I received one of those forwarded emails yesterday; you know, the ones that make their way inbox to inbox thanks to mass distribution, warning us about the dangers that lurk in our grocery stores, kids' toyboxes, or what have you. Years in the communications field have taught me to be cautious about such emails and skeptical about the information they contain. I know too well how tough times like we're going through can cause a lot of worry and uncertainty for people, and how that uncertainty can generate speculation and rumors, which in turn can lead to fear and anxiety, even panic.
The email I received yesterday, I suspect, was one of these. Its contents warned of purchasing gift cards for the holidays. "I wanted to give everyone a heads up," the unknown author writes, "that if you tend to give gift cards around the holidays, you need to be careful that the cards will be honored after the holidays." It goes on to say that stores planning to close after Christmas are selling cards worthless after January 1 and there is "no law preventing them from doing this." They then list a "partial" list of stores with references in parentheses as to whether they are filing bankruptcy, closing a number of stores, etc.
What really frosts me is that often this type of questionable information is filtered into email chains to cause paranoia - and only hurts the economy more because it discourages people from making purchases at these stores.
I have no idea as to the authenticity of this information. However, there are a number of "warning signs" I picked up on as I read it through:
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There is no indication as to who wrote the piece, their credentials, or where they sourced their information
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They include references to laws and bankruptcy in ways that sound official, but are generic and say nothing.
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The stores listed are a mismash of popular names. Unless you look up each one, there is no way to tell if the information is true.
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Filing for bankruptcy doesn't necessarily mean a store is closing for good; it's filing for protection, in many cases so it can reorganize and become profitable again. Profitable ones will remain open for business; and don't forget about online shopping.
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When a number of stores close, it may only represent a small percentage of the total number of locations. Consolidations are common in retail. Tremendous costs can be saved by closing unprofitable outlets and reinvesting the dollars into those more profitable.
You are better off checking in with a legitimate news source or a respected on line website for valid information - or if you're concerned about purchasing gift cards, check directly with the store from which you are buying the card and their policy if the retailer were in fact to go under.
