a number of Visa Gift cards for the holidays. I’m finally getting around to trying to spend them. There are some swim suits I want to buy at Land’s End and a pair of shoes at ShoeMall. I cannot use the gift cards at Lands End because none of them is enough $ by itself to purchase what I’d like (3 $50 visa gift cards). And Lands End won’t allow me to buy a LandsEnd gift card with a visa gift card. Same with the shoes.
I will end up adding them to my Amazon account, I guess, but Amazon doesn’t carry the swimsuits, nor the shoes.
I sincerely appreciate the generosity of my students’ families and sent thank you cards right away.
And, this is exactly why I never gift Visa Gift Cards. No one online takes them save for Amazon, unless you have a purchase less than what they are worth and even then some won’t take them at all. I don’t have time right now to shop in brick and mortar stores, and since I need “Talls” most stores make me order online for that size range.
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Nanner
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,960 
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Post by Nanner on Mar 19, 2023 23:54:12 GMT
I hate them too. We went out for dinner years ago and used one to partially pay. They wouldn't accept it because it wouldn't cover the whole meal.
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Post by krys on Mar 19, 2023 23:56:13 GMT
Maybe use them on groceries and then use the money you would use for groceries on the swimsuit? I am grateful for them but sometimes they feel like a chore. I have a few in my wallet right now. It would be nice if visa would allow me to transfer the money to my visa debit.
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Post by katlady on Mar 20, 2023 0:04:39 GMT
I don’t like them because you have to know the exact balance remaining on them so that the cashier can enter that amount. I was lucky and got a nice cashier once who was willing to try a bunch of different amounts until we hit the right one and the card was accepted.
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 20, 2023 0:29:50 GMT
I use the to pay a bill online and then take that money to wherever I want to spend it
I think they mean well and think you can then pick where you want to use them.
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Post by elaine on Mar 20, 2023 0:36:43 GMT
I use the to pay a bill online and then take that money to wherever I want to spend it I think they mean well and think you can then pick where you want to use them. I know that they truly mean well. And only show them gratitude. Dh has everything set up for bill pay automatically out of our bank account, so I don’t know how that would work for us - I will look into it. Will utility companies take gift cards for less than the amount in payment? |
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Post by myshelly on Mar 20, 2023 0:52:09 GMT
You have to find a cashier who knows how to use them.
You have to say you want to do a split payment and put $x amount on this card with x being the exact balance of the gift card.
It can really be a pain in the ass, but it can be done.
I don’t like those gift cards, either.
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Post by elaine on Mar 20, 2023 1:05:52 GMT
You have to find a cashier who knows how to use them. You have to say you want to do a split payment and put $x amount on this card with x being the exact balance of the gift card. It can really be a pain in the ass, but it can be done. I don’t like those gift cards, either. I know that you are correct. As mentioned above, I simply don’t shop in brick-and-mortars anymore because I leave for work at 7:30 am and don’t get home until 6 pm. I will grocery shop in-person on Saturdays (at Costco, BJs, or TJs), but everything else is online (including delivery for groceries I forgot). It was my birthday this past week and I wanted to treat myself to some goodies we couldn’t normally fit into the budget and was just frustrated to find that I couldn’t use the gift cards that I had saved. I also know that this is TOTALLY a first world problem and that I am looking a gift horse in the mouth. Very much a selfish vent on my part. |
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Post by katlady on Mar 20, 2023 1:18:52 GMT
I know that you are correct. As mentioned above, I simply don’t shop in brick-and-mortars anymore because I leave for work at 7:30 am and don’t get home until 6 pm. I will grocery shop in-person on Saturdays (at Costco, BJs, or TJs), but everything else is online (including delivery for groceries I forgot). It was my birthday this past week and I wanted to treat myself to some goodies we couldn’t normally fit into the budget and was just frustrated to find that I couldn’t use the gift cards that I had saved. So you were trying to make split payments on-line? I know that can be difficult. I am sorry you couldn't buy what you wanted, but I would just apply those cards to the times when you do shop in person on Saturdays (I am sure it won't be a problem at TJ), and then use my own funds for my birthday gifts to myself. And I love Amazon credit because there is always something I can find on Amazon. |
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Post by padresfan619 on Mar 20, 2023 1:19:12 GMT
Visa gift cards are so irritating. I’m sorry you can’t get what you want and it’s super annoying that you can’t use them to buy lands end gift cards!
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Post by buddysmom on Mar 20, 2023 1:20:31 GMT
Plus it costs more to buy them.
A couple of years ago my husband bought me a Visa gift card at Target.
It was a $50 one and cost him $55.
I have a Target red card and $50 worth of stuff at Target would have cost me $47.50 instead of $55.
Many years ago, you had to call them to get the balance and they would charge you for that "service."
You had to know the exact amount to pay on your purchase.
I don't know if that has changed but I will never buy one.
If I don't know what to get and want to get a gift card it will be Amazon or Target, etc.
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Post by twistedscissors on Mar 20, 2023 1:20:35 GMT
I had a $200 one that I used on vacation last fall. I used it only at restaurants so I could make it an even amount with the tip. That made it easy to keep track how much was left. BUT at the last restaurant I told the waitress to run it for exactly $51 which was the balance and she said it would only take like $47.58 as the amount??? Ugh. Sure enough when I checked balance there was a little over $3 left. 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
They are a pain to use.
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Post by Restless Spirit on Mar 20, 2023 1:29:27 GMT
I agree they are a royal pain.
The rebate I received for buying a years worth of my dogs heart worm prevention medicine was a Visa card. During Covid, I never left the house and DH only went to work and back. Trying to use those stupid things for internet shopping was a lesson in futility. To add insult to injury, they had an expiration date, so I lost the rebate amount. Years later, I talked to a banker about how hard those cards were to use. She told me that the major problem was an issue with bank that was issuing the cards - a lot of institutions will not take those types of Visa prepaids and rebates. I don’t even bother to get the rebates anymore. It’s just not worth the trouble.
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janeinbama
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,170
Location: Alabama
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Post by janeinbama on Mar 20, 2023 1:31:27 GMT
I don’t like them either. You might try calling Lands End to buy your swimsuits. Their customer service used to be fabulous.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Mar 20, 2023 1:54:48 GMT
They are truly terrible.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 20, 2023 2:00:37 GMT
I don’t like them either. You might try calling Lands End to buy your swimsuits. Their customer service used to be fabulous. This was what I was going to say too. I wonder if you actually called and talked to a human to place the order by phone if you would have been able to split the payment to get what you wanted. Those cards are such a pain unless you can use the whole thing in one whack. I always would end up with a weird amount leftover that I could never remember, plus once you start using it they sometimes start dinging you with service fees every month after that until it’s whittled away to nothing. Now anytime I get one of those cards (which I usually get as a rebate for dog preventative meds), if I end up with a weird balance I just load it onto my Amazon account right away so I can be done with it. |
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Post by mcjunkin on Mar 20, 2023 2:02:49 GMT
Can you add them to Amazon and buy Land's End gift cards from Amazon, then use that to buy your swimsuit at LE?
Yes, going around your arse to get to your elbow......but......
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Post by katlady on Mar 20, 2023 2:20:26 GMT
Can you add them to Amazon and buy Land's End gift cards from Amazon, then use that to buy your swimsuit at LE? Yes, going around your arse to get to your elbow......but...... Yes, just checked! You can buy a Land's End GC on Amazon! |
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Post by jillonthehill on Mar 20, 2023 2:55:41 GMT
Thank you for venting!
I never knew you could use them at Amazon. I've been sitting on $75 for two years because its rare that I buy anything in a real store and if I do I never have them along.
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,402
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Mar 20, 2023 3:23:05 GMT
Visa cards are a pain. I just turn them into Amazon gift cards. Bonus is that when you “buy” $100 Amazon often gives you $10 extra.
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 20, 2023 3:34:14 GMT
I use the to pay a bill online and then take that money to wherever I want to spend it I think they mean well and think you can then pick where you want to use them. I know that they truly mean well. And only show them gratitude. Dh has everything set up for bill pay automatically out of our bank account, so I don’t know how that would work for us - I will look into it. Will utility companies take gift cards for less than the amount in payment? you can make a payment in the interim and then it will only take out the remaining balance if there is one. For instance, Verizon is an autopsy, but after the bill is posted but before it is due I can pay part of it with the visa gc. |
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milocat
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,421
Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
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Post by milocat on Mar 20, 2023 3:43:03 GMT
Maybe use them on groceries and then use the money you would use for groceries on the swimsuit? I am grateful for them but sometimes they feel like a chore. I have a few in my wallet right now. It would be nice if visa would allow me to transfer the money to my visa debit. My kids got Visa gift cards on year for Christmas. They went to use them a few months later and there wasn't the full amount on there. Charging monthly fees doesn'tseem right. The next year they got them again from the same person and I took them and used them at the grocery store before the end of the month. I gave them cash. Gone and done. |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Mar 20, 2023 5:01:14 GMT
I’ve only had one and luckily I found out about using them to add to your Amazon account. They are a pain.
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PaperAngel
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,297
Jun 27, 2014 23:04:06 GMT
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Post by PaperAngel on Mar 20, 2023 6:26:12 GMT
Same! My solution is to immediately donate them.
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Post by vsimone on Mar 20, 2023 7:23:41 GMT
I feel your pain. I currently have about seven cards with varying amounts in my purse. I've got a note set up on phone with the amounts left on each one, and I'm making an effort to use them up when I buy groceries because some are at least two years old. I have some horrible ones issued by Australia Post that look like regular debit cards but they can't be used online and only some stores accept them. Hate them, but love the people that gave them to me.
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Post by AussieMeg on Mar 20, 2023 11:50:57 GMT
I'm surprised that you're saying you can't use them online except for Amazon. I've used them online. I have also partially paid for something and paid the balance with my normal card. This is from the US Visa site: Maybe use them on groceries and then use the money you would use for groceries on the swimsuit? I had $1300 worth of gift cards that could only be used at a supermarket, cheap department store, and alcohol store. I wanted to use them to buy an Apple gift card to put towards a new MacBook, but you can't buy a gift card with a gift card. (I wish it was $1300 worth of Visa gift cards!) So I am doing exactly what you suggested. I am using them to buy groceries, then putting the money that I would have used for those groceries into a savings account. |
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Post by katiejane on Mar 20, 2023 12:30:25 GMT
May be it's a USA thing. I have used them online and in store, no problem. I have part paid, maybe call the customer services line and explain the issue and ee if they can put it through.
Money laundering rules are a pain in the backside when you want to move legal money and buy something.
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Post by Bridget in MD on Mar 20, 2023 12:47:54 GMT
I had a $200 one that I used on vacation last fall. I used it only at restaurants so I could make it an even amount with the tip. That made it easy to keep track how much was left. BUT at the last restaurant I told the waitress to run it for exactly $51 which was the balance and she said it would only take like $47.58 as the amount??? Ugh. Sure enough when I checked balance there was a little over $3 left. 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️ They are a pain to use. There are (were?) some that would degrade over time if you didn't use them. Like $6 every month if you used/activated it, and then if you held on to it, it would deduct a monthly "service fee". Such bullshit. My parents would get them thru their credit card and give them to us for gifts. It was really nice of them, but they were SO hard to use, that I finally asked her to please NOT. Or, I'd get them use it right away for groceries so I knew Id use the whole amount, and then buy what I really wanted from a different store with the money intended to be from the gift card. It also pisses me off that you have to buy it and pay an activation fee. It also used to be that some had a fee for every transaction, if you didn't use it all up. Such a freaking racket. |
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Post by Bridget in MD on Mar 20, 2023 12:53:11 GMT
May be it's a USA thing. I have used them online and in store, no problem. I have part paid, maybe call the customer services line and explain the issue and ee if they can put it through. Money laundering rules are a pain in the backside when you want to move legal money and buy something. I purchased a VCC for my Swedish friend when she was getting married and they couldn't use them in Sweden. This was also in 2009 or so, so hopefully things have changed! |
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Post by hop2 on Mar 20, 2023 14:13:28 GMT
You have to find a cashier who knows how to use them. You have to say you want to do a split payment and put $x amount on this card with x being the exact balance of the gift card. It can really be a pain in the ass, but it can be done. I don’t like those gift cards, either. I know that you are correct. As mentioned above, I simply don’t shop in brick-and-mortars anymore because I leave for work at 7:30 am and don’t get home until 6 pm. I will grocery shop in-person on Saturdays (at Costco, BJs, or TJs), but everything else is online (including delivery for groceries I forgot). It was my birthday this past week and I wanted to treat myself to some goodies we couldn’t normally fit into the budget and was just frustrated to find that I couldn’t use the gift cards that I had saved. I also know that this is TOTALLY a first world problem and that I am looking a gift horse in the mouth. Very much a selfish vent on my part. can you go online at visa & add them all to one? I think I did that once |
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