Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Problem with Most Christmas Gift Lists

In your search for the perfect Christmas gift idea for friends and family, you might be finding it to be an overwhelming task. After all, you need to be a mind reader to figure out what everybody really wants. Christmas shouldn't be a stressful time of year, so why not choose a simple and popular solution?Gift Cards - The Solution


In a recent survey, gift cards (otherwise known as certificates) were the number one choice for a Christmas present in 67% of the people surveyed. The main reason cited was that they had received presents that were not suitable and that they would like to choose their own. Also, in the year that the survey was conducted, 9 out of 10 American families either purchased or received a gift certificate and that over $100 billion had been spent on these certificates that year. Teens have embraced this idea more than any other demographic segment, with over 98% having received or purchased one. The average amount spent was approximately $50.Whether it is a Christmas gift for him or her, you never have to worry if they will like it. They are sure to find a unique Christmas gift for themselves. You can even personalize them by including them in a Christmas greeting card. If you purchase one online, you will often be given the choice of sending it by mail, email or printing it on your computer. It's the perfect idea for men, women, girls, boys and even babies. These are also great for Christmas stocking stuffers and if you are looking for a cheap Christmas gift you can decide how much you want to spend.Be Careful Which One You Buy


Not all cards are created equal. Some have an exorbitant fee to just purchase one. These include those issued by most bank and credit card companies. These fees can be as high $15! It gets worse. There are also monthly maintenance fees which are nothing more than the companies jargon for monthly profit fees. These monthly fees eat away at the card's value until sometimes, there's nothing left. If that doesn't erode the entire purchase value then the expiry date will. In some cases the expiry is as short as 6 months.Be sure you find a certificate with no fees and no expiry date!Choose a Card that Offers Great Selection Online


The other problem you might encounter, is that some certificates only give the recipient access to one type of product at one store. In the same survey, it was found that one of the major reasons why people didn't use their gift cards was that they didn't have the time to go to the store or they couldn't find anything to buy that they liked. For example, what if you bought someone a certificate from an electronics store but what they really needed was some new clothes? Online stores are the best choice since they can shop from their computer and have it shipped to their home.The Amazon Gift Card - The Best Choice


This card has everything you are looking for. As far as my family Christmas list goes, I give my daughter the Amazon gift card as a Christmas present every year and she loves it because it has no fees, no expiry date, millions of products, and hundreds of categories to choose from. Kid's love the excitement of online shopping! Amazon is the largest and most trusted online retailer in the world and I always feel safe knowing that if there are any problems, they will always take care of it.


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