Brookstone converts Sharper Image gift cards into practically worthless discount

What's worse than being forced to hang with your "pals" as they peruse the aisles of Sharper Image? Why, perusing the aisle at Brookstone, of course! In an admittedly ridiculous ploy to solicit business from now-shafted Sharper Image gift card holders, Brookstone is attempting to do the world some giant favor by converting any Sharper Image gift cards or gift certificate into a 25-percent off discount for its stores. Unfortunately, the individual with a $1 gift card and a $20,000 gift card get the same lame-o discount, and better still, the deal isn't valid on the few things in there worth a darn Sony, Celestron, Bose, Panasonic and Tempur-Pedic items. Thanks for nothing, Brookstone.

[Image courtesy of OrlandoAirports]

[matt @ Feb 27th 2008 3:29PM]

in for 20

[E71 @ Feb 27th 2008 7:43PM]

Brookstone's not so bad... maybe on this occasion, but I once bought a $100 alarm clock from them to take with me on holiday abroad. I emailed their support asking whether it will work okay in countries with different electrical frequency, they somehow managed to turn my question into a refund request and they ended up refunding me without asking me to even return the item. WOW! $100 alarm clock for free, thanks Brookstone!

[john @ Feb 27th 2008 3:32PM]

I agree, those suckers would have Sharper Image gift cards should lose ALL their money.

And Brookstone should just go off and die for not being able to tell how much money is stored on their competitor's gift cards but giving those screwed customers a discount anyway.

[afarenfield @ May 2nd 2008 6:38AM]

Trust me they check the balance of the cards so they can settle them but take them for marketing purposes, a little birdie told me they've got most of sharper image customers already.

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 3:32PM]

Give a Dollar General some track lighting and you get this dolphin-snagging fishnet of a mallrat trap store.

[Mike @ Feb 27th 2008 3:42PM]

You sure are bitter. Why?

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 3:44PM]

nah. just arbitrarily petulant against junk-selling stores and shopping malls. =)

[sr @ Feb 27th 2008 4:49PM]

Well said. I couldn't have said it any better.

[sr @ Feb 27th 2008 4:52PM]

He's not bitter, but he tells the truth very eloquently. Anyone who has bought and owned quality products can easily see past the smoke and mirrors of these places. Every single thing in these stores is some stupid gadget made in China with the worst design and quality, only jazzed up to look nice. Nothing in there is a premium product, and anyone who knows a premium product will agree. These marketing companies like Bose, Monster Cable and Absolut make me sick.

[Steven @ Feb 27th 2008 3:34PM]

so does that mean sharer image isnt going to do anything else with them? or this is just another companies thing........?
I heard march 15, they will tell us whatwe will be able to do with them....

[Dualboot @ Feb 28th 2008 1:00AM]

Do you really want an answer to that question? The blog already told you they are "now-shafted", didn't you get the clue?

I'm sorry to see them go. One less store to go to while the rest of the family is trying on stuff at all the girlie stores at the mall. Maybe I should have bought something over the years. Oh well...

[Kamokazi @ Feb 27th 2008 3:41PM]

Bose has mandated minimm prices like Apple does for retail stores, so they can't discount them (and why would you waste money on Bose garbage anyway?). I would bet Tempurpedic and the other may have similar agreement.

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 3:52PM]

what, you don't think a glorified boom box is worth $1200?

[sr @ Feb 27th 2008 4:56PM]

Temperpedic for those who have done the research is absolute overpriced crap. The viscoelastic foam they use is nothing special and is available wholesale for peanuts. Some people may like viscoelastic mattresses and I won't argue with them since it's all personal preference, but I'll bet they haven't even tried a good latex foam mattress. Which IMHO is the best of the foam mattress. Still others prefer spring mattresses and yet other water or air. The bottom line is that a Tempurpedic matrresses isn't the end all and be all of mattress as they would have you believe.

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 5:03PM]

sr, funny you mention that, i've been using latex foam mattresses for a few years. course they're very pricey. my latest one is a bit too thin; 6", and will sag in the middle with two people on it. think another 6"-er on top would do the trick?

[ScooterDe @ Feb 28th 2008 2:41AM]

@phanbuoy, another latex slab won't fix the issue altogether, though it might stop you bottoming out. A stiff(er) support is needed, like a layer coconut fibre (held together with latex). I presume you already have the mattress on solid slats (not a sprung base). Most good mattresses are a mix of materials to give both support and comfort. Latex is a good start.

[HOOPER @ Feb 27th 2008 3:41PM]

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/brookstone_scientists_10_years

[Elam Noor @ Feb 27th 2008 3:47PM]

Yeah, I'm confused Engadget. Are you upset because a company completely unrelated to S.I. is doing something good for its prospective customers, and admittedly good for marketing? Are you upset because a company unrelated to S.I. has no way of checking the balance on those cards? Are you upset because a company completely unrelated to S.I. is not somehow refunding the money on S.I.'s gift cards? Are you upset because they are excluding the 25% discount on products from companies they may not get that big of a margin on? Your right...F#$% Brookstone...

[Loban @ Feb 27th 2008 3:59PM]

Sooooo, is Sharper Image going out of business and closing their stores or what? I thought they just filed Chapter 11 which doesn't necessarily mean they're going out of business.

[Andy @ Feb 27th 2008 4:46PM]

It is just a marketing tool by Brookstone. Sharper Image stores haven't closed and aren't liquidaiting. It would make sense to use your SI gift cards at Brookstone.

[sr @ Feb 27th 2008 4:59PM]

It's absolutely stupid. SI is under chapter 11, so they will continue to exist. If I had a $200 gift card from SI, I would rather wait for the chance that one day I may redeem it at SI rather than use for some piddly discount at Brookstone. SI has a big name and it will some back since brand equity like that won't be so easily thrown away.

[snitch @ Feb 27th 2008 4:05PM]

thats why your suppose to use your credit card to pay for almost anything you can, remember not everyone is as honest as you are. last week i brought a camcorder from 6th av electronics, when i got home, surprise surprise, all the accessories where there but no camera, when i whent back ,they quickly call the cops at me and try to say that i took it, after being all nasty at me i took my homeland security officer batch out when the cops got there and the manager was about to shiet in his pants. Dude they could have made a complaint and charge me with theft by deception or something, and taken my money all at the same time

[Chebwa @ Feb 27th 2008 4:07PM]

...WHAT?

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 4:09PM]

snitch, this is your captain. stay in school. and gave me your batch and gun.

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 4:10PM]

*give

[pji @ Feb 27th 2008 4:37PM]

batches? We don't need no stinkin' batches!

[Steven @ Feb 27th 2008 4:43PM]

Someone needs to learn to spell BADGE not batch and gun but a badge and gun here check it out for yourself http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badge

[josh @ Feb 27th 2008 4:50PM]

If this dude works for Homeland Security, I'm moving ASAP.

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 4:52PM]

@Steven: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody

[Reader @ Feb 27th 2008 6:25PM]

"If this dude works for Homeland Security, I'm moving ASAP."

Moving? I think I will have given up on humanity all together, not just the US.

[Bizam! @ Feb 27th 2008 4:38PM]

Did Sharper Image even sell a $20,000 gift card? The max was probably $500.

[Elam Noor @ Feb 27th 2008 7:19PM]

Um, Pretty sure they were all making fun of the first guy that typed "Batch", they weren't all typing it that way out of ignorance...

[wickedpheonix @ Feb 27th 2008 4:53PM]

So, if I can find a $20 gift card for Sharper Image, I can go into a Brookstone and buy some $400 chair or whatever for $300? Sweet... now if only Brookstone carried PS3's...

[Ray-- @ Feb 27th 2008 5:05PM]

better yet... get a $20 gift card, go to SI and spend $19 of it, and then go to Brookstore and buy something 25% off... ;)

[jthomas @ Feb 27th 2008 6:00PM]

Ray....SI filed for chapter 11 and they're not honoring any gift cards, but business as usual in the stores and website. its a scam and i have $320 worth of gift cards which are useless. the store sucks anyway, everytime i go in there to spend the cards, i come out empty handed. thier SI branded prodcuts are awful, they malfunction after a while. out of all the electronics i've purchased and all the $$$ i've spent on them, the original ionic breeze quadra was the biggest waste of $$$. i hate the thing. they have bose, shure, and other brands, but cost much more than elsewhere. it'd be silly to buy from there. damn gift cards. i've always hated them and now i hate them even more.

[Sonic_13 @ Feb 27th 2008 5:19PM]

This post sounds pretty bitter. Considering Brookstone could have easily done nothing at all and let all those Sharper Image gift cards go to waste, you really don't have any grounds for bashing their offer.

Did you really expect them to honor the value of the cards or something? Brookstone never got money for the cards in the first place so if they did, it would be as if Brookstone started giving their merchandise away for free (which they obviously cannot afford to do).

[Ellianth @ Feb 27th 2008 5:20PM]

Maybe now people will learn not to give gift cards. They're like cash, except not as flexible :p.

[phanbouy @ Feb 27th 2008 5:24PM]

Nothing says "I'm unoriginal, lazy, and disinterested" than a bloody gift card. They do make good office gift basket stuffers though I s'pose.. a bit less tacky than a Jackson

[Dillon @ Feb 27th 2008 5:20PM]

even better yet... get a $20 gift card, go to SI and spend $19.99 of it, and then go to Brookstore and buy something 25% off... ;)

[Itchy Pajamas @ Feb 27th 2008 5:29PM]

At least you can still apply your nearly-worthless discount to a nearly-worthless air purifier.

[norvan @ Feb 27th 2008 5:55PM]

sorry folks, as a brookstone employee I can guarantee you that you cant use this on your new tempur pedic bed. It's really insulting to the employees though because our employee discount is only 30% and a $1 SI gift card can get you close to that amount. Besides, what's stopping someone from using an empty gift card?

[kevin @ Feb 27th 2008 5:59PM]

I wonder if Brookstone keeps the gift card when you buy something with the discount... If they do, I'd say spend everything on it, then go give them the plastic.

If they don't, I might go look for all the Brookstone locations in the area...

Who am I kidding? I have never seen anything in one of their stores I would actually want.

[Neoprimal @ Feb 27th 2008 6:09PM]

I don't quite understand...

So you go and purchase a Sharper Image gift card for say, $500 for someone that you know LOVES Sharper Image cr... products, and now they can't be used? How is that legal? I can completely understand coupons, gift certificates (for discounts) or reward card accruals etc. but I can't understand Gift Cards, unless they aren't the type I'm talking about?

Personally I love getting gift cards because I'm difficult to shop for and I know that. I like giving them as well, not because I'm lazy or disinterested but because I don't know what everyone I give gifts to would enjoy. I wouldn't give my wife or mom or best friends a card because I know what they like intimately. But colleagues and acquaintances, aunts, uncles, 2nd cousins etc., kids, Why not?

Yes, it's the sentiment and thought that counts but I like giving gifts that I know people will like/use. Someone gave me this very expensive looking Prada watch for X-mas and granted I was happy that they thought of me and got me a gift, but ... it's not my style...it looks like a leather bracelet or wristsleeve, whatever that's called and almost punk looking, plus I already have a watch that I love, so their watch is still sitting in a partially opened bag. If I give a watch, you had better damned well wear it or I'd be VERY hurt. I prefer to know that they'll use the gift card I give them to purchase something that they'll def. like and use.

[Tyson Williams @ Feb 27th 2008 6:27PM]

I like going to Brookstone to sit on the massaging chairs and get the employees pissed off.

[Irfan @ Feb 27th 2008 8:22PM]

remember to keep your shoes on.

[applefool @ Feb 27th 2008 7:38PM]

Ok, on to the more important matter -- did the photographer get the name and number of the cute blonde who's standing frontside in the shot? Assuming she's of age, I'll put a ben down for the 411.


jk ;-)

[technophobe @ Feb 28th 2008 3:48AM]

How do you know she is cute? and she is probably about 12 as she is with her mum!

[applefool @ Feb 28th 2008 4:11AM]

I know. I was simply trying to add some humor to the mix (hence, the jk remark).

[David @ Feb 28th 2008 3:55AM]

K

[James @ Feb 28th 2008 4:24AM]

Dont waste your giftcards and merch certs, just go to a Sharper Image and get a empty gift card. Go to Brookstone and get your 25% off, they cant check the card to see how much is on there. The giftcards and merch certs will probably be accepted again in the near future.