Vouchers and vouchers: as a gift not a good idea

Can it be a coupon? No! &# 128544;

November 13, 2019 by Victoria Scherff Categories: Consumption

Everyone knows them, probably everyone has given them away before: Vouchers and gift cards are among the most popular gifts. We often forget that we have coupons and let them expire.

In addition to clothing and toys, coupons were among the most popular gifts under the Christmas tree last year. Yet more than one in four Germans have forgotten vouchers or gift cards in the drawer from time to time. What was once a well-intentioned and expensive gift becomes discarded money. Every year, a lot of bills land in the garbage – in the form of unused vouchers.

Gift Cards: We usually pay

In addition, we rarely redeem the voucher value with the voucher in the store or online. Often the object of desire costs more than the sum printed on the voucher – we willingly pay, after all we have a voucher.

Why do not we redeem vouchers? 44 percent of the voucher owners have simply forgotten him, so a survey in the year 2015. Had they found him, he might have expired long ago, because: A voucher is valid for only three years; and this applies from the end of the year in which the voucher was issued, so the consumer center Hamburg.

Under certain conditions, a voucher can be valid for only two years or even one year. For example, in a cosmetic treatment, the cost of labor and materials could rise in the following year – and thus exceed the value of the voucher. Bad luck too, if you do not find anything suitable for your voucher? In cash, you can not let him pay you, but only for goods or exchange services.

Conclusion: Gift cards at the cash register are indeed a convenient and quickly purchased gift, but for the recipient often a loss – impersonal are the cards of corporations such as Amazon, Saturn, Ikea & Co. even more.

Alternative 1: exchange, sell or give away coupons

If you have received a voucher, take care of it in a timely manner so that it does not disappear in the drawer unused! You can try to trade, sell or give it away online. This goes, for example, via online marketplaces or classifieds providers.

Alternative 2: Make your own voucher

If you want to give someone else a coupon, then make one yourself! For example, for a dinner together, a massage or assistance in painting the apartment.

Alternative 3: Voucher of sustainable shops

And if time is not even enough and you want to buy a last-minute voucher: ‘better’ vouchers are available from many sustainable online shops for self-printing. Here you can ** find coupons from the green avocado gates.

Many other alternatives to gift cards

1. DIY and craft gifts are becoming increasingly popular. Read on here and let yourself be inspired:

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Instead of expensive branded products, we’ll give you some very personal gifts this year. Because they are more valuable – and often almost for nothing.

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Nothing is more sustainable and personal than a homemade Christmas present! Here are 16 craft ideas for the Christmas season.

2. Donate instead of consume (or combine both)! In this article you will find suggestions:

Many people want to use meaningful donations to support projects that help our planet or less privileged people. In addition to the well-known organizations …

With gifts we want to do good – but often we forget the damage that many products in their production for …

3. If it should be something bought, we would recommend you these products:

Utopia has made recommendations for beautiful, sustainable, meaningful, ecological last minute gifts that you’ll get quickly before the end of the day.

Are you still at a loss as to what you would like to give to friends and family this year? Here is a suggestion: Try it …

Socks, Scarfs & Co .: Fashion gifts for Christmas are also made of sustainable materials such as organic cotton, cork or wood – from …

iPhone, Plastikkram, brand clothes? The W in Christmas is from now on for further thinking! We’ll show you how sustainable you are from now …

Whether cool eco-sneakers, fair smartphone, backpack or snack box: Here you will find many ideas for Christmas gifts (not only) for men.

“What do I give?” Before this question are not a few, be it for birthday, Anniversary, Mother‘s Day or to …

Whether fair sneakers, practical oilcloth or sustainable water bottle: Here you will find many ideas for Christmas gifts for women, be it …

For those who do not want to buy cheap toys from China, game consoles or Barbie dolls, children do not have to be bored. Utopia presents gift ideas, …

4. And for packaging we also have some tips ready:

Buy expensive wrapping paper that ends up in the trash anyway – that does not have to be. Ten tips and ideas, like …

Here are two simple ideas to make wrapping paper yourself: a colorful potato print with stars (is always, of course, also for Christmas) …

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(5) Comments

I only want coupons, nothing else. I have often been given completely useless clutter. Mostly non-organic wine, which I do not drink, since I get rash from it. In addition, I have nothing of expensive wrapping paper, which makes me feel at the disposal of a guilty conscience. In our circle of acquaintances, all are on non-organic branded goods. What should I do with it? I can not give away something like that either. So I only have problems with it. Then one should also say “thank you”. If so, then only vouchers. I also do not forget it in the drawer.

I feel the same way.
By now it has gotten around that I like to have breakfast in a small biocafe. So there are coupons from there or from a vegan shop nearby.
So please only vouchers, if it has to be a gift at all.
For me, no voucher of this kind is dusty in the drawer.

I once had a 100 € voucher from H & M – I do not buy anything there.
So he stayed in my wallet until a friend went shopping there anyway and I got the money and paid with a voucher.
So I made it to another friend, a part of which I could transfer to a single voucher and give away and the remaining 35 € I just sold on the spot for 30 €.

Tadaa. Problem solved. But I also have to look at the money – who does not care, of course, forgets!
But even if – better than unnecessary stuff to throw away after years … that can not sell or give away.

So, thank you, there are really ecologically worse gifts.

I think vouchers are totally stupid. No one wants to give dirty cash, but so plastic and paper garbage in the form of coupons is ok? As long as there are coupons not with at least 10% discount, I simply do not buy any. It’s really stupid: there you have to go to a store, get started, buy plastic cards and redeem iTunes, just to look Netflix cheaper. Great sausage. Why not make the price cheaper for everyone, but then the companies would not have different price groups for the different customers.

Or because you do not know how to give something you give an Amazon coupon, because everyone finds something, stupid only that are not always the cheapest and you are set from the outset on a large group in which you did not want to buy. If, on the other hand, you get a voucher from a small shop managed by an owner, it goes bankrupt before the voucher expires.

The traders sell so much only coupons because it is simply statistically proven that only a small percentage is redeemed at all. The rest is forgotten, lost, gets lost in the bankruptcy estate or suddenly a trader forgets to accept his own redeeming conditions, because one could go out with profit. In addition one can often redeem only one coupon per purchase and gets with complaints only a new coupon, one attaches itself thus unnecessarily to a shop, whether good or bad.

I think giving something has totally lost its value. Either there are coupons or you get even more useless stuff that stands around or needs to be sold again. I prefer to give experiences or go out to eat, because you have more of than a funny cup of coffee just waiting to be disposed of again …

The best voucher is the universal voucher.

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