Sorry to hear about your poor experience. Not that it's any consolation, but you're in good company. And sadly, wachovia isn't doing anything different from their competition here.

A dirty little secret of the gift card industry is the monthly "inactivity fees" that many card issuers assess after a certain period of time. Fortunately, many states have already prohibited such practices, and others are looking to follow suit. While not completely up to date, this USA Today piece includes a useful list of different state laws regulating the issue.

Unfortunately the old saw "let the buyer beware" applies in spades to gift cards. Even if you live in one of the states regulating the practice, gift cards can still be drained of their value if the issuing merchant faces hardship such as bankruptcy. Today for example, Circuit City announced that they are filing. It may not be long until their gift cards are worthless...so it's time to use 'em before you lose 'em.