Ala Moana Center, the state's largest shopping mall, is now charging a service fee for its popular gift certificates, which has some holiday shoppers crying foul. Ala Moana gift certificates
come at unwelcome priceSome shoppers are upset at a service fee
that is being chargedBy Rick Daysog
rdaysog@starbulletin.comThe service fee is the first issued by Ala Moana for the gift certificates and ranges between $1 and $5 depending on the number purchased.
The gift certificates are redeemable at Ala Moana's more than 230 stores.
Oahu's other major malls -- Pearlridge Center, Windward Mall, Kahala Mall and the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center -- have similar gift certificate programs, but none charge a service fee.
A manager at Ala Moana's customer service office where the certificates are sold said that he has received some complaints from customers since the charge was put in place in October.
The manager declined to discuss the rationale for the service fee and referred questions to the center's General Manager Dwight Yoshimura, who did not return a request for comment.
Some customers buying gift certificates at Ala Moana's offices yesterday said they were irritated by the fee, which they felt was not justified.
Karen Totoki, of Makaha, said she was surprised by the fee, saying she has been purchasing Ala Moana gift certificates for the past 10 years and had never been charged a fee.
"It's like the banks who keep raising their fees," Totoki said.
Downtown resident Lyn Edinlao said the fee discouraged her from spending more on gift certificates this year. Edinlao said she typically buys two or three gift certificates each year for friends or relatives but this year decided to purchase just one.
"I thought it was ridiculous," said Edinlao. "I just don't think you should be charging for a gift certificate."
Ron Yoda, Kahala Mall's general manager, said several of his mall's customers complained about Ala Moana's new policy, and some of them have bought gift certificates from Kahala instead.