Are in-retailer gift cards any safer to obtain than on the net gift cards? Hmm. According to the latest Yahoo! poll “three out of 4 holiday shoppers will get gifts on line, and most are probably to purchase from small companies. Shoppers expressed robust support for e-commerce with modest firms that give a safe payment program, straightforward buyer checkout and cost-free shipping.”

According to Deloitte’s 2006 annual holiday survey (http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov) from the Workplace of Consumer protection in Maryland, 66% of buyers will obtain present cards this vacation season. Wow! That is a big number and a thought comes to mind. The authenticity of gift cards purchased on the internet and offline. Is it protected to acquire from third party vendors? How considerably more safe is a merchant present card in-shop on a rack with the card serial quantity exposed?

On the web Present Card Authenticity There are a number of present card businesses on-line and an array of new ones ringing up several new solutions and possibilities. If you want merchant cards, you can go straight to the merchant web site. If you want utilized present cards, third celebration vendors are superior for discounts as nicely as selling and trading gift cards. How do you know which vendors are trustworthy? myprepaidcenter balance s not uncomplicated, but undertaking some research assists. Just before you make a buy, get confirmation from the gift card vendor that they verify card authenticity. If the answer is no, move on. It is also just as simple for a thief to post a gift card with money on it, wait for it to be verified, then invest it whilst it is on it’s way to the customer. On the other hand, there are used gift card vendors that will return your funds, must such an unfortunate incident materialize.Www.plasticjungle.com is new to the online present card market. They allow acquiring, selling and trading for cost-free. The totally free is an incentive to create their member base. They also claim that the authenticity of utilized present cards is verified before they are placed on the web page and they will take complete duty ought to you get an expired card or one particular with a zero balance.

In-Shop Gift Card Security

With quick access to gift cards displayed on retailer racks, it is pretty easy for a thief to get a gift card serial number for later use such as the case of the Ohio gift card scam exactly where cunning thieves had been going into retail shops, acquiring gift card serial numbers calling to confirm card activation and shopping for gifts on someone else’s dollar. Good.

Thanks to the above, stores are changing the way they display gift cards. If you are going to acquire a gift card my suggestions is to ask a store manager what their policy is on stolen or lost gift cards and how they can guarantee that you will not turn into a victim of gift card fraud.