Best Buy Gift Card = Brewing Equipment?

[firebird77]

Pretty random question, but I figured I could get some ideas here.

I have a $25 ($20?) gift card to Best Buy, and nothing to spend it on. I buy all my DVD's used, rarely ever purchase music, and have a great computer with all of the software I need right now.

So....I guess I need to spend it on something brewing related! As a college student, I have a very hard time spending any money on equipment (the cost of ingredients alone oftentimes prevents a brew day). Any ideas?

 

[arturo7]

Buy something, keep the receipt, return it for cash, head to your LHBS?

 

[tolip_ck1]

Sell it to a friend, use cash for brew stuff

 

[Recusit8m]

Put it torwards a fridge for your kegerator lol

 

[TheBeerNerd]

Keezer!!!!

 

[LVBen]

Gah! I HATE gift cards! But I have a hard time telling people that their gifts suck, so I happily accept them. It is just like money, but with extra costs and limitations on what you can do with it!

I don't know about your state, but some states require that companies allow gift cards to be exchanged for their cash value...

Maybe you can buy a digital thermometer, stopwatch or timer, or something else along those lines...

 

[BellTap]

Buy something, keep the receipt, return it for cash, head to your LHBS?

I did that but not on purpose. The cashier would not give me cash for my return, instead she insisted on giving me another gift card. I even had the receipt from the gift card showing it was originally purchased with cash. I explained to the manager, what if I bought a gift card with cash and wanted to return the gift card? Manager finally gave me cash back.

 

[humann_brewing]

man I hate best buy, but as others have said, see if you can return it as is or buy something and get cash back.

 

[bsteele]

Buy something, keep the receipt, return it for cash, head to your LHBS?

Most likely won't work-- the receipt will show that a GC was used to purchase the item.

I had a bloomingdales GC I sold on ebay. $122 value and sold for $107. You could also use something like plastic jungle. Usually you can get about 60-75% for your cards. Search 'sell gift card' and you can find a few sites. A couple give you a little bit extra if you take an Amazon GC.

Best bet may be finding a friend that is going to buy something from BB anyway... maybe sell it to them for a couple bucks cheaper?

 

[firebird77]

I had a friend try to do the buy/return 'scam' for the exact reason (wanted cash, not something from best buy). Long story short he ended up with another giftcard. My brother did it a few years ago by driving to another Best Buy right away and returning it. I think they have wised up.

This gift card has just been sitting in my drawer since Christmas and I just want to get rid of it.

 

[mosquitocontrol]

Convince yourself you will save it to buy someone else a gift for christmas next year. Call it even in order to rationalize spending $25 of your own money. Thats what I would do. Its all about rationalizing.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

$20? Best Buy? Brewing Equipment?

maybe a thumb drive to save recipes on.

 

[bsteele]

Maybe a Brita filter for your sink? Or a long spoon?