I got a gift card myself for Christmas, and I’m heading to Borders today to use it.
That’s because news leaked out last week that the long-troubled bookseller has hired bankruptcy attorneys to help it sort through its options.
Consumers should do themselves a favor and get to the nearest Borders now to make sure they get full value from their gift cards. While Borders has said it still hopes to evade bankruptcy, I’d get there pronto. The history of retailers honoring gift cards after bankruptcy filing is mixed, and your right to redeem a card is not guaranteed.
In Chapter 11 bankruptcy, companies try to restructure instead of shutting down, and use bankruptcy court to reorganize debts. Those companies tend to keep honoring gift cards to keep their customers loyal.
Even if a retail chain does go Chapter 7 — liquidating and shuttering its stores — the shutdown doesn’t have to happen instantly.
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