It's one of the most popular presents, the gift certificate.

Laws in recent years say it's the anytime gift to be used at your leisure, without fear of expiration dates. But after a viewer called our tip hot line, Eyewitness News investigated and found out there are some gray areas that could cause the recipient some frustration.

A trip to the spa is supposed to be a relaxing experience, but one man says a disagreement regarding the terms of a gift certificate made his wife's treatment less than enjoyable.

Gift certificates, by law cannot have an expiration date, but Bella Rose Salon in Bakersfield says services can have a time limit.

Kevin Henry says he bought his wife a gift certificate last November for a massage and facial at the Bella Rose Salon on F Street in Bakersfield.

When his wife went to redeem her gift earlier this month she says the salon would not honor both services because they were a part of a special promotion which had already expired.

So she received the massage, but not the facial.

The owner of the Bella Rose Salon, Sylvia Cottrell says although they do have specials, it didn't affect the Henry's Gift Certificate.

Reporter, "So she was never told that she was not going to get the facial because the gift expired?

Sylvia Cottrell: "Oh never, she was not ever told that ever, she could have it at her conceive to come in but it had to be a day the esthetician was here."

The Henry's say the salon told them a different story. "When she left her appointment in the way it was told to her that she wasn't going to receive the facial due to gift certificate expired."

According to California law no gift certificate can expire. But what is a store issues a special?

For example, at certain times of the year certain services can be offered at a discounted price, like a sale.

So the spa or any business can sell services for a special price for a limited time, but they still have to honor the cash value of the certificate even after the special is over.

Eyewitness News looked at the gift certificate, but the salon would not let us get video of it to show you. It contained no expiration date for the special. There was also no cash value listed.

Still Cottrell says most of the time she will honor ALL gift certificates with or without the special expiration date.

Cottell says she told Mr. Henry that his wife could still receive her facial. But Henry says Cottrell never offered to provide the second service and says his wife would not want to go back even if they did.

Henry's, "Cottell said it was a policy that corporations have to have to go by that law, and they have to put an expiration dates but small companies like her don't go by that law."

So what lesson can be learned in all of this. Even though a gift certificate doesn't expire, make sure you know the terms and conditions you are signing up for.

Our investigation discovered that the gift certificate law applies to all businesses big or small, but it can be confusing and there are a lot of gray areas especially between a gift certificate and a gift card.

We put a call into the Better Business Bureau who tells us that any gift certificates sold after January 1st, 1997 cannot contain an expiration date and are redeemable for their cash value or can be replaced at no cost to the holder.

Now a gift card can be the exception. These cards would include pre-paid Visas or Department Store gift cards for example.

These can have an expiration date as well as penalty fees if they are not used by a certain date. The expiration date must be printed on the card.

For more information and tips about gift certificates and expiration dates, see our Infolink page.