WARNING - WHSmiths gift vouchers rip off

andyrules

Halloway wrote: »

Two years sounds quite reasonable. I think HMV vouchers expire after a year. And sorry to bang on about this, just because something doesn't suit you, that doesn't make it a rip-off.

True.

However, it isn't exactly good practice, and now I'm aware that vouchers from Smiths expire I will buy from Waterstones instead, so thanks op for the heads up.

It seems that the new card type vouchers are very hit and miss with their information.

sweep9

For future advice, the best Gift Vouchers you can give are accepted at 100% of all UK high street retailers. They come in Green, Brown, Purple and Red and are available in £5, £10, £20 & £50 denominations. If they do expire, they are replaced by the Head Office of the company that supply them.

Link

tomwakefield

heatherw_01 wrote: »

They should print an expiry date on the voucher if they expire!

A specific expiry date may be difficult, since they are gift certificates, valid for two years from the date of purchase, which is unknown at the time of production.

Unless they were activated at the till, and an expiry date printed on the voucher automatically upon activation :think:

PZH

heatherw_01 wrote: »

They should print an expiry date on the voucher if they expire!

Well said. I bought a WHSmith gift voucher for a relative this Christmas - no-one advised me that it would expire in two years - and certainly not printed on the card.

Thank you BBurkill for raising this - I wil make sure they spend the money as soon as possible. :T

vetfred

In the terms and conditions relating to the 10 x £5, the £10 and the £25 gift vouchers currently on their site, it states "There is no time limit by which the voucher must be used" so I can understand your frustration somewhat though at the same time 2 years is a fair amount of time to give people to use a voucher. One would hope they might show some goodwill though and allow you to shop with them.

BBurkill

vetfred wrote: »

In the terms and conditions relating to the £10 and £25 gift vouchers currently on their site, it states "There is no time limit by which the voucher must be used" so I can understand your frustration somewhat though at the same time 2 years is a fair amount of time to give people to use a voucher. One would hope they might show some goodwill though and allow you to shop with them.

Why is it a fair amount of time?? If I had £50.00 in my bank and its intention was to buy something from WHSmiths at sometime, how long would WhSmith give me to spend it with them?? If I didnt spend it in two years, would they take the money out of my account??

Gift vouchers are technically an exchange for cash, where you hand over cash at no interest in exchange for a bit of plastic. Why should there be any time limit on using it?. Does it cost WhSmiths money to hold onto the cash deposited, or does it assist with their cash flow??

As for WhSmiths offering me goodwill and allowing me to shop with them.. I think I will politely decline the generous offer, and go to another retailer whom (in my view) offers me better terms.

And as you say the website does say "There is no time limit".. I think I missed that. I will go and check.

I cannot be bothered anymore with Smiths. Its fifty quid down the drain. Hey ho. But it made me realise just whose advantage the gift cards are designed for, and the terms and conditions are weighted against the consumer. Its pure cash for the retailer, in their account until spent.

It does raise the question WHY do they expire??

DCFC79

BBurkill wrote: »

However, I still feel they should not expire and that the attitude of WHSmiths leaves a little to be desired, especially as I requested that the £50.00 be donated to Cancer charity, rather than them simply keep it themselves.

well they do expire, ive learnt myself of expiry dates on vouchers, i was given a voucher once for virgin megastores as a birthday present but as there was no virgin megastore in the nearest town i had put it to 1 side and would use it when i would go to the next nearest town which had a virgin megastore, when i decided i wanted to use it i just happened to look on the back of the voucher and i saw a use by date which had passed so i contacted virgin megastores and explained that as the megastore wasnt in my local town i hadnt used it straight away and realised at a later date of the use by date. Virgin responded and said to take the letter when i use the voucher,

wh smiths can do what they want with they're vouchers, although now dont they offer the credit card size vouchers instead of the paper style

tomwakefield

vetfred wrote: »

In the terms and conditions relating to the 10 x £5, the £10 and the £25 gift vouchers currently on their site, it states "There is no time limit by which the voucher must be used" so I can understand your frustration somewhat though at the same time 2 years is a fair amount of time to give people to use a voucher. One would hope they might show some goodwill though and allow you to shop with them.

If that's the case, it changes matters, in my opinion. If, according to the terms, there is no time limit, then no time limit should be imposed, whether fair or unfair.

Freddie_Snowbits

BBurkill wrote: »

If I had £50.00 in my bank

After two years it would be worth about £53 after interest, but also due to inflation, its value in real terms would had dropped to £47. Hence by not spending the voucher, you have lost money.

BBurkill wrote: »

As for WhSmiths offering me goodwill and allowing me to shop with them.. I think I will politely decline the generous offer, and go to another retailer whom (in my view) offers me better terms.

Why should they offer you goodwill. You don't seem keen in that last two years toi have shopped with them, so the loss of your custom is not going to break them is it.

BBurkill wrote: »

Its fifty quid down the drain.

Bingo

BBurkill

Freddie_Snowbits wrote: »

After two years it would be worth about £53 after interest, but also due to inflation, its value in real terms would had dropped to £47. Hence by not spending the voucher, you have lost money.


Why should they offer you goodwill. You don't seem keen in that last two years toi have shopped with them, so the loss of your custom is not going to break them is it.


Bingo

No matter how much its worth, its still in my bank...

And my goodwill comment was a TIC comment against a previous poster

But, instead of picking out bits of text and quoting them out of context, please do answer:

WHY SHOULD THEY EXPIRE?? What does it cost WhSmith to keep them open??