@gegeorge ~ With regard to your updated comment, the problem for me isn't that they no longer track the codes and usage nearly so much as that they changed their practice without notice. It's one thing to keep track of how YOU use a gift card, but now how is there any way to find out how your card was used if the balance is lower than you expected it to be (e.g. PayPal took too much, double-charged both your GC and CC -- it has happened frequently, didn't refund properly for a return)? It's akin to your bank suddenly saying they'll no longer provide detailed statements and will only tell you what your balance is without any real way to find out where your money went if the balance isn't as expected.
Again, had they never offered this, no sweat. But they DID offer it and as such people depended on it, with no reason to believe they shouldn't and no indication that this feature might be removed. When they suddenly took it away without any notice whatsoever, without even communicating it after the fact, it left many people feeling abandoned and upset. This significantly reduces the way I'll use eBay gift cards, since I've had multiple instances of balances either being removed improperly (double-charging the GC and my CC, as mentioned) or not refunded after a return.
