Another sad sign of the times.
It seems like Blockbuster Video has been going bankrupt for several years now, but the end is looming larger with the chain’s end-date acceptance of gift cards.
According to multiple sources within the company and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it announcement, Blockbuster gift cards become invalid as of April 6. After that date, your piece of plastic will only be useful as a windshield ice scraper.
To avoid getting left out in the cold, you’ll want to use your card lickity split. Consider shopping close-out sales, (if you can find a brick-and-mortar outlet) or purchase online at Blockbuster.com to make the most of your gift card.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen gift cards trashed by a major chain, so here are five tips on how to avoid getting stuck in the future.
1. If you’re hearing rumors of a potential demise, research the financial stability of a company. BBB.com and Forbes Risk List are two excellent places to begin looking. Another resource isScripSmart, which provides consumer-minded information about gift-card purchases. ScripSmart also offers an alert system that pings subscribers whenever a gift-card issuer is in financial distress.
2. Avoid holding on to gift cards for small, locally owned restaurants or businesses. Their policies may change or, more likely, the recession will force them out of business.
3. If you’re not likely to use it, then don’t lose it. Sell gift cards right away on sites such as GiftCardGranny.com and get up to 95% of the cards value in cash.
4. Find out the type of bankruptcy for which the company has filed. Sometimes a company that’s filed for a Chapter 11 will ask the bankruptcy court’s permission to honor its gift cards. (Some states, like California, require firms in bankruptcy to compensate gift-card buyers.)
5. When in doubt, use a credit instead of a debit card to purchase gift cards. Then, if the retailer runs into problems, you can request your card issuer withhold payment until the matter is resolved.
Thank you for this timely info: Consumer savings expert, Andrea Woroch. She’s been featured on NBC’s Today Show, FOX & Friends, MSNBC, ABC News NOW and many more. To view recent interviews or get more information, visit
Contributing Guest Post, original over from Lipsticking.com – and we wanted to pass it along to you.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
