Comments on: Gift Cards: Do You Know Your Rights?

By: admin

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:34:48 +0000

Cam- I am going to be doing a legal rights and holiday post. I will update the gift card and the gym membership posts I have posted on in the past. Thanks for the tip and the comments.

By: Cam Birch

Cam Birch — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:02:32 +0000

Could you update this article with more recent information? I know at least Alberta has introduced some legislation with respect to gift cards and this article has much more detailed gift card information than sources such as the news.

By: Thicken My Wallet » Blog Archive » Holiday gift giving: how much is too much?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:02:54 +0000

[...] I also noticed that my Avion points can be redeemed for a gift cards to a wide variety of retailers. While the conversion rate is not great (for example, 3,000 points for a $25 Starbucks gift card), it can also be another way to buy presents for people, either giving the gift-card directly or using it to buy a variety of presents from the store that issues the gift card, without cash out of pocket. Just remember your legal rights concerning gift cards. [...]

By: admin

admin — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:46:36 +0000

Heather- if you sold the gift card prior to Nov. 1, 2007, then you are legally allowed to state an expiry date on said card. As a business owner, its your call to honor a gift card expired for a year. Having said that, if she appears to be a one-off client shopping on price, it may not make prudent business sense to bend over backwards for her. Just my 2 cents but your call.

JJ- GST is not charged on gift cards at time of purchase. The tax issues is completely separate than whether her industry is exempt from charging GST. I would take the receipt back to the salon and ask for the GST back or to add the amount of the GST to the gift card. If they refuse then you may want to call CRA. Good luck.

By: J J

J J — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:14:00 +0000

i recently purchased a gift certificate at a nail/facial salon. the lady charged me tax. i told asked her why she was charging me tax when the tax would be charged upon redemption. she said it was a goods and services tax. stupidly, i just paid and left. is her business exempt from the new ontario gift card laws? also, how can i report her if she didn’t follow regulations? thanks

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:14:27 +0000

I sell gift certificates for massages. They have always bore a minimum of 12 months for redemption. Usually if sold from October on they would be issued to expire the following year january 31; e.g. October 4 2004 expired on January 31 of 2006. If someone calls in near the end of the redemtion period to request an extra month or two, I have always honoured the request. Most reccently a woman called in and became irrate that her 2 year expired gift certificate (sold 3 years prior) would be honoured at the cost it was sold for. At the time of purchase it was sold for 35.00 and now the service is 45.00. Am I being unreasonable by offering to honour a 2 year expired gift-certificate at its purchase price?

By: admin

admin — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:20:08 +0000

Houska- thanks for the tip. I had never thought of that suggestion.

You raise a completely different topic though- in some cultures giving cash is acceptable and, in fact, the norm. We live in a hodge-podge society of different cultural practices as it relates to money that a gift card may be, for some, a happy medium between giving cash and buying a present.

Have a great holiday!

By: houska

houska — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:32:46 +0000

Why buy gift cards at all? There is a social stigma to giving money as presents, and I personally don’t feel comfortable just giving a cheque or cash, but I have in the past given a catalogue from a retailer, a cheque for $X made out direct to the recipient, and a note saying “I think you’d enjoy something from this catalogue, since (reason). Gift certificates and gift cards are a pain in the neck to use and limit your flexibility, so please accept the attached cheque made out directly to you in lieu of one. I hope you’ll find something in this catalog you’ll enjoy applying the money to, but if there is something else you’d prefer, go for it!”