On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... a sweater that doesn't fit. A video I already have. Something I just didn't want.
This holiday season, save your friends and family from the returns line by giving gift certificates.
Many services will mail a traditional gift certificate to the recipient with a personal message. Prefer to give it in person? Have certificates mailed to you. Many services also offer e-mail delivery (perfect for procrastinators):
- GiftCertificates.com
Shop by category, check out featured merchants (like J. Crew and Timberland), or search by merchant name or zip code. A Supercertificate allows the recipient to pick the store.
- 1-800-GiftCertificate
Click on each merchant's name to read gift certificate policies. Participants include The Body Shop, Bloomingdale's and Mrs. Field's Cookies.
- Direct Certificates
Give a traditional gift certificate or a "Direct Gift" (where the recipient selects the store). Some stores offer e-mail delivery. Win a $500 gift certificate by telling them why you like gift certificates.
- GiveAnything.com
Send a gift certificate by e-mail or regular mail (in an elegant gift box), or print one directly from your computer. The recipient can shop at hundreds of stores listed by category or use the "Find-a-Gift" search engine to locate a specific item.
- Gifts.com
The recipient, not the giver, makes the final choice where to spend the gift certificate. Options include Starbucks Coffee, Crate and Barrel, Olive Garden, and Barnes and Noble Booksellers.
- GloboGifts
Do you have friends in every corner of the globe? Globogift sends physical and digital gift certificates all over the world.
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... exactly what I wanted.
--- C. Walker and J. Walker
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