N.B. legislation introduced to ban expiry dates on gift cards
16.05.2008 17:00
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- Source: cbc.ca
The New Brunswick government is planning to ban expiry dates on retail gift cards. Opposition MLA Bruce Fitch introduced a bill in the legislature on Wednesday that, if passed, would regulate the sale of gift cards and ban their expire dates. Consumers Affairs Minister T.J. Burke said the government had been crafting similar regulations, which are expected to be introduced later this year. Fitch, a Conservative, said he hasn't had any calls about New Brunswickers experiencing problems with gift cards, but the elimination of the expiry dates would be good for consumers and for businesses. "I haven't had any calls per se but in some of the anecdotal evidence I've had through the media and other venues, it is a concern out there with consumers," Fitch said. Gift cards are a multibillion-dollar business in Canada. In 2006, Canadians spent about $1.8 billion on the cards, which are programmed to hold a certain dollar value that can be redeemed at retail stores, according to the Consumers' Association of Canada. But a recent study in the U.S. estimates that about 25 per cent of the cards go unused. Many include expiry dates, restrictions on cash-back services and administrative fees. "You know we live busy lives. We may not have the opportunity to get in right away and utilize the gift card or purchase a product or utilize a product from the card and when it expires, it upsets people," Burke said. Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksIN DEPTH: Gift cardsConsumer HeadlinesCanada Post offers new flat-rate shipping box for eBay items00Canada Post is launching a flat-rate shipping box for users of eBay designed to make it easier to buy and sell using the online auction website.Woman fined for music downloading may get new trial00A Minnesota woman ordered to pay $222,000 US in the first music-download trial in the United States may get another chance with a jury.New vehicle sales show strongest quarter in a decade: Statistics Canada00New car and truck sales in the first three months of the year showed their strongest gain in 10 years, Statistics Canada said Friday.World economy on shaky ground: UN00The world economy is teetering on the brink of a severe downturn and is expected to grow only 1.8 per cent in 2008, the United Nations said in its mid-year economic projections Thursday.Alberta consumers warned about possible beef E. coli contamination00Consumers in Alberta are being warned not to eat ground beef sold in January at Paradise Halal Meat Market in Edmonton because it may be contaminated with E. coli O157: H7. Consumer Life FeaturesENERGYEthanol FAQThe merits of alternative fuel still hotly debatedENVIRONMENTClassifying chemicals'Batch 2' up for reviewCOMMUNICATIONSTalk to the machineSmarter inhuman voices to infiltrate more businessesBLOGFood BytesHow to make your calories countBLOGComm-OdditiesShipping containers could become condos in DetroitPeople who read this also read …
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