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The Daily Dot

Ljeonida is a reporter and writer with a degree in journalism and communications from the University of Tirana in her native Albania. She has a particular interest in all things digital marketing; she considers herself a copywriter, content producer, SEO specialist, and passionate marketer. Ljeonida is based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Ljeonida Mulabazi

Walmart storefront. A red arrow points down over a stack of $100 USD bills. A stack of brown boxes show the Amazon logo.

walmart-amazon-crypto.png

“Gift cards without all the added fees”: Amazon and Walmart might launch their own cryptocurrencies

Braden Bjella is a culture writer. His work can be found in Mixmag, Electronic Beats, Schon! magazine, and more.

Braden Bjella

3 Panel Image, of woman in the car smiling, costco storefront and same woman talking

Woman_Buys_LA_County_Fair_Ticket_From_Costco.png

“They shouldn’t have let you leave with that”: Woman buys LA County Fair tickets from Costco. Then she tries to use them

Sabrina McCrear is a trending intern for the Daily Dot. A senior at Howard University, she’s majoring in journalism with a minor in biology, combining her passions for storytelling and healthcare advocacy. As editor-in-chief of Howard’s 101 Magazine, McCrear leads the charge in producing dynamic, engaging content. She’s written consumer advice pieces on maternal health, fetal well-being, and preventive medicine. Dedicated to amplifying diverse voices, she’s paving the way for a future in healthcare communication and advocacy.

Sabrina McCrear

3 Panel Image, Woman with dark hair with striped shirt and Walmart Store front

Walmart_Checking_Out_7_Giftcards_TikTok.png

‘Who is telling you to buy these?’: Walmart shopper goes to checkout with 7 gift cards. Then, an employee sends her to customer service.

Amelie Allen is a trending intern at the Daily Dot. She&#8217;s a senior at the University of Arizona, where she studies political science and journalism. In her free time, she enjoys reading, puppetry, and watching old movies.

Amelie Allen

Woman with red cheeks surprised in her car, Olive Garden Italian Kitchen Signage

Olive_Garden_Scams.png

‘She never came back’: Couple brings $200 gift card into Olive Garden. Then their server tells them the card is empty

3 image split. In-N-Out logo on left. Woman opening envelope in center. Raising Canes sign on right.

raising_canes_in_n_out_mail.png

‘In-N-Out does the same’: Woman finds something pretty common in her Raising Cane’s. Then she gets something in the mail

Mustafa Gatollari has been an internet culture writer for over a decade. He has a passion for connecting what’s trending on social media to solid research—helping to separate clout-chasing claims from facts.

Mustafa Gatollari

2 panel image: on the left a person is shopping, on the right is a display of gift cards for sale.

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‘We have to ask this’: Walmart shopper buys Top Golf gift card. Then the worker asks her a strange question

Brooke Sjoberg is a freelance writer for the Daily Dot. She graduated with her Bachelors in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin in 2020.

Brooke Sjoberg

2 panel image, on the left: the exterior of a Sephora shop and on the right: a person explains.

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‘She kept those items’: Shopper tries to check out with $150 Sephora gift card. Then the worker claims there’s only $91 on it

Beau Paul is a freelance writer from Austin, Texas. Beau also wrote narrative and dialog for the gaming industry for several years before becoming an entertainment journalist.

Beau Paul

Visa Giftcards(l), Woman talking(c), Visa Logo(r)

Woman buys 3 Visa gift cards

‘It’s coming from the manufacturer’: Woman buys 3 Visa gift cards, each for $50. Then she opens them and looks at the numbers

Alexandra Samuels is a national political reporter and contributor to the Daily Dot, where she started as an intern covering politics in the summer of 2016. She enjoys all things Marvel, keeping up with the latest TikTok trends, long walks with her pup, and reading murder-mystery novels.

Alexandra Samuels

A person in a circle explains. In the background there is a typical wall of gift cards.

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‘I lost like $200’: Former retail worker reveals how to avoid getting scammed by gift cards this holiday season

woman shares what she learned from Gift Cards(l) Gift Card Pattern with Peach Color Background(r)

woman shares gift card issues

‘It depends on where you live’: Woman receives Visa gift card. Then she learns it has a ‘monthly maintenance’ fee

Slit screen image of how to trade in old electronics for a gift card.

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‘Best Buy might payout more’: Shopper reveals how you can get Costco gift cards by trading in your old iPhone, iPad devices

Stacy Fernández is a freelance writer, project manager and communications specialist. She’s worked at The Texas Tribune, The Dallas Morning News and run social for The Education Trust New York. Her favorite hobby is finding hidden gems at the thrift store, she loves a good audio book and is a chocolate enthusiast.

Stacy Fernandez

Olive Garden sign(l), Two women talking(c), Hand holding Olive Garden gift card(r)

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‘All the manager had to do was swipe her badge’: Olive Garden customers rack up $180 tab. They won’t let them use their gift card

Je&#8217;Kayla Crawford is a trending news intern for the Daily Dot. Her work can be found at Distractify, Dexerto, and more.

Je’Kayla Crawford

Hand holding Sephora gift card in front of sephora store(l), Woman talking(c), Interior of Sephora(r)

Gift Card