WH Smith Gift Cards Rip Off

tobiascurious

also the company might go bust like borders

peterpotter

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Why have you revived a 2 year old thread? You don't even have a query that matches it.

I can see that you're new so here's a tip - please don't give any more oldies the kiss of life because it's really, really confusing.

Yes, I know I've made it worse by keeping it going with my reply....;).

The rip-off doesn't have an expiry date - unlike the gift cards!

stu1011

BlindJak wrote: »

My mate bought me a £20 WH Smith gift card for my birthday and I immediately jumped on the website to buy some books. Having settled on three totalling £22.25 I tried to check out only to find that there is no place to enter the details of the gift card.

I phoned Smiths customer services and they confirmed that Gift Cards are not accepted via the website and I would have to use it in store. However, in store does not offer the same prices as the website and the same three books would cost me £30.97. IMO, this is a rip off as it erodes value and rips off the customer.

I’m sure that in the pack you buy there is ever such tiny print that explains this but lets face it when people buy gift certificates they expect that they are good across the whole company. And you can bet your life that this is not explicitly stated by the till staff at the time of purchase.

Once I warned my pals about this one also mentioned that Boarders do the same thing. So my advice is to not by vouchers this Xmas unless you’ve checked it can be spent across the whole business.

Hi I have got a £20 gift voucher to spend at WHsmiths and you can use the gift cards on the website but it curoiusly stoped accepting the gift cards on thire web site around xmas time witch raised an eye brow !. I phoned them and thay said "we are not accepting gift cards over our online store as the traffic is causing our server to shut down and customers credit/debit cards take priority you can use them in the new year. (ok when the sales are stopped as the vat is increasing) she went on to say the offers are not avalble in high street stores.I submitted a formal complaint and they gave me £150 to spend in store online. If any one wants a copy of the letter to mail to them drop me an E-mail on stuartcoyne@hotmail.com and i will gladly forwad a copy. they are in breach of the distance selling act.

stu1011

BlindJak wrote: »

My mate bought me a £20 WH Smith gift card for my birthday and I immediately jumped on the website to buy some books. Having settled on three totalling £22.25 I tried to check out only to find that there is no place to enter the details of the gift card.

I phoned Smiths customer services and they confirmed that Gift Cards are not accepted via the website and I would have to use it in store. However, in store does not offer the same prices as the website and the same three books would cost me £30.97. IMO, this is a rip off as it erodes value and rips off the customer.

I’m sure that in the pack you buy there is ever such tiny print that explains this but lets face it when people buy gift certificates they expect that they are good across the whole company. And you can bet your life that this is not explicitly stated by the till staff at the time of purchase.

Once I warned my pals about this one also mentioned that Boarders do the same thing. So my advice is to not by vouchers this Xmas unless you’ve checked it can be spent across the whole business.

Hi I have got a £20 gift voucher to spend at WHsmiths and you can use the gift cards on the website but it curoiusly stoped accepting the gift cards on thire web site around xmas time witch raised an eye brow !. I phoned them and thay said "we are not accepting gift cards over our online store as the traffic is causing our server to shut down and customers credit/debit cards take priority you can use them in the new year. (ok when the sales are stopped as the vat is increasing) she went on to say the offers are not avalble in high street stores.I submitted a formal complaint and they gave me £150 to spend in store online. If any one wants a copy of the letter to mail to them drop me an E-mail on [EMAIL="stuartcoyne@hotmail.com"]stuartcoyne@hotmail.com[/EMAIL] and i will gladly forwad a copy. they are in breach of the distance selling act.

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DCFC79

stu1011 wrote: »

Hi I have got a £20 gift voucher to spend at WHsmiths and you can use the gift cards on the website but it curoiusly stoped accepting the gift cards on thire web site around xmas time witch raised an eye brow !. I phoned them and thay said "we are not accepting gift cards over our online store as the traffic is causing our server to shut down and customers credit/debit cards take priority you can use them in the new year. (ok when the sales are stopped as the vat is increasing) she went on to say the offers are not avalble in high street stores.I submitted a formal complaint and they gave me £150 to spend in store online. If any one wants a copy of the letter to mail to them drop me an E-mail on [EMAIL="stuartcoyne@hotmail.com"]stuartcoyne@hotmail.com[/EMAIL] and i will gladly forwad a copy. they are in breach of the distance selling act.

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why post the same reply twice

fozmcfc

DCFC79 wrote: »

why post the same reply twice

....or at all

DCFC79

fozmcfc wrote: »

....or at all

true, what stu says about getting £150 to spend instore or online is a bit iffy to me

rustyboy21

God, if anyone gave me a WH smiths voucher I would think I had gone back in time. Used to get them every xmas off an aunty.

Used to go out and buy my single records ( 45's obviously) with them or a nice new geometry set with a very sharp compass, always in a nice shiny tin. You know the ones !

Those were the days. lol

fozmcfc

Only things I consider buying in WH Smiths are papers, magazines and stamps. Never buy anything else from them.

I do have to thank them though for backing the ZX81 and Spectrums in their early days though, they played a massive part in bringing computers into the home.

vikingaero

fozmcfc wrote: »

Only things I consider buying in WH Smiths are papers, magazines and stamps. Never buy anything else from them.

I do have to thank them though for backing the ZX81 and Spectrums in their early days though, they played a massive part in bringing computers into the home.

I've given up on WHSmiths. The staff are often long serving, brilliant and friendly. It's the f**kwit managers and management that get me.

I've been into WHS with say 2 members of hardworking staff serving a queue of 20+ people. For some unfathomable reason 5 members of staff will be stacking the overstocked shelves with even more tat. The manager will normally be hovering around doing nothing. Sure some of the staff won't be till trained but in retail you grab the customers cash ASAP.