Voucher expired

Cat_M

I realise it's at the discretion of hotels to enforce expiry dates but God does it Sting when it happens! I got my better half a golfing voucher for Druid's glen. Granted it's 6 months out of date, I just can't understand why they can do that when money is paid up front. It cost me 150 and it's not small money. I know another hotel who was happy to honour a voucher we had for almost 2 years and the same hotel honoured a voucher after ..... 6 years! They are Dunbrody House in Wexford, fair play to them.

Curious to know what other hotels have honoured your expired vouchers and / or have a no expiry policy. They will get my business in the future.

Irish94

There is currently no minimum expiry date on gift vouchers under law, in Ireland. Retailers issue expiry dates on the vouchers, hoping you will use the voucher within the date specified.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I think after the 'expiry date' you lose the VAT value on the total amount. So if your voucher was €150 and lets say VAT was 21% on it, it is worth €118.50 now. Hope this helps!

The government planned to introduce legislation regarding vouchers and expiry dates, I’m open to correction but I don’t think it has been introduced. So the t&cs of the voucher apply, to be fair 18 months is a long time past the ED.

Also, Druids Glen was for sale last year, it may have new owners/new leasing agreement.

https://www.google.ie/amp/s/amp.independent.ie/business/irish/45m-price-tag-for-druids-glen-as-families-sell-up-37262074.html

coylemj

Irish94 wrote: »

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I think after the 'expiry date' you lose the VAT value on the total amount. So if your voucher was €150 and lets say VAT was 21% on it, it is worth €118.50 now. Hope this helps!

Sounds like an urban myth. VAT doesn't arise until you convert the vouchers to goods or services.

When you buy a voucher, you are giving the retailer money in return for an IOU, it's effectively a loan redeemable only for goods and services supplied by him. This does not give rise to a VAT charge until the goods or services are supplied.

dudara

Irish94 wrote: »

There is currently no minimum expiry date on gift vouchers under law, in Ireland. Retailers issue expiry dates on the vouchers, hoping you will use the voucher within the date specified.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I think after the 'expiry date' you lose the VAT value on the total amount. So if your voucher was €150 and lets say VAT was 21% on it, it is worth €118.50 now. Hope this helps!

I’ve never heard of this VAT detail, and I don’t think it’s true (unless you can show me otherwise).

As you say OP, it’s at the discretion of the business if they will honour an expired voucher or not. There is currently no obligation to do so. It’s always worth asking what the policy is re expired vouchers before purchasing.

In some ways, I can see why businesses don’t honour them past expiry date. They have to carry an unassigned receipt (essentially) on their books indefinitely, rather than being able to offset that cash against expenses.

Seve OB

Irish94 wrote: »

There is currently no minimum expiry date on gift vouchers under law, in Ireland. Retailers issue expiry dates on the vouchers, hoping you will use the voucher within the date specified.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I think after the 'expiry date' you lose the VAT value on the total amount. So if your voucher was €150 and lets say VAT was 21% on it, it is worth €118.50 now. Hope this helps!

need to go back to maths class
@ VAT 21% that's €123.97

but VAT is 23% so that should be €121.95


either way, I'm not sure you are correct in that theory

Irish94

Seve OB wrote: »

need to go back to maths class
@ VAT 21% that's €123.97

but VAT is 23% so that should be €121.95


either way, I'm not sure you are correct in that theory

Apologies :pac:

From experience - I have a voucher, valued at €250, that 'expired' last November for a Tour company. I rang the company explaining I couldn't use the voucher before the 'expiry' date and that I would only be able to use it after it 'expired'.

They told me that a voucher can not, legally, have an expiry date under law so I can still use the voucher but it was only worth between €190 - €199. I thought the value lost was because of VAT or something along those lines. My mistake!

L1011

Sounds like random wittering by the company really.

witchgirl26

OP while the others were good about allowing you to use the voucher, realistically Druid's Glen didn't do anything wrong (at the moment) with refusing a voucher that was 1.5 years out of date. Especially as most vouchers are valid for a year so that means it would have been bought 2.5 years ago.

I've done it where I've had a voucher that was coming near to the expiry date and I rang the place in question, explained that I wouldn't get a chance to use it at all before then and they re-issued it.

Cat_M

witchgirl26 wrote: »

OP while the others were good about allowing you to use the voucher, realistically Druid's Glen didn't do anything wrong (at the moment) with refusing a voucher that was 1.5 years out of date. Especially as most vouchers are valid for a year so that means it would have been bought 2.5 years ago.

I've done it where I've had a voucher that was coming near to the expiry date and I rang the place in question, explained that I wouldn't get a chance to use it at all before then and they re-issued it.

No it's 6 months out of date. It expired last August. It was bought 1.5 years ago. I've just realised that I said otherwise. But the lady asked the voucher reference and it was just no.

GBX

They may have had a cut off point to how far back outstanding unused vouchers will be accepted and yours may not have fallen within this.
Nearly 6 months out of date - they are entitled to say no. You might like the answer but they can say no. Sure contact the management with feedback by email and see if they change their mind.

coylemj

GBX wrote: »

Sure contact the management with feedback by email and see if they change their mind.

Druids Glen is currently for sale, I doubt if the current owners care about customer feedback.

When you buy vouchers, the outstanding amount goes on the balance sheet as a liability because from an accounting perspective, it's the same as money owed. If the vouchers are not spent by the expiry date, the bean counters can wipe the liability and the money you gave them becomes 100% profit.

bluetractor

Irish94 wrote: »

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I think after the 'expiry date' you lose the VAT value on the total amount. So if your voucher was €150 and lets say VAT was 21% on it, it is worth €118.50 now. Hope this helps!

I'll correct you. You're wrong

You may be confusing it with deposits and a court case a few years back. Deposits are exempt from an accounting point of view until used and then they are accounted for at the vat rate of the product/service it was used for. If the deposit is forfeited, it is considered "compensation" for the company and is exempt from vat.