Local gift cards

The holidays may be over, but many Americans are still spending money in the form of gift cards.

TowerGroup, a research firm estimates about 41 billion dollars in gift cards have gone unclaimed around the country since 2005. Attorney General Steve Bullock says making sure you claim any money on a gift card is important because there isn't a way to officially keep up with them.

"One of the things and its great in Montana our state laws are that gift cards don't expire. This also underscores that at the end of the day merchants have no way of tracking who gets those cards and they're just like cash," says Attorney General, Steve Bullock.

Bullock says because there are no expiration dates on the majority of Montana gift cards, it’s the consumer's job to make sure the money gets spent.

Story by Drew Steele, Beartooth NBC.
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