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QHow can I benefit from unwanted
gift cards? I’ve got
several for stores
where I never shop.
A You can sell unwanted cards
or trade them for other
cards with brands that
you prefer on websites
like PlasticJungle.com,
GiftCardRescue.com,
MonsterGiftCard.com
and Cardpool.com.
Expect to get 70 to 92
percent of the face
value of your unwanted card. Sometimes you have to pay a small listing
fee. You may also wish to consider “regifting” unwanted cards. Under
terms of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure
(CARD) Act of 2009, gift cards must remain valid for at least five years
after initial purchase. But it’s best not to let them wallow in your wallet:
Stores are allowed to charge an inactivity or service fee on a card that’s
a year past its initial purchase.
Q I’m in my 70s and have owned a time-share for
more than 20 years. I want to
sell it because the maintenance
fees keep going up, but there
are no takers. I can’t even
give it away. Do you have any
suggestions?
A Trying to unload a time-share can be a nightmare. Many
companies claim they can sell it,
for an upfront fee, but don’t believe
it. Those promises usually turn out
to be false. Donating your time-
share to a charity may also be un-
realistic because many don’t want
the ongoing expense or headache.
The website tug2.net offers advice
and a bulletin board for people
seeking to rent or sell time-shares.
Perhaps you could get a few ideas
from other people in your situation
who have posted on that site. You
can also list your time-share for
rent on VRBO.com. Then you could
use that rental income to pay the
maintenance fees.
26 aarp.org/bulletin MARCH 2012
Sid Kirchheimer on gift cards; Carole Fleck on time-shares; Stan Hinden on Social Security. Send your questions to: Ask the Experts, AARP Bulletin, 601 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20049, or email askourexperts@aarp
.org. Visit aarp.org/bulletin for previously asked questions and answers. We regret that volume precludes us
from providing personal answers to all questions.
