My mother ordered a gift card for me through gifts.com. I was pretty disgusted that on redeeming it, I had to provide things like my phone number and email address and that I had to create an account. While I can understand that purchasing a gift card might require this information, it doesn't mean that the person receiving the gift card wants all their information in the "care" of some on-line, fly-by-night company. I fell for it and gave them the info anyway.

One month later, no card. Am I surprised? Not really.

I emailed them. They sent an auto-response that said they'd be back to me in 48 hours and attached three possibly related answers to my problem. Well, they weren't the answer to my problem. I had already indicated as much when I emailed them the first time, and their website suggested these same solutions and asked if these same solutions solved my problem.

72 hours later -- without a single word in the email -- I was sent an "Affadavit" to sign, saying I hadn't received the card. I have to sign this and send it back to them and pay additional shipping fees to have them ship me "another one" (ha.. as if they sent the first one) -- not at an expedited speed, but with tracking. Seems to me the tracking should happen in the first place.

Overall, this is a stupid business paradigm that just screams online con. They don't ever have to send anyone a card. All they have to do is say they did. How many people are going to do all this work to get a gift card?

If I ever do get it, I'll post again. Don't hold your breath.