Definitely not OS - those "gift cards"

ethansmum

The Boots cards are definately not reuseable. We use gift vouchers for boots alot because DH gets 5% discount on them, and we always get our change put on the card. Once we use the cards I always ask them if I can reuse it the next time and I'm always told that they can't be reused and just get binned.

Rachie_B

nic82 wrote:

One supposed benefit of the cards is that they are re-usable. However, in practical terms, I think is, well, not practical!

The idea is that you put an amount on the card and then when the recipient has used the amount up, s/he refills it. Well, how likely is this to happen? Why would you want to limit yourself to one shop? This pretty much equates to buying yourself a gift voucher!

Also, when someone is planning on giving you a gift card from TopShop or wherever, they're hardly going to say to the recipient "do you already have a giftcard for TopShop. Oh, you do, give it to me and I'll top it up for you".It just doesn't happen!!!!

Sorry for the rant, but as you can see I completely agree with Loadsabob!

Oh, and to illustrate the point about gift vouchers/cards...I've got a Monsoon/Accessorize voucher for £15 that I was given in August 2004. I still haven't spent it. So, at the moment, that is just money in the retailer's pocket.

I don't wear Monsoon clothes (not that I could really afford to) and my nearest Accessorize is 25 miles away so don't go very often. Whenever I do go, invariably I forget to take the voucher or they haven't got anything in that I like!

:rotfl: that made me LOL

why dont you sell the monsoon voucher on ebay ?

or just give it to me and i will spend it for you :rotfl:

tr3mor

Just keep them in a drawer, wait til whoever gave you the card's birthday comes along and give it back to them

joebloggs69

I have to say that I hate vouchers too, even though I've posted my idea for their 'use'! I hated vouchers anyway because it's just a stupid idea, many a time I've sold mine to friends who have already decided to buy something from that store - usualy while we are in the store!

I think they have introduced these cards for 2 reason

1) it's much easier to forget how much is on them after they've been used once, especially if you get more that 1 at xmas - I always found it odd that the staff at a hi-tec place like HMV apparently can't tell you how much is on it unless you buy something!

and 2) I assume that, like a loyalty card, it gives them information about what you're buying except you don't even get the benefit of points! The Bar Stewards!

jo_b_2

Most of these new plastic gift cards also automatically expire if they aren't used for a certain time. Debenhams gift cards expire if the card is not used for 2 years.

(I know that may seem a long time but I've had paper gift vouchers that have sat around a lot longer than that!)

kscour

my dd was given a WHSmiths gift card for her birthday - cute tigger one - but no idea of how much is on there. So she has absolutely no idea of how much she can spend. She's not bothered too much about how much she was given as a gift as she's not very materialistic bless her but she's really uptight about the fact that she can't plan what to do with it until she's made the 20 mile trip to the nearest Smiths to find out what the card is worth. At least with "proper" vouchers you can see the value on them.

FZwanab

I have to add my tuppence. I wouldn't mind whether I received a swipe card or a voucher as a present, it beats having to return an item you are not fond of or are allergic to etc.. Also if you get them for Christmas you can use them in the sales thereby getting more for your present. As regards giving them as a present, they can be a godsend. I remember when I was 7 or 8 months pregnant and couldn't carry anything, I got everyone vouchers for Christmas, it was heaven not to lug presents home from the shops. Anyway, I'd be more concerned with the plastic bag you take the product home in than the plastic the size of a credit card that the shop would dispose of. I thought some places allow plastic to be recycled? perhaps I am wrong.

juno

ethansmum wrote:

The Boots cards are definately not reuseable. We use gift vouchers for boots alot because DH gets 5% discount on them, and we always get our change put on the card. Once we use the cards I always ask them if I can reuse it the next time and I'm always told that they can't be reused and just get binned.

When I worked for Debenhams, we said they couldn't be reused, as we meant that we couldn't give customers an old gift card. However, if they wanted to keep it they could re-use it themselves if they wished.

chickadee

I was given some "Choice" vouchers at Christmas by my sister, who doesn't have much money to throw around. I got £40 in total, spent £20 and by the time I got around to spending the rest the company had gone into liquidation because a major customer of the company hadn't paid for the vouchers thay had received. By this time the vouchers had started to be redeemed and Choice didn't have the money to repay the retailers. Give me real money any day!

Loadsabob

dinkydee wrote:

I'd be more concerned with the plastic bag you take the product home in than the plastic the size of a credit card that the shop would dispose of. I thought some places allow plastic to be recycled? perhaps I am wrong.

Aaargggh!!!!!!! Surely you don't take the plastic bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with you, vouchers can be a godsend in terms of weight (also when posting!), but I'd have preferred we stick with the paper ones (even lighter than the credit-card style ones!)