Gift voucher expired!!!

guinnessdrinker

My girlfriend got me a gift voucher for a music shop last christmas and i have'nt used it yet but i've just after realising its expired 4 days ago.

Do you think the shop will still let me use it, i wouldnt mind if it was a small amount but its for 100 euro.

monkeyfudge

It's annoying isn't it? They really shouldn't be allowed to do that... but they are.

You might as well go in and talk to the manager and see if they'll redeem them for you seeing as it's only a few days.

EDIT: Ooooh... thanks for reminding me... I just looked at some amazon vouchers I had from last Christmas and they expire on wednesday... time to get spending.

Creamy Goodness

in my opinion i think they should let you use it.

a gift voucher = money, does money have an expiry date?

"ohh no, my euro expires today, i better use it".

they just have an expiry date there to catch some people saying ohh well, they won't let me use it, i might aswell not bother.

i'd imagine if you kick up a fuss they'd budge.

chump

monkeyfudge wrote:

It's annoying isn't it? They really shouldn't be allowed to do that... but they are.

Are they definetely allowd do it?

egan007

guinnessdrinker wrote:

My girlfriend got me a gift voucher for a music shop last christmas and i have'nt used it yet but i've just after realising its expired 4 days ago.

Do you think the shop will still let me use it, i wouldnt mind if it was a small amount but its for 100 euro.

from experience most honour them

chuckles30

I heard that it's illegal to have an expiry date on a gift voucher and that they are actually obliged to honour them even after the date.

dudara

I don't know about the legality of a date on a voucher, but from having worked for the Clarion hotel group, if anyone contacted us regarding an expired voucher, we asked them to return it to us, along with a letter, and we'd issue a new voucher.

jimmycrackcorm

chump wrote:

Are they definetely allowd do it?

Yes - they are.

Karoma

http://www.odca.ie/cfmdocs/c_query/refund.cfm

-It is at the sellers' discretion as to how long a voucher is valid.
-If the seller is not willing to extend the time frame, that is their right.
-Consumer could consider passing the voucher on to someone else, or selling it.

How this is even an issue,or questionable... i'd love to live your little world for a while..

MorningStar

There is a lot of fraud around gift vouchers and that is one of the reason they put expiry dates on them. Stolen credit cards are often used to buy vouchers. In accounting terms it isn't great to have a liability just build and build so that is another reason.
Most companies will allow the voucher to be used once there is a record of the change to current vouchers. It isn't a scam just reasonable security measures for a company.

johnnyrotten

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

Yes - they are.

I would seriously doubt that.
Think about it - They have been paid for nothing!

Sleipnir

Retailers absolutely adore gift vouchers for the very circumstances you are now in.
BT's have found that only around 60 to 70% of vouchers are ever redeemed so it's like they're just handed cash by someone who then walks out the door!

Chavster

johnnyrotten wrote:

I would seriously doubt that.
Think about it - They have been paid for nothing!

Yes if they refuse to honour it they have been paid for nothing but the OP has had 1 whole year to redeem it and hasn't been arsed/forgot/didn't get round to it.
How is that the companies fault?

To the OP, they may laugh in your face or they may honour it, there's only one way to find out!

BrianD

johnnyrotten wrote:

I would seriously doubt that.
Think about it - They have been paid for nothing!

No, at the time of contract the customer is told that they have to use this credit in a certain timeframe. It's not their fault if you don't do that!

MorningStar

johnnyrotten wrote:

I would seriously doubt that.
Think about it - They have been paid for nothing!

Well you would be seriously wrong.
You buy a year of time for somebody to spend x money in that store. If the person does not redem it that is not the fault of the company but the person with it.

I am a mazed BT get such little reuse of their vouchers. Generally there is a non use of no more than 10%. It certainly is not a money making scheme due to the printing costs and other security measures. The vouchers and systems cost money to run.

Culchie

MorningStar wrote:

Well you would be seriously wrong.
You buy a year of time for somebody to spend x money in that store. If the person does not redem it that is not the fault of the company but the person with it.

I am a mazed BT get such little reuse of their vouchers. Generally there is a non use of no more than 10%. It certainly is not a money making scheme due to the printing costs and other security measures. The vouchers and systems cost money to run.

60-70% redemption figures would be an accurate enough figure .... I know from personal experience, from a previous job.

Gandhi

Some companies will advertise gift certificates that never expire, and then have "maintenance fees" of around $2.00 a month that kick in after about a year. These then eat away at the value of the gift card so that for practical purposes it does expire after a certain period of time.

They must be a dream for retailers, though. In the worst case scenario, where somebody uses the entire card, they have still got the cash up front days or weeks before having to hand over any merchandise, so it is basically an interest free loan.

I don't know what the deal is with VAT / sales tax. If a company has to give the government their cut immediately a gift card is sold, or if they wait until it is used.

A Dub in Glasgo

I do not know why people buy gift vouchers when they are unsure they will be used. Waste of money, much better giving people cash.
pocket a high % of the cash and they have the cash from day 1 without releasing stock.