We’ve already warned you of the dangers of purchasing gift cards from retailers in financial disarray, but understand that it’s not always easy to predict which retailers will tank, especially in this economy. One website takes the guesswork out of that for you, and MyBankTracker.com is happy to fill you in on its merits.
ScripSmart.com is a great website to check out if you’re in the market for a gift card but want to make sure you (or, its recipient) don’t lose any value on the investment. The website uses a 100 point system in determining which retailers you should look to for your gift card needs, and which ones to steer clear of. A score of between 80 to 100 will earn you a spot on ScripSmart’s best gift card list, while a score of 59 and lower will land you on the worst list. Retailers earning scores between 60-79 fall in the “average” category.
Who Made the Best and Worst Lists?
Both restaurant chain Jack in the Box and The Container Store topped ScripSmart’s list for the best gift cards with a score of 99, beating out the competition in a total of ten categories like whether or not the value of the card was refundable, if the card expired or if it could be replaced.
Brands owned by Gap Inc. (which include the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta) each earned scores of 97 from ScripSmart, and lost points because their cards aren’t refundable. Verizon and Bass Pro Shops also earned scores of 97.
The worst gift card list was much shorter and was topped by drug store chain Rite Aid, which earned the low mark of 15. Here’s the rest of that list:
Gift Cards to Avoid (Source: ScriptSmart)
| Retailer | Gift Card Score | Why It's Risky |
|---|---|---|
| Rite Aid | 15 | Financially Unstable |
| Sbarro | 18 | Filed Chapter 11: Reorganization |
| Waldbaum's | 20 | Filed Chapter 11: Reorganization |
| A&P | 30 | Filed Chapter 11: Reorganization |
| Barneys New York | 33 | Financially Unstable |
| Charlie Brown's Steak House | 36 | Filed Chapter 11: Reorganization |
| Pathmark | 36 | Filed Chapter 11: Reorganization |
| Zales eGift Card | 45 | Financially Unstable |
| Loehmann's | 46 | Financially Unstable |
| FYE | 51 | Financially Unstable |
| Harry & David | 52 | Financially Unstable |
| American Apparel | 52 | Financially Unstable |
| Younkers | 55 | Financially Unstable |
| Borders | 55 | Filed Chapter 11: Reorganization |
| Herberger's | 55 | Financially Unstable |
| Jamba Juice | 56 | Financially Unstable |
| Boston Store | 57 | Financially Unstable |
| Borders | 57 | Financially Unstable |
| Elder-Beerman | 57 | Financially Unstable |
| Zales Gift Card | 57 | Financially Unstable |
| Carson Pirie Scott | 58 | Financially Unstable |
| Bon-Ton | 58 | Financially Unstable |
The website also has information on the best electronic gift cards, the best bank gift card and cards that now worthless.
Read: Sharper Image Gift Card Holders Given Second Chance
Check out: Borders Bankruptcy: What To Do If You Have a Gift Card
Have you ever had any difficulties redeeming the full value of our gift card? Sound off in the comments section.
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