Kindle gift card only works for Kindle-related purchases.
All I asked for this Christmas was Amazon gift cards. So a relative went to Best Buy to ask for one, and she was handed an Amazon Kindle Gift Card. I wasn't sure if this would work for general Amazon purchases, so I sent an e-mail to Amazon customer service. The reply I received from Amazon was that the Kindle Gift Card can only be used for Kindle-related purchases, NOT for Amazon general merchandise. I tried to take the card back to Best Buy to exchange it for a regular Amazon gift card (which is what she asked for from the sales associate, so apparently, even retailers are unaware of this policy, although when I returned the manager knew this probably because others were trying to return their Kindle gift cards). Anyway, the manager there said it cannot be returned or exchanged, and confirmed it can only be used to make Kindle-related purchases. He said this is an Amazon return policy, not a Best Buy policy.<br /><br />Now the real question is, why would anyone in their right mind want an Amazon Kindle Gift Card with all these limitations, when they could get a regular Amazon gift card and buy anything at the Amazon store, including Kindle related purchases. This is a ridiculous policy, and if anyone says I'm lying, I'll be happy to forward the e-mail I received from Amazon customer service concerning this issue.<br /><br />*** UPDATE: Someone from Amazon called me to say if I first put the Amazon Kindle Gift Cards into my account using the number before making a purchase the money should be available for other purchases. They also sent me an e-mail with more specific instructions. Not sure if this is a rule change or what, but I appreciate them taking the time out to call me and leave another e-mail. I'll post the new e-mail below with the instructions (the first e-mail telling me it cannot be used this way is in the comments discussion to this review). Kudos to Amazon for listening to their customers if this is true (And I assume it is). I have not used the cards yet, and hadn't even scratched the off the cover over the numbers because I was thinking about trying to have Amazon exchange them for regular Amazon gift cards. Anyway, I'll bump up my rating to 3 stars (minus 2 for the misinformation) and the new e-mail is below:<br /><br />Hello Bill,<br /><br />I'm sorry for the misinformation you have previously received in an email from us about using your Gift Card for purchases on Amazon.com. I've tried contacting you at the phone number listed in your Amazon.com account but have been unsuccessful.<br /><br />To use an Amazon.com Gift Card (or a Gift Card with the Kindle name on it) for purchases from Amazon.com, visit Your Account (http://www.amazon.com/your-account) and look for the gift card option in the Payments section.<br /><br />You can also enter your gift card claim code during checkout in the box labeled "Have any gift cards, gift certificates or promotional claim codes?" in the right column. If you use 1-Click ordering, you'll find a similar option if you click "Review or edit your 1-Click orders" after clicking "Buy now with 1-Click" on a product's page.<br /><br />You'll find more instructions here:<br /><br />http://www.amazon.com/help/giftcards<br /><br />If you still need help, you can contact us via phone, chat, or e-mail by clicking the "Contact Us" button on any Help page (http://www.amazon.com/help).<br /><br />I hope this helps! We look forward to seeing you again soon.<br /><br />Megan
Rating: 3 stars