Gift Card Blog - ScripSmart

AJ Wright Stores Closing: Gift Cards Still Good Elsewhere

TJX Companies, Inc. has decided to close it's discount store brand AJ Wright. If you own an AJ Wright Gift Card, don't panic; it can still be redeemed at any other TJX brand: T.J.Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeWood location.

While the AJ Wright near you will certainly be gone soon, 91 of the 162 locations will be converted to a T.J.Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods. The other 71 locations will be closed entirely. The USA Today has a list of locations which will be permanently closing.

Another Reason Why Gift Cards Redeemable At Multiple Locations

ScripSmart's Gift Card Score looks favorably on gift cards which are redeemable at sister brands; not only does it give consumers flexibility as to where they spend their gift, but it also helps minimize the risk of getting stuck with a worthless gift card.

Go Use Your Gift Cards

While an AJ Wright Gift Card will still be accepted for payment, this serves as a good reminder to one of the easiest ways consumers can be smart with gift cards: use them fast.

If you've been sitting on an AJ Wright Gift Card, go out and redeem it soon! If you have other gift cards which are laying around, signing up for a ScripSmart Account to take advantage of our helpful alert system.ScripSmart can send you reminders as to when your gift card is set to expire, become worthless and monthly summaries of the gift card you own, but have not redeemed. Sign for a free account now and let us help you get the most out of your gift cards.

Anchor Blue Gift Cards Soon To Be Worthless

Denim and casual apparel retailer Anchor Blue is throwing in the towel. The West Coast-base retailer's holiday season did not prove successful enough and the chain is closing all location. Gift cards and merchandise credits will no longer be accepted after January 28th 2011, just days away.

If you're an Anchor Blue Gift Card holder, it's use it or loose it. Unfortunately, online gift card redemption is not an option, so you'll need to hop in the car and head one of the several Anchor Blue locations still open.

Warnings Signs

In May 2009, Anchor Blue Retail Group Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In August 2009, the Anchor Blue unit of Anchor Blue Retail Group Inc. was purchased by Sun Capital Partners. Now in January 2011, Anchor Blue is closing it's doors and gift card holders will be left out in the cold. It's safe to say, there were warning signs this event was going to happen.

Not Worth The Risk

When a company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, it's possible the gift cards will continue to be accepted and for several years. In fact, Chapter 11 implies the company intends to stay in business, turn things around and emerge from bankruptcy as a better business. However, such plans do not always pan out and when it comes to gift cards, a form of unsecured debt, it's simply not worth taking the chances.

Using your gift card soon is one of the best ways to be gift card smart. If a company is facing financial troubles, it's even more important to redeem that gift card. Furthermore, buying gift cards from companies which are on shaky financial ground is a sure way to end up with an expensive piece of plastic in your pocket.

ScripSmart Accounts Can Help

At ScripSmart, we understand it's not easy for most consumers to stay on top of the financial condition for each retailer which they shop. So, we've created a living list of gift cards to avoid. If you own a gift card for a company on this list, go out there and get something worthwhile for that gift card because It's possible it may see the same fact as the Anchor Blue Gift Card.

If you have trouble remembering to use your gift cards, sign up for a free ScripSmart account and take advantage of our alert system. You'll receive monthly reminders, expiration alerts and even an alert if the gift card you own is going to be worthless! Sign up now.

The $10,000 iTunes Gift Card

Gift card promotions are popular with consumers and the companies who issue them. We saw what happend with LivingSocial's Amazon.com Gift Card Promotion and now we have a different promotion by Apple which is generating some great press.

Apple has celebrated the 10 billionth download from the App Store with a free $10,000 iTunes Gift Card for one lucky customer. That customer: Gail Davis from Orpington, Kent, United Kingdom. Unfortunately, the iTunes Gift Card is not redeemable at the Apple Store or on Apple.com, so it might take some time to use the value in the iTunes Store. However, she can gift apps/songs to others.

In the end, it looks like Gail and her family will enjoy free downloads for a long time to come because the iTunes Gift Card does not expire or have any post-sale fees.

The Best Daily Deal So Far: Amazon Gift Card by LivingSocial

Last week we saw the best daily deal so far: LivingSocial's $20 Amazon Gift Card for just $10. According to LivingSocail's website, 1,301,296 people took advantage of the offer for a total of $26,025,920 worth of Amazon.com eGift Cards sold at 50% off. That's a $13,012,960 day compared to Groupon's $11 million dollar day with the Gap.

Here are a few reasons why this deal was so great and more successful than the Groupon/Gap offer:

1) It wasn't a coupon but an eGift Card just like the one you buy directly from Amazon.com.

2) The gift card carried nearly the same terms as the standard Amazon eGift Card: No fees, no expiration, free electronic delivery and the ability to add it to an amazon.com account so it will never be lost.

3) Amazon is a national retailer which carries an extremely wide assortment of products. Just about everyone can find something at Amazon.com.

We'd like to see more gift cards with the standard terms sold at a discount via daily deal sites. In fact, this may be the future of daily deal offers from large national retailers because consumers prefer a gift card with standard/great terms over a coupon with special terms.

If you missed this deal, be sure to follow @ScripSmart on Twitter or Like us on Facebook and we'll give you a heads up next time! 

US Post Office To Start Selling Gift Cards

In a move to increase revenue, the post office will start selling gift cards to consumers. The test will begin this May at about 2,000 post offices which already sell greeting cards.

According to the AP, initially only bank-issued gift cards will be sold, such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. If the test is successful, it's likely to expand the offering to include store-issued gift cards such as the Amazon Gift Card.

While this may seem a bit surprising, the test is likely to be successful by gaining the dollars of consumers who didn't purchase a gift until showing up at the post office to mail their envelope.

However, the move to sell only bank-issued gift cards is a bit odd: bank-issued gift cards charge purchase fees and while they are redeemable just about anywhere their credit card counterpart is accepted, it's seems the post office is positioning itself to compete directly against the good old fashion check-by-mail instead of offering the more personal store-issued gift cards.

If you're in the market for a bank-issued gift card, be sure to take a look at ScripSmart's list of the best visa gift cards, before you buy.

Speculation Increases: Will Borders File For Bankruptcy Protection?

In late December, Borders informed several of it's publishers their payments would be delayed. This fueled speculation the national bookstore chain is getting close to filing for bankruptcy protection.

ScripSmart has placed the Borders Gift Card on our list of gift cards to avoid for several months because we consider the company to be financially unstable. It looks like we may have been right about this one; if you own a gift card for Borders, we recommend making plans to use it soon. Keep in mind, you can also redeem it online at borders.com.

If Borders decides to file for bankruptcy protection, it's likely to file for Chapter 11 and continue to operate while it reorganizes it's finances (eliminates debt). Often times, a company in Chapter 11 will ask the Bankruptcy Court for permission to continue accepting gift cards and often that request is granted. That's good for gift card holders, but this event is a red flag to go out and use that gift card today!

Remember, ScripSmart offers a free alert system which will send you a note via email if we catch wind of a company going in the wrong direction which, in turn, puts the value of your gift card at risk. Sign up for a free account here and register your gift cards now.