Guest Blogger Arone Silverman

Eddie Bauer has tried making a come-back this past year by marketing towards both the avid adventurer as well as the avid college student. The outdoor minded company created a new line-up of gear appropriate for Everest as well as following the season’s newest fashions. It was a campaign to take the brand higher. Unfortunately, expectations exceeded the market and today Eddie Bauer declared bankruptcy.

Everyone at Consumers Union has decided to put down their E.B. Ice Axe and monitor the bankruptcy court to ask the most important question of all. Will all the gift cards the company sold this past year be honored so we can finally get around to purchasing that double-fill goose down jacket with gore-tex shell and internal avalanche transceiver. Hey you never know when the next avalanche could hit you when you’re waiting for a cab downtown.

So far it’s unclear, bringing us back to what we’ve stressed are the risks associate with gift cards.

When companies go broke, not all of them continue to accept gift cards. This leaves a lot of consumers with gifts that don’t add up to anything. In fact, you could equate it to carrying cash that can disappear without warning. Find out ways you can be generous with out taking such a risk.