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Comment on Starbucks claims $181M in revenue from unused gift cards (2022)parent

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Think about it this way: many people derive peace-of-mind from giving a gift whose purpose is known. Now, I can hand someone $20 and hope they don't spend it on booze, drugs, or prostitutes. Or I can hand someone a gift card, knowing they will spend it on Starbucks (not that expensive coffee isn't on a spectrum of vices anyway.)

I can't put my finger on it, but as someone who has wholeheartedly embraced a "cashless society" vision, I feel better about gifting people with gift cards instead of cash. I don't know if it's any safer to send them through the mail, but it seems customary to tuck one into a greeting card, so that's how I treat my relatives on special days. I often keep a gas station card on hand, because I don't drive, and it can be real useful to offer a fill-up to someone who gives me a much-needed ride.

> I don't drive

Suggest learning how to drive if you can. Being dependent on others isn't great.

I didn't say that I can't drive. And I don't think that you can show me a human being who is not interdependent on others for something. Do you grow all your own food?

Apologies, not sure why I made that comment. Drive, don’t drive, whatever, do what you want. Not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to pass judgement on such things.

Thank you, and apology is accepted. No harm, no foul.

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