A couple of items in this article are troubling: the claim that gift card laws are seldom enforced and the admission by the State of Louisianna (and probably by most States with gift card law) that complaints about gift cards are rare.

Why is this?

Just like with the proliferation of nickel and dime fees on everything from airlines to bank accounts, companies know that people rarely make a huge stink about a small amount of money list even though they despise it. And customers are easy to forget their frustration which keeps them feeding at the same tainted trough. Gift cards are no different. Companies that sell gift cards know damn well that most customers won’t bother to complain if they have a problem with their gift card. This is part of what helps them make money in a profit-by-small-fee fashion, which has become the norm for most businesses in this country.

A real shame.