Getting Burned With Spa Gift Certificates
Saturday September 8, 2007
A lot of consumers have been burned with spa gift certificates. The person who gets them as a gift often puts off going. When they finally get around to it, the gift certificate has expired and they can't get their money back. With consumers outraged, more than 30 states have enacted laws banning gift certificates with short expiration periods, and requiring issuers to turn over cash from expired cards. Small spa owners are complaining, according to CNNMoney.com. Personally, I don't have much sympathy. I think it's perfectly reasonable that New Mexico requires spa gift certificates to be valid for five years and demands issuers turn over 60% of the value of expired cards. They got a free loan for five years! To avoid problems, the easiest, safest route is to go with SpaFinder Gift Certificates (buy direct). 
They're transferable, they don't expire when purchased on-line, and they can be used at 3,600 spas world-wide.
Comments
As a massage therapist who sells a lot of gift certificates, I never even put an experiation date on them. I got the money and it’s only fair that it be redeemed at any time. Of course, if the gift certicate was purchased for a one hour session two years ago, they won’t get the session value, but will get the equivilent in terms of dollars spent. If one hour session two years ago was $65 and today it’s $75, they get a treatment that is worth $65.
As a consumer, I think it is completely unfair to put an expiration date on gift certicates. And as a business owner it is a little frustrating to see them coming in more than two years after the date of purchase.