Though they seem to be a foolproof present, gift certificates frequently miss their target and wind up sitting unused in the bottom of a purse or desk drawer.
Many students received gift cards over the holidays that can be worthless to them because they never buy items from that merchant.
"I think they are really restrictive," said Chris Myers, junior graphic design major. "They aren't convenient if you can't find what you're looking for."
Some cards may be used quickly on gifts the recipient doesn't want or need, but often cards are kept in hopes it will be useful in the future.
Tim Moore, space utilization analyst for U of M, has a card from Wal-Mart that he has held onto for years.
"It's not really something I can use, but one day I might be starving and I'll need it then," Moore said.
But instead of throwing the card away on purchases you don't really want or continually saving it for a rainy day, you can get cash from your unwanted gift card.
Recently, several new Web sites have been created to help unhappy owners sell and trade gift certificates.
At swapagift.com, users can list their card, whether they are interested in selling or exchanging cards, what stores they will exchange for and how much they will sell the card for. Other members of the service later browse by store and inquire or barter with the cardholders. However, a fee of $3.99 is charged per posting.
Similar services are provided by cardavenue.com and certificateswap.com. At giftcardbuyback.com, there is no option to trade, but the company promises to buy every card.
However, you will only receive 60 to 80 percent of the value of the card.
In addition to offloading the gift certificate at these Web sites, cardholders also have the opportunity to buy them at a discount, usually 10 to 20 percent. You can even purchase GiftBux at certificateswap.com, a gift certificate to buy more gift certificates.
Another option is to forego the specialized Web sites and sell the card on eBay. The starting bid is usually set at a price lower than the value of the card as an incentive to the bidder. Currently, there are nearly 2,000 gift certificates listed on eBay.
"It seems like a good idea," said Cheryl Caroland, junior medical illustration major. "I'd even buy from the Web sites."
However, other students believe that online gift card exchanges are an insult to the gift giver and the thought put behind it.
"I would never trade away a gift card or sell it. That's so tacky," said Silpa Pallapothu, senior biology major. "At the very least, give it away to a friend you know would appreciate it."
