Recently found a gift card on the floor. Checked the balance online and it appears to be unused and still contains $20 of instore credit. There's doesn't appear to have any name or other identifiable information linking to the owner of the card. Would it ethical to use the card?
Found Gift Card on Floor
Comments
what are you going to do? hand it in to the police station hoping someone will report a missing gift card?
it has a expiry date im assuming, just use the card
Could hand it into the store - they'll have at least the buyer's details.
Could hand it into the store - they'll have at least the buyer's details.
No they won't. Details generally aren't registered when you buy gift cards.
At the very most, they might have the credit/debit card details recorded somewhere that were used to make purchase, but with all the privacy stuff, it'll be too much effort to track it through the bank for the buyer's details.. especially for $20.Could hand it into the store -
Phone the store, kind of anonymously dont tell them gift card number and just ask them if they keep details of gift card.
To make the conversation with them on the phone easier, just say "I want to purchase a $20 gift card for my neice/nephew/grandson, and I was just wondering what happens if they lose it, do they keep details and replace card if it is lost, then handed in to a store .
To be honest, its unlikely the person who lost it will bother with attempting to claim it or get it replaced somehow in store .
If it could be reasonably returned to the owner, then it would be unethical to keep it. If there is no decent chance to return it to the owner, then it would be ethical to keep it, spend it, because it has been paid for, and giving it back to the store would not be required ethically (if the store will just keep the money, and not reimburse or return card to owner) .
If the store will reimburse owner or return card to owner, then give it to the store to return to owner. Call store first, to find out their precedure when found gift cards are returned to a store etc.
It is unethical to use it if you have not done at least the basic steps to try and return it to the owner.
Hand in to police, wait a few months then if unclaimed becomes yours free to use
Not sure why the neg, this is the right thing to do.
I would personally hand it in to the store or most logical place the loser would inquire (assuming you found it out the front of Coles of something).
I found a $50 bill near the Woolies entrance and gave it to the front desk with my number, they called me back a fortnight later as it remained unclaimed, so I was $50 richer.
Use it, its $20 bucks. the original owner is not going to lose any sleep over it!
No. That's called theft.
Hand it in to police station. If no-one claims it in 3 months, you can claim it and spend with a clear conscience.
It's no different to finding cash.
Knowing how stores such as JB treat giftcards, there's really no point in returning it to the store since they can't even identify who the real owner is. They'll simply just toss it and the store gets the money once expiry hits or the person you hand it to might use it themselves.
Trying to hand it into the cop station will likely get you laughed at. Their time to write the report will cost more than $20. Even if they did write it up, no one is going to go to the police station to lodge a report for a $20 giftcard so the chances of it being claimed are next to nothing.
Unless someone else has a better idea on what to do with it, I'd just say to use it.
PM the card details and I can check who owns it.
I already know what your check will reveal :)
Owner
Surname: mysocks.
First Name: iforgotA further check also reveals that the code has been used! lol!
That's Mr Mysocks to you
Spend $2 - That is the Ozbargain Swiss Finders Fee.
i think the fee is 50% instead of just 10%
Yeah, mustn't forget the finders fee. Probably cheaper for the original owner to just forget about it…
OzBargainers be like: What is an ethic and is it free?
OMG turn yourself in
Hey I lost gift car with $20 on it. Anyone find it?
where did you have the $20 on the gift car?
I wish someone would gift me a car.
Not if it is only worth $20.
On the floor of what? Given it is only $20 the original owner has probably already written it off. Use the card and make a $20 donation to a worthy charity.
i got $40 myer gift card last year kept it for 7 months coz i forgot it and used it recently when they are on sale no problem at all
You could sell it and then donate the money if you feel bad
If you don't need the money, donate $20 to charity, then spend it with a clear conscious.
If you need the money, and if you honestly believe you are deserving, then consider it as a spiritual gift, positive karmas' way of sending you $20.
its only $20 and i'm sure the person who lost it, has given up on trying to locate it even if their details were attached to it. use the money to donate to a worthy charity, not chugger
Cash it and give the $20 to your local charity. You will feel better.
Quite a few years ago I found a purse on a bus which had a considerable amount of cash in it. I didn't count it because I thought it was somehow an invasion of privacy going through someone's purse. Anyway, I handed it to the driver. Now, I try to think the best of people, and want to believe they will always do the honourable thing. I like/want to think he handed it in to the bus company admin at the end of his shift, and the the rightful owner later claimed it.
You can't "cash out" a gift card
If you don't spend it, the merchant wins $20. You must spend it just to maintain balance in the universe.
yep