They suck. Why do people buy them? It's like saying you don't care about the person.. A gift should be meaningful, not numerical. I can see it making sense in -some- circumstances. Like for theatres and restaurants. But saying "heres $50, go buy whatever it is you want that I didn't know about or care enough to find out" is just lame. I'd rather someone give me something they thought was cool. Or better yet, something they made.. I am completely fed up with the christmas shopping obsession our society seems to adore.

I'd rather have a gift card than something I don't really want.

Thats the problem. Christmas has become about getting the stuff you want. Not receiving the gifts given you..

Cold hard cash is better.
Pity that its seen as "Impersonal" I mean, What the hell? Why force someone to shop at store X when you can give them the freedom to whatever the hell they want.

Gift cards: Exactly the same as money only you can spend it in less places.

They're horrible gifts.

Gift cards are a bad idea. Just give them straight cash.

Good intentions must give way to practicality.
Many people only want or use very specific things.
Gift cards are for people who don't ask for things or for when the things they ask for are unatainable.
Cash is better but I have no problem with gift cards as long as they're not for stores that I've never heard of.
For my last birthday I got a couple of gift cards for a gas station. So that was a great gift.

So... anyway, just don't take gift giving/getting so seriously.

Yeah, or for example, if you want a certain item, but it's very expensive. The person giving the gift can't afford it. But they give you a gift card, (or cash) which you apply towards the purchase of what you want.

The problem with giving someone cash is that they may feel inclined to save it. Gift cards encourage spending so the recipient is forced to spent something on themselves.

Actual gifts are better, but gift cards are an acceptable standby. They at least require some thought, cash never does.

What about those silly visa/mastercard giftcards? >_> Not much thought there.

In any case I prefer gift certificates. It means the store probably has cooler stuff.