gift certificate expiration dates ala amazon

[Pompal 09.]

I ordered a gift cert from amazon.com for my bf. Amazon includes this little blurb in their emails about the gift cert expiration date:

* Expiration dates do not apply in California, Connecticut, Maine, Montana, Rhode Island, and Washington. Expiration date applies in New Hampshire only for gift certificates more than $100. For the following states, a gift certificate will expire after the indicated period of time as measured from the date of issuance: Louisiana (5 years), Maryland (4 years), Massachusetts (7 years), North Dakota (6 years), Oklahoma (5 years), and Vermont (3 years). Expiration dates do not apply in any other states solely to the extent as prohibited or limited by law.

Now, I am sure amazon hires expencive lawyers to figure out the laws for all the states and is sure to keep them up to date.

I really like how amazon handles their gift certs.

Gift certificates and unused portions of gift certificates should be spent within 18 months from the date of issuance, which is the "spend by" date included on the gift certificate. Gift certificate holders will be given an additional 6-month grace period to spend their gift certificates, and gift certificates and unused portions of gift certificates will expire two years from the date of issuance, which is the "expires" date included on the gift certificate.*

This effectivly puts a "spend by" date on the certificate of 18 months after it was purchased as its expiration date, but in reality the certificate is good for 2 years, and the two year date is listed as the "expires on" date.

By calling it a grace period, they make it sound like they are being so nice. Arent they sneaky??? LOL :roll: