Blog remainders: Odds and ends
I've been a bit remiss about blogging recently, so I'm playing catch-up this week. Here are a couple things that have come across my desk that I haven't had the chance to post:
* K. Hovnavian Homes is pre-selling homes in its new Colfax community, Pheasant Ridge. Homes range from 2,600 to 4,000 square feet and are priced in the upper $200s, according to a news release from the company. For more information, call 382-3963.
* For all you Southpoint shoppers, L'Occitane en Provence, a retailer of soaps, lotions, bath products and other items with a French flair, will open at The Streets at Southpoint in the spring. the retailer will take up 1,000 square feet of space on the mall's lower level, the Durham shopping center announced earlier this month.
* The National Retail Federation says gift-card scams aren't as simple to pull off as you might think. Some consumers have been alarmed by reports that they could lose cash from their gift cards if thieves steal the card numbers, the NRF reports.
But safeguards like scratch-off security codes, individual verification numbers and protective packaging help minimize thievery in the $25 billion gift-card industry, the NRF says.
Nevertheless, retail experts encourage consumers to exercise caution with their cards. Keep an original receipt for cards you purchase - even if you give them as gifts - in case the card has been used and needs to be returned, Joseph LaRocca, NRF's vice president of loss prevention, said in the release. Retailers can check the card for fraud and often are able to refund the value of the card to the cardholder, he said.
The NRF's other recommendations include:
* Make sure the scratch-off section of the card is intact before buying. If you find a card that already has been scratched off, take it to customer service at the store.
* Don't buy gift cards from online auction sites. Those cards could be fake or could have been obtained through fraud.