Gift cards now what they say they are

It's the season of giving and consumers can feel confident when they gave gift cards. In 2007, State Rep. Jack Franks put a stop to a common practice of retailers that diminished the value of gift cards. Franks discovered that retailers were issuing gift cards and then placing a fee on the card if it was not used within a subjective time frame.

Standing up for consumers throughout the state, Franks passed a law to protect them from this injustice. It is completely unfair for a shopper to purchase a gift card for one amount and the recipient be unable to redeem the card for the full amount. Thanks to Franks' law, retailers cannot place expiration dates or fees on gift cards and shoppers can feel confident in the gifts they give.

Char Roach

McHenry