I've spent around $20 of my promotional gift certificate from MCI. The gift certificate's expiration date is March 31.

I know that when you use a portion of a gift certificate, the unused portion becomes non-promotional, but my question is, does that remainder expire?

I was under the impression that it wouldn't, but I read the fine print on another promotional gift certificate for Amazon: This promotional certificate and any unused portions of this promotional certificate expire at 11:59 p.m. (PDT) on March 31, 2001.

Can someone give me a definitive answer? I don't want to lose that $130 remainder.

Thanks.

Actually, I believe that Amazon has a new policy in which promotional GCs *never* become non-promotional. I used part of my MCI GC on an order, then had to cancel that order; when I went to place another order, I was freaked out by finding that my GC account had zero dollars in it -- a call to customer service revealed that I had the $150 in my "promotional GC account", which was made visible when I actually placed the order. When I questioned the customer service guy, he said that this was the new way they were handling the different types of GCs.

So I don't know about the expiration date exactly, but if I were you, I'd make sure to use it before the 31st, because if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that Amazon is probably tracking their GCs more closely now and there's a good chance that the remainder will expire on the date the whole thing is scheduled to expire on.

I actually called Amazon about this very thing the other day because I still need to use my MCI gc as well...well, she told that any remaining balance on your gc will expire at the expiration date.

I guess it's time to go shopping then....

thanks guys... I had the question too because I have $140 or so left in my MCI GC. I was also puzzled to find that $0 shows up in my GC balance... and after several emails, I found out that it only shows up when I want to purchase something.

Now this is puzzling... I just talked to a customer rep on the phone at Amazon, and she told me the remainder of my GC doesn't expire. I specifically told her that it is a remainder of a promo GC and I can't see the balance unless I'm at the checkout process... and she still told me it doesn't expire.


Should I take a risk with the rest of my MCI GC balance?


I don't want to buy anything right now at amazon... and I'd rather not spend it on DVDs because I don't like their prices. I was hoping to save up on a DVD player or something.




[Edited by Autotelik on 03-29-01 at 02:43 PM]