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  • Geebo 8:00 am on March 23, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , Target   

    Are retailers responsible for gift card scams? 

    Are retailers responsible for gift card scams?

    By Greg Collier

    We can’t hear the term ‘git card’ without almost immediately thinking of scams. They’ve become synonymous with scams, since they’re often used as a form of untraceable payment in a vast number of scams. Gift cards can also be the scam itself.

    One common gift card scam is when scammers visit stores to capture the information from the back of gift cards. They patiently wait until someone loads money onto the cards, and then use the funds for their own purposes, leaving the cardholders at a loss.

    Another version of that scam is when gift card scammers frequently visit different stores and scratch off the security strip from the card. They then take note of the card number and replace the security strip with a sticker.

    What both scams have in common is that the scammers need to go into the stores themselves. Because of this, some believe the retailers that sell the cards are partially responsible for when the funds are stolen from the cards. 21 states have filed a class action lawsuit against the Target retail chain, accusing Target of knowingly selling compromised cards. Does the lawsuit have merit? Possibly.

    Retail stores almost always have gift card kiosks out in the open, where potentially anyone could interfere with the cards’ validity. Some advocates have called for the cards to be kept behind counters or in vending machines.

    However, until that day comes, there are ways to protect yourself from buying a faulty gift card.

    To avoid falling victim to gift card fraud, there are a few precautions you can take. Firstly, always inspect the back of the card to ensure it hasn’t been tampered with. Check a handful of cards from the rack to make sure they are similarly marked on the back, as scammers often place tampered cards up front to get the money quicker. When purchasing a card, consider buying one from the middle of the pack instead.

    It’s also advisable to pay for gift cards with a credit card whenever possible. Credit cards offer better protection against loss than cash or debit cards.

    If you do happen to receive an empty card, you can try contacting the customer service number on the back of the card. However, be aware that it is unlikely they can recover the lost funds or offer a refund.

     
  • Geebo 8:10 am on April 6, 2020 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , social distancing, Target,   

    Stores implementing new social distancing rules 

    Stores implementing new social distancing rules

    With Amazon and other retailers having their delivery schedules pushed back for months, now more than ever we’re all going to have to start relying more on brick and mortar stores. However, this comes with problems of its own as it’s recommended that we don’t gather in large groups in contained areas. Unfortunately, with the rash of panic buying that has been happening for the past few weeks that can’t always be helped when we go shopping for supplies. Now, some of the nation’s largest retailers will be implementing new procedures to keep customers from gathering too close to each other in their stores.

    Both Walmart and Target have announced new procedures that will allow only a handful of customers into their stores at a time. In order to lessen the impact of possible coronavirus infections, Walmart has started to only allow 20% of the store’s capacity in at one time. There will only be one door open to the store and if the store reaches capacity customers will be allowed in on a one in and one out basis. So there may be extended waits just to get into the store if you go. A member of our team experienced some of this over the weekend as the Walmart they went to only had one entrance accessible and had a line of shopping carts being used to cordon customers in line to enter the store. Even though our team member did not experience any lines longer than usual, that may change in the coming days. Target has not made their plans public as of yet but one could assume they would be similar to Walmart’s.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSeGpLzx6qA%5D

    As the virus continues, more retailers will probably adopt similar policies if they haven’t already. Please keep in mind that we are all in this together. Patience may wear thin while we might have to wait in a long line just to get a gallon of milk. While frustration is certainly understandable, causing disruptions either in the line to enter or while in the store helps nobody.

    This is just one of the many situations in today’s global crisis where things will work better and more efficiently. If we just work together and keep our fellow inhabitants in mind we’ll be able to weather the storm and come out of it a stronger community.

     
  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 12, 2019 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , Target,   

    Are employee benefits on the way back? 

    Are employee benefits on the way back?

    In the past few decades, employee benefits have been on a drastic downswing. Long gone are the days where employers offered fair and affordable benefits to their workers. Now at many businesses employees are expected to sacrifice much of their personal life just to be able to collect a paycheck. Combine that with the cost of living greatly exceeding the average employee’s wages and you have a recipe for disaster. Now, one of the nation’s largest employers is offering new benefits to their employees that somewhat harken back to previous eras.

    In an attempt to retain their best employees Target recently announced increased benefits for their employees. The new benefits include paid time off for child or elder care and an expanded parental leave program. Target already paid their employees a better starting salary than WalMart and now with this new benefits package, they may also attract applicants who may not otherwise apply for retail positions.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnre-MZIy8M%5D

    While this may sound great in the surface, Target has been vague about some of the more important details of their new benefits. For example, while Target says that “employees will have access to up to 20 days a year of subsidized in-center or in-home care for either children or elders” those subsidies don’t come from Target but from the employee. Target hasn’t released how much that will cost one of their employees but only describes it as ‘affordable’.

    However, this could be a sign of positive change for employees. If more businesses start offering more competitive benefits packages in order to attract better employees maybe will see the return of better benefits for all.

     
  • Geebo 9:59 am on November 9, 2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: free delivery, , , , Target   

    Target offers free delivery while closing stores 

    Target offers free delivery while closing stores

    Retail’s favorite holiday is fast approaching, Black Friday. That time that used to announce the start of the Christmas shopping season the day after Thanksgiving, which has now even encroached into the holiday. In order to compete with online retailers that they’ve been losing ground to for years now, some stores are offering certain perks.

    Target will be offering free shipping for their online orders for the holiday in an effort to try to battle for that coveted ‘last mile’. Again, the last mile is considered the most expensive part of any home delivery by retailers. The question is, should Target be offering free delivery for the holidays when they’re set to close multiple locations in the new year?

    Will the promise of free delivery for the holidays be enough to turn Target’s profit margins around? It’s highly doubtful as it seems like they’re robbing Peter to pay Paul. It almost seems like it’s too little too late for Target as they waited too long to try to compete with the much larger competition of Amazon and Walmart.

     
  • Geebo 9:04 am on October 25, 2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , Target,   

    Are big retailers trying to squeeze out Whole Foods? 

    Are big retailers trying to squeeze out Whole Foods?

    According to a report from Reuters, Amazon is facing an uphill battle when it comes to not only opening new Whole Foods locations, but also what they can provide in existing locations. Many big box retailers such as Target and Best Buy have leasing agreements with their stores’ property owners that can limit what other stores can do.

    For example, Many Target stores have a clause in their leasing agreements that prevents nearby stores from providing lockers where they can pick up online orders. That was one of the main reasons as to why Amazon bought Whole Foods in the first place. Some Best Buys have clauses that prohibit electronics from being sold on less than 250 square feet of floor space. This could inhibit Whole Foods from selling Amazon’s Echoes and Kindles. Bed Bath and Beyond also has a clause that prevents some nearby stores from selling linens and other housewares. Many of the stores’ spokespeople say this is a common business practice when it comes to multi-store properties.

    However, Amazon should never be counted out. Considering they took a simple book selling website and it turned it into the world’s largest online retailer they’ve face hurdles like this before and have always come out on top.

     
  • Geebo 10:00 am on October 24, 2017 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , Target   

    Target to put the brakes on Christmas 

    Target to put the brakes on Christmas

    It happens every year around this time. It’s not even Halloween yet and Christmas commercials are already starting to invade the airwaves. A number of retailers tend to bypass Thanksgiving altogether and go straight for Christmas as soon as the leaves change color. Then we hear consumers say en masse that it’s too soon for Christmas marketing. Well, one retailer has said it’s listening to its customers and is cutting back on Christmas.

    Target has announced that they are actually going to focus on Thanksgiving in their stores and delay the Christmas rush. The retail chain says they’ll be focusing on Thanksgiving meal preparation and entertaining during the Thanksgiving season. That’s not to say that Target is throwing in the towel when it comes to Christmas as they plan on increasing their marketing budget as Christmas approaches.

    It’s refreshing to see a retail chain listening to its customers. This has the potential to sway some customers away from Walmart. While it probably won’t make that much of a dent in Walmart’s customer base it’s nice to have the option to shop in a store in October and November and not be assaulted prematurely by the juggernaut of Christmas marketing.

     
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