Experience gift cards or certificates are a modern twist on the traditional store gift card. They allow the recipient to enjoy an activity like skydiving or a day at the spa.
Yet, there are things consumers should keep in mind, as one woman just learned.
Terri Baston said she lost more than $500 after the helicopter company she bought a gift card from apparently went out of business.
"We were looking for a helicopter ride for my husband," she said. According to Baston, she bought two tickets for a 2-hour scenic helicopter tour.
"It was $540, plus some fees, for a total of $572," she said.
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Weeks later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
As she was focusing on her recovery, the helicopter tour trip was put on the back burner. When she finally went to use it, she was out of luck.
"I went to call the company, and that's when I found out the number had been disconnected,” she said.
Workers at the airport hangar said the tour company left about six months ago with no forwarding address and no way to get in touch.
Terri Baston is hoping someone formerly with the tour company hears her story and comes up with a refund or perhaps an alternate tour.
Short of that, however, she may be out of luck.
Watch gift car buyer talk about discovering her $500 in vouchers were worthless:
How to protect yourself when buying gift cards
“In some cases, you can contact your credit card company to see if you can get a refund for that purchase," said Melanie McGovern, spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau.
“Most businesses will file some kind of bankruptcy. If that's the case, if you own a gift card or a gift certificate for that business, you then become a creditor, and you can try to seek to get your money back that way,” she added.
McGovern advises buyers to ask a lot of questions before purchasing an experience gift card.
“The biggest thing that consumers need to do is understand the company. How long have they been in business? Have they been around a long time? Did they just pop up? Are they based in the area where they're doing the experience,” she said.
McGovern also suggests using the gift card as soon as possible.
"You want to make sure that if they have dates to select, you select them right away,” she said. “The company could go out of business. Something could happen.”
She also suggests you read reviews about the company and check with your local Better Business Bureau to find out if there are any complaints against the business.
Finally, McGovern recommends that consumers keep receipts or any documentation related to the purchase in case there’s a problem.
It’s unclear whether the tour company Baston bought the gift card from plans to reopen, but since a long time has passed since she made the purchase, she may have little recourse in getting her money back.
McGovern’s main caution for consumers is to “do a lot of research, especially for these that are super expensive.”
"You want to make sure that you understand when it's happening, how much it costs, and will the company even be there the next day,” she said.
That way, you don’t waste your money.
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