ABA Presents Thanks & a Book Sense Gift Card to Senator Schumer

On Monday, December 8, ABA COO Oren Teicher sent a letter to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to thank him for his efforts to educate consumers about the ins and outs of gift cards and to provide the senator with information about the new Book Sense Gift Card program. Enclosed in the letter was a $25 Book Sense Gift Card presented to the senator by ABA, as well as a list of stores in New York State where he can redeem the card. (To read the letter in full, click here.)

"We have just launched [a gift card program] for independent bookstores all across the country," Teicher explained in the letter to Sen. Schumer. "Not only do Book Sense gift cards have no inactivity fees or expiration dates, they eventually will be good at a network of independent stores in all 50 states."

Teicher continued, "As you continue to discuss gift cards, I hope you will point out that each program is different, and consumers are well-advised to ask for the details. We're pleased to say that our program has no fine print and you get what you pay for!"

Sen. Schumer was quoted in a December 2 Gannett Journal News article as having said that he is "considering introducing federal legislation to ban such charges so these plastic gift certificates can be used at any time at their full value."