Target gift card: to use or not to use?
I received a coupon for a $20 Target gift card yesterday with one big hitch. It is only valid if I create a Target wedding registry with at least 10 items on it. I’m not entirely sure how I got on a list of future brides (I’m not engaged) but I do sign up for a lot of stuff to test out deals for work.
Now that I have the coupon for a $20 Target gift card, I’m tempted to use it. The offer expires Oct. 24, 2010 so I don’t have long to decide. I’m leaning towards doing the right thing – recycling it or sending it to a friend who got engaged three weeks ago.
On the other hand, no where on the coupon does it say I have to be engaged. And there are plenty of registry-esque items I’d like to buy, including storage shelves for the attic and basement, sheets, and an electric griddle for pancakes. (I can never get them right in a regular frying pan.)
Is the fact that Target sent me the coupon enough to justify my use of it? Target could have vetted me (and other recipients) more carefully to weed out folks who are not actually betrothed.
How would you interpret the rules on the back of the coupon, which read:
Limit one coupon or offer per transaction. Void if copied, scanned, transferred, purchased, sold or prohibited by law. GiftCards and tax will not be included in determining purchase total. Free GiftCard not valid as payment on this purchase. Terms and conditions apply to GiftCards. Maximum retail value $20 for free GiftCard. No cash value. To redeem: take this coupon and a printout of your registry to Guest Service and any Target store. (emphasis theirs)
September 16th, 2010 at 10:00 am
I would give it to your newly engaged friend-Karma, man, Karma!
September 16th, 2010 at 10:03 am
if you got it in the mail, and it was adressed to you, use it! you didnt take it from anyone. create the registry then turn around and purchase the items you registered for. if you still feel guilty, send it over my way =) keep us posted on what you decide to do
September 16th, 2010 at 10:08 am
I’d give it to your newly engaged friend. I believe in Karma too.
September 16th, 2010 at 10:08 am
I would be tempted to use it. One small hitch – I would have to ask my wife if I could have a divorce, find another women to marry me and then have her use it.
In the end I have to agree with Robin and say give the card too your newly engaged friend and avoid bad Karma.
September 16th, 2010 at 10:08 am
I don’t understand what they mean by “Free GiftCard not valid as payment on this purchase”.
What purchase?
I do wonder what sort of hoops you’d have to jump through at Guest Service…might ask a lot of questions.
Here’s the link for Target’s ClubWedd with info on how you would get started…
http://sites.target.com/site/en/clubwedd/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-036339
Is it worth the time to get $20—I don’t think so, and I don’t see it as a moral issue…I’d give it to the friend and let her benefit…and then find another way to get what you were thinking of…
Maybe you should suggest a “Starting Over” Target Club so friends could help when someone has to start fresh some where else…
Me, I’m not into weddings but I’d use it to help a friend through a tight situation (remembering what I went through).
September 16th, 2010 at 10:11 am
I would definitely use it. They sent it to you. You are spending the money in their store and will probably spend more than $20. It is a win-win situation for everyone.
September 16th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Give it to an engaged friend. It’s not worth the hassle of registering for $20. And 2 demerits to me for not teaching you how to make pancakes in a pan, all those Sat and Sun mornings when i made them, so many years ago.
September 16th, 2010 at 10:16 am
I would use it. You did go through the trouble of opening the mail, reading the exclusions, etc. Besides, if you are willing to go through the hassle of using the registery, I say go for it.
September 16th, 2010 at 10:20 am
The terms do state clearly: void if transferred, which means giving it to someone else. The idea of giving it to your engaged friend is a good one, but it might put her in an awkward position.
If you’re even considering becoming engaged in the not too distant future, I see nothing wrong with setting up a wedding list with Target now. As you said, it doesn’t require an engagement to make you eligible to use the card. Go for it!
September 16th, 2010 at 10:23 am
I would use it!
September 16th, 2010 at 10:50 am
There is a boycott of Target because the gave money to oppose gay marriage. I think corporate America should not participate in funding things that do not affect their companies.
September 16th, 2010 at 10:52 am
I would give it to your friend, or better yet, look at her registry and get something for her off that.
September 16th, 2010 at 10:55 am
heres the perfect way around all this make the wedding registery and all and put your stuff on it and think of it as your starting over registery you moved away and most probley lost stuff so tell others about it you might get the stuff you need and use the card to get something fun and that way everyone wins
September 16th, 2010 at 11:30 am
To heck with boycott or karma … Target has challenged you to give them info on yourself and your likes. Use it using a extra email address you might have set up but rarely check. I just went to the registry and looks simple enough and should be able to add many items and be done with in under 10 min and for that you get $20 bucks… i say go for it … or ship it to me and let me play their game.
September 16th, 2010 at 11:32 am
I would use it, make up a registry. it says it’s not transferable! get your 20 bucks!!
September 16th, 2010 at 11:33 am
To heck with boycott or karma … Target has challenged you to give them info on yourself and your likes. Use it using a extra email address you might have set up but rarely check. I just went to the registry and looks simple enough and should be able to add many items and be done with in under 10 min and for that you get $20 bucks… i say go for it … or ship it to me and let me play their game
September 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Karma sent it to you-how bout that??!!
September 16th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Since I won’t shop at Target, if I got something like that it the mail, it would go in the trash. Besides, I don’t think it would be worth the time to set up a registry.
September 16th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Since you’re torn on the issue, ask the clerk at Target what THEY think. My bet is they’ll shrug their shoulders and say, no problem! It’s an opportunity for them to make money.
September 16th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
I say if you are willing to put the time into registering for stuff you would normally buy or are planning to buy within a month’s time at Target, go for it and use the $20 towards those purchases (can you register for paper towels and laundry detergent?).
Otherwise, give it to your friend.
September 16th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
In the name of research, use it…then blog about it. Also, contact Target and ask them how your friend can get one!
September 16th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Toss it out, it’s not meant for you.
September 16th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
What are you doing shopping at Target, isn’t that the store that is anit-women?
September 16th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Give it to your friend who is engaged. I won’t shop at Target any more. They made political donations that were not appropriate.
September 16th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
@Junie ~ Actually it’s Walmart that’s anti-women, big time! They just lost a major lawsuit over that very issue.
However, this question isn’t about politics, etc., it’s about how or whether to use a gift card that came with strings attached.
September 16th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I really cannot believe everyone thinks you should use it! NO, you should NOT. I love coupons, but creating a wedding registry just to get 20 bucks? YOU are not engaged. It was sent to you in error. It also says you may not transfer it to a friend… throw it away. What if it was $20 for creating a baby registry and you were not pregnant? Would you create a fake baby registry to get $20? Is it any different?
September 16th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
I agree with Becky. If you throw out morality to get a few bucks you’ve defeated the purpose in my mind. I mean just think of all the money you aave if you steal everything.
September 16th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
I say karma. You should send it to your newly engaged friend. Of course, I’m one of those people who can’t do anything wrong or I will be guarateed to get caught in one way or another.
September 16th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Sending it to your friend would be very generous. However, I don’t think it would be considered wrong if you use it. That is because the qualifications only specify that a registry must be made. Once you perform the qualifications then you have a right to use it.
September 16th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Just because you can…doesn’t mean you should.
“Character is doing the right thing
when nobody’s looking. There are too
many people who think that the only thing
that’s right is to get by, and the only
thing that’s wrong is to get caught.” -J.C. Watts
September 16th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Since you are not engaged, you will need to falsify some information such as your future spouse’s name and your wedding date. I say give it to your engaged friend. If you want to go through the time and effort of creating a registry. it is fun to take the little scanning gun and create your wishlist.
September 16th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
if it’s easy enough to do in undcer 10 minutes, set up the fake registry and then use the gift card toward your friend’s wedding gift. that way you both win.
September 16th, 2010 at 11:43 pm
Use it…maybe Target knows something you don’t!!
September 17th, 2010 at 6:23 am
Re-gift it …. it saves you $20 either way
September 17th, 2010 at 7:35 am
[...] had mixed feeling about whether or not I should use a $20 Target gift card that requires me to set up a wedding registry (I’m not engaged), but ultimately provided an [...]
September 17th, 2010 at 8:00 am
you got quite a few really good suggestions (I happen to be in the use it camp, esp since it’s not transferrable). Consider this, if you didn’t happen at this moment to have an engaged friend, then would there even be an issue of giving it to someone else?
Regardless, please post and let us know what you decide to do!
September 17th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
I agree with Becky, Zanne, and Beth.
@SueK: Political donations that are not “appropriate”? That is another issue, not the one BB presented. But since you brought it up, any company has the right to donate to whatever cause it deems “appropriate” just as you have the right to boycott if you deem the issue “inappropriate.”
September 24th, 2010 at 5:17 am
[...] I asked readers if I should use a $20 Target gift card intended for brides making a wedding registry (I’m not engaged). Once a week I share dinner [...]
September 24th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
So how did all this turn out? Let me guess. The card expired while we were talking about it.
September 25th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
I second Chi’s question!