The 10^th Annual World Smile Day is this Friday, founded by the inventor of the ‘smiley’, artist Harvey Ball in 1999. UK gift and gadget site Prezzybox.com is prompting the public to embrace Ball’s intention of devoting the day to acts of kindness, especially given that the end of the recession is in sight.

It may come as no surprise, but a survey undertaken by Prezzybox found the happiest time of the week for the majority of people is Friday at 1pm.

World Smile Day has occurred every Rachelfirst Friday of October for the last ten years. Founder of the day, Harvey Ball created the world-famous yellow smiley face in 1963, which went on to become the face of cheer and goodwill worldwide.

The UK’s leading fun gift and gadget site www.Prezzybox.com, in line with the impending day of happiness has surveyed 1,248 people and found that the day people are happiest besides the weekend is Friday, by which time the majority of the week’s work has been completed.

Prezzybox found that the adage about not liking Mondays holds true, as just 6% of people said Monday was their favourite day of the work week.

The public’s favourite time of the day is 1pm, when home-time for the majority is drawing near and the bulk of the workday has elapsed – making Friday at 1pm the time people are happiest throughout the working week.

Zak Edwards, the founder of Prezzybox.com is conscious that not everybody is aware of World Smile Day, but hopes the British public can get into the mood,

“We’re keen to spread the word of World Smile Day throughout the UK, and hope the public will get behind the inspiration of Harvey Ball. It’ll mean different things to different people, but a smile at a stranger you see every day on the tube, or making a cup of coffee for somebody you know would appreciate it whilst you’re up anyway are great examples of ways to embrace the day.

“With the end of the recession in sight according to various analysts, this would be the perfect time just before the weekend to let our hair down and leave the doom and gloom of the crunch behind us. World Smile Day is simple – do an act of kindness. Help one person smile.”

To celebrate World Smile Day and to spread the cheer, for two hours only, from 12pm-2pm on Friday the 2^nd October, Prezzybox are offering 20% off everything on the site for anybody using the code SMILE at checkout.

ENDS

For more information, please contact Rich Leigh, 10 Yetis Public Relations Agency on 01452 348 211 or [email protected]

Notes to editors

Prezzybox was founded in 2000 by Zak Edwards. From a tiny rented office in an Industrial Estate in Leicestershire the team – Zak, Mum, Dad and Girlfriend busily began creating a gift site which was full of delightful products together with a number of features to make gift buying a breeze.

The site launched in 2001 with a raft of gift ideas and features – such as the gift wizard, wish list feature and referrals scheme – and has gone from strength to strength.

The site has enjoyed a 37% growth in visitors from last year and shows no sign of slowing down.

Having won the ‘Choice of Merchant’ and ‘Affiliate Manager of the Year’ awards in 2007 with an Honourable mention in ‘Innovation in Affiliate Marketing’ against Amazon.com, Prezzybox.com have continued to provide outstanding innovation and creativity in their online service.

Connecticut Better Business Bureau says watch out for bank card fees and potential problems with retail gift cards

Wallingford, CT – December 1, 2008 – Hard cash is on many wish lists this year as families try to find a balance between holiday spending and paying for essentials. A popular option this season is the pre-paid bank card, or as they are also known, “stored-value” cards.

The cards are similar to pre-paid gift cards but may be used anywhere credit cards are accepted, allowing shoppers more flexibility as to where the money can be spent. These cards, however, are not without a downside and Connecticut BBB is providing advice on the purchase and use of pre-paid bank cards.

Connecticut Better Business Bureau President, Paulette Hotton Scarpetti, says buyers and recipients of these cards must pay special attention to their terms and limitations.

“Use of these pre-paid bank cards may involve substantial fees and limitations, and they vary, so BBB recommends consumers pay special attention to details when giving or using a pre-paid bank card. In other words, read the fine print and ask lots of questions about the cards’ restrictions.”

One BBB recently researched one bank-issued card and discovered more than 27 different fees, ranging from under a dollar to $20. These fees may be attached to contacting customer service, loading more money onto the card (recharging), and inactivity. One card even had a weekly base fee of $1.95, which adds up to more than $100 a year to use the card.

Pre-paid cards are often branded by major credit card companies, and while they promise zero or limited liability if a credit card is lost or stolen, the same protections do not necessarily apply to stored-value cards, which should outline whatever protection is afforded to the holder.

Retail gift cards – Buyer beware!

In the midst of the recent closures and bankruptcies of several major retail chains, consumers are concerned about buying gift cards and what might happen if the store goes out of business before the card is used.

According to Scarpetti, consumers have good reason to think carefully before deciding whether to buy a store gift card.

“Because there is no way of telling in advance whether a retailer will go out of business, your BBB advises you think carefully about gift card giving. The sad fact is that if a retailer closes its doors before a gift card is used, the holder is typically left with a worthless piece of plastic.”

Many consumers, in an effort to avoid a “holiday credit card hangover” are increasingly turning to debit cards and cash purchases, and even giving cash or checks as presents rather than gift cards.

What if your favorite store goes bankrupt?

If a store files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, it a signal it intends to continue operations while sorting out its financial problems. While some may still honor gift cards others have no choice but to stop redeeming them. Gift cards are treated as a loan to the company, not as cash.

If, however, the firm is filing for Chapter 7, meaning it intends to give up and simply close down, consumers are at the back of the line behind creditors who are owed money.

Connecticut BBB has some pointers when considering buying a gift card:

-Check out businesses at www.bbb.org to see whether any government actions or bankruptcy information is posted on a Reliability Report.

-Ask if the gift card has an expiration date or may be redeemed online and whether there are any location limitations using the card.

Finally, if you receive a gift card, use it as soon as possible. You never know how long its issuer will be in business.

For more information on giving and using gift cards, and managing credit and debit cards this holiday season, go to www.bbb.org.