I can't win

[Vanquisher]

I tried to go to Sharper Image today because I have a $40 gift card there from a while ago that I have never spent, and I tried to buy a travel jewelry case. Well, they underwent Chapter somewad or other bankruptcy, and they won't accept my gift card. That seems so wrong to me! It isn't their fault, of course, it is a court order.

Of course.

So, I need something like this:

http://www.target.com/Whitney-Design-Je ... bag&page=1

that is available IN A STORE, and not online, today! Help.

[Vishenka69]

Re: I can't win

Do you have a Marshalls or TJ Maxx near by? They're usually good for things like that. Or Bed Bath and Beyond or Linens-N-things.

[Sheherezade]

Re: I can't win

I got a cheap little case at Claire's for a birthday party.....but kept it myself. I have seen loads of the cases at Marshall's and SteinMart.

The gift card business sounds unfair to me as well. I HATE gift cards. Such a racket. Good luck shopping!

[Vanquisher]

Re: I can't win

Thanks everyone. I have used ziplock bags in the past, but necklaces always get tangled and earing pierce through the plastic, and I have lost things this way. The Sharper Image one actually had indicidual clasps to keep necklaces from tankling, and earing holes to place the earrings through.

Jerks.

[GrayMatterWife]

Re: I can't win

I tried to go to Sharper Image today because I have a $40 gift card there from a while ago that I have never spent, and I tried to buy a travel jewelry case. Well, they underwent Chapter somewad or other bankruptcy, and they won't accept my gift card. That seems so wrong to me! It isn't their fault, of course, it is a court order.

I know this is of ZERO comfort, but--FWIW--the situation in the Sharper Image case was big news in the bankruptcy law world. It is common in corporate chapter 11 cases to obtain court authority to honor prepetition (that is, pre-bankruptcy filing)-issued gift certificates. Courts regularly grant authority to honor such certificates. Doing so serves the best interests of the debtor-in-possession corporation and its creditors by maintaining good will with the public and the loyal customer base. Sharper Image, however, chose not to seek this relief. It used the bankruptcy law to renege on its gift certificate obligations (federal law allows gift certificates to be treated as unsecured loans, pushing holders of such cards to the bottom of the list in terms of distribution in a bankruptcy). I guess it made the decision that the good will of its customer base was not worth it--as of the petition date, the company had something in excess of $25MM of outstanding, unredeemed certificates.

All of this to say, what happened to you is pretty unusual. Most large companies, that really do want to successfully reorganize, try to honor their prepetition-issued gift certificates. I am so sorry you got screwed over. Completely sucks.