I started this site because I want to show people how to gift card without feeling guilty. But I discovered that most of us need a little more help than that. We need to know what to do with unwanted gift cards, what to do with the balance left on a card, how to avoid gift card fraud, and so forth.

To meet this need, we added the “Solution Center” to our site. This is where I’ll put advice and information on some of your biggest concerns, such as:

• Gift cards are too impersonal.
• Not sure what to do with unwanted gift cards.
• Givers don’t want recipient to know how much they spent on a gift.
• Gift card fraud, expiration dates, and hidden fees can ruin the gift card experience.
• Kids and gift cards create a new set of problems.

As I navigate the gift card industry, I’ll update this page with ways to help you avoid gift card pitfalls so you can gift card with confidence instead. Check it out: Solution Center.

I just got a check from GiftCardBuyBack.com

I received a $15 check in the mail today for a $20 gift card I sold on GiftCardBuyBack. I’d carried this card in my purse for over three years thinking one day I’d use it. But the store isn’t in my area, and being a specialty shop, I knew I’d have a hard time redeeming the gift card without spending my own money. An article in Entrepreneur magazine prompted me to consider selling the gift card instead. Here are the places referenced in the article that I checked out:

• GiftZip – This site only allows you to buy gift cards, e-gift cards in fact. So this site provides an easy way to buy downloadable gift cards, but you can’t sell one of your own.
• PlasticJungle – I could sell my card on this site for cash, but they only take cards worth $25 or more. My card had $20 on it.
• SwapaGift – Same story. Minimum $25 requirement on cards turned in.
• Three sites all part of the same company, so it’s a little confusing:
  • GiftCardBuyBack – here is where I sold my gift card. After entering the gift card data and committing to sending my card to the company, I received instructions on where and how to mail the card. They promised to send me a check within 10 days…and they did! I got a check for $15 today.
  • GiftCardsAgain – you can buy discounted gift cards that other people (like me) sold on the previous site. Buying discounted cards to stores you regularly shop is a great way to save money. If you’re going to Jamba Juice everday, for example, buy a discounted Jamba Juice card and drink your smoothies for less. The only downside here is that not every card is available–only the ones people turned in.
  • GiftCardDonor – On this site, you can turn into your gift cards and donate the proceeds to charity. I actually started on this site thinking I might do a good deed. But I got confused when the registration form asked me for the month/year the gift card was purchased. I didn’t know. I later figured out that I could leave this field blank…but realized it too late.

You know I love the gift cards and normally I have no trouble spending them.  But $15 cash is signifincantly better than carrying around unused plastic.  I have to tell you – I’m feeling pretty good about this!  For the cost of a stamp and forfeiting a card I’ll likely never use, I received money to spend however I see fit.  Love that.