Time running out on Circuit City gift cards
Posted
Jan 20 2009, 10:16 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
You've probably read that Circuit City has given up the ghost and is going out of business in the United States. What does that mean to the average consumer?
Plenty, if you have a store credit or gift card.
Cap at Stop Buying Crap wrote a helpful post about what consumers should be aware of before Circuit City permanently closes its U.S. stores at the end of March.
Do you have something to return? You have until Jan. 30 to get that done if it was purchased by Jan. 16. All sales after Jan. 16 are final.
Among his other observations:
- Gift cards, store credits. Circuit City will honor them during its going-out-of-business sale.
- Rebates. If they were offered by Circuit City and not the manufacturer, you might want to check on the status. Cap says you'll find a phone number or Web site on the rebate form. Manufacturer's rebates won't be affected.
- Credit cards. Cap says Circuit City credits cards are administered by Chase, and probably will be converted to a Chase or some other card. "Continue to make payments if you have a balance," he writes.
The liquidation sale is expected to last through the end of March. Be careful when you shop at such sales, and research prices before you go to make sure you're getting a bargain. Cap says, "Liquidators often mark up prices significantly before marking it ‘down' to give appearances of steep discount."
For more on the sale, read HD Guru's post "Circuit City's liquidation sale: Deal or no deal?"
Related reading:
Circuit City to be liquidated
Pitfalls of out-of-business sales
Gift cards: A bad idea gets even worse
Read more about Circuit City on Top Stocks blog
