Red Letter Days Voucher Expired -- Lost all money!!

lb364

Really interesting thread - we were just talking about these expiry dates last night.

We were contemplating whether people would pay more for vouchers that didn't expire or for insurance if they did...

Also, what's everyone's view on gift cards for high st stores which expire if unused for 2 years?

edgex

lb364 wrote: »

Really interesting thread - we were just talking about these expiry dates last night.

We were contemplating whether people would pay more for vouchers that didn't expire or for insurance if they did...

Also, what's everyone's view on gift cards for high st stores which expire if unused for 2 years?

the way i see it, vouchers fall into 3 categories:

1) free ones given at the till etc

2) purchased generic vouchers, like gift vouchers/cards, book vouchers, experience vouchers

3) vouchers purchased that directly relate to a product or event, or the ones that are special offers, provided directly by the company, or ones won in competitions etc


1&3 will have expiry dates, & that is quite normal
theyve either been received for nothing, or relate to a specific special offer


2 these are the equivalent of cash. they have been bought for cash, & are treated as cash by the receiving organisation

i would say that the RLD vouchers are in this category. they have taken cash, & dont actually provide a specific product or service in return, as you have a choice of who to 'spend' it with. the company providing the experience will then receive a payment from RLD when they present the voucher.
cash dosnt have an expiry date, so i dont see why vouchers that are being used as cash equivalents should either.



the 7 months expiry does seem quiet unusual, its not a 'normal' time period, eg 1month, 6months, 1year



to be honest, i dont see why people would buy things like RLD vouchers.
the recipient has to choose from a specific range of items, & has to spend the full value in one transaction.
if you already know the sort of thing they would like to do, why not book it direct?
or if you dont, get them a variety of vouchers from high st stores, & they can then treat themselves to pretty much anything they like, & dont have to use it all in one transaction.

new*allusion

Sigh.

This has just happened to me. I'm such an idiot.

I got the voucher last Christmas - my parents never give me cash for Christmas (its a family rule), but I didn't have much I wanted and I was working a low-wage shop job at the time. My parents saw a RLD as a nice treat to give me a break and it was sold to them under the concept that I had to use it within a year.

To be fair, the gift was a surprise and my reaction wasn't amazing - I'd never buy one of these vouchers - partly because I rarely treat myself to extravagant things (I'm more a techy by nature) and partly because I think vouchers are a bit of a scam as you tend to save them for a rainy day (even if legally they're fairly sound).

Anyway, during January and February I was applying for jobs when I wasn't working and saving money, so I left my RLD well alone. I also decided to use some of my savings to go to Japan in March and Glastonbury in June. Late on in Feb I got a fantastic fulltime job working for a charity - I'm still there and I love my role, but it meant that my freetime disappeared to weekends and as I had a long commute (2 hours a day each way) I was incredibly lazy over those weekends and stayed local. In June I went to Glastonbury. In July (the month the voucher expired) I moved to be to closer to work and more into London. I actually bought the voucher with me (sealed in the book) thinking; "this could brighten up my October, or November." Couldn't get any leave in August as everyone else was off. September was mental.

Anyway, its my birthday in two weeks, so I decided to take the week before it off - I'm pretty skint now living in London, so a holiday is out of the question.

"Oh, I can use that RLD voucher, make that week really memorable!" Opened it up for the first time in 9 months tonight... damn.

I'm (very) angry with myself - its my fault for not keeping an eye on the expiry date and I feel (well, more 'have realised') that I've just completely wasted my parents' money. They said they had more or less completely forgotten about the date and thought it was a year; but the date on the card and letter is very clear.

Anyway, as a result I find it hard to recommend a RLD unless the person you are buying it for has something specific in mind that they want to do and has definite free time!

Pollycat

new*allusion
how disappointing for you!

Take a look at reply #39 on this thread.
Blacksugar was going to try to get his deadline extended, there was a link to a Times article - may just be worth a try.

Good luck

new*allusion

Thanks Pollycat - it is. Just an honest, innocent mistake and a reminder to always read everything you get sent as soon as it arrives. I'll throw myself at the mercy of RLD and see what they say (I'd just be inside a 10 month deadline).

Edit - it worked! Just had an email back from Red Letter Days saying they'll send me a new voucher valid for a month in light of the circumstances. Very impressed! Thank you again Pollycat and RLD!

Paddy2eyes

new*allusion, thanks for a reasonable and balanced post, accepting it was your fault that you missed the deadline, rather than come on here and rant about RLD. Congratulations on getting your deadline extended and I hope you enjoy your experience.

Pollycat

Paddy2eyes wrote: »

new*allusion, thanks for a reasonable and balanced post, accepting it was your fault that you missed the deadline, rather than come on here and rant about RLD. Congratulations on getting your deadline extended and I hope you enjoy your experience.

I agree, Paddy2eyes - and don't you think a post like new*illusion's gets a much better response from other posters than someone shouting they've been conned, ripped-off or scammed.

new*illusion - well done. :beer: You've made my day. :T
I'm so pleased you've got an extension - do let us know what you've chosen and how it goes.

new*allusion

Thanks so much Pollycat. What you highlighted seemed worth a shot - if anything you made my day!

I don't see the point in getting stressy over it - like I said, I should have checked the details and I'm delighted that RLD were so understanding of my mistake!

Not quite sure what experience to choose now - don't want to mess around, so might go for something really crazy (plane aerobatics... interesting) with plenty of openings! :cheesy:

ashleyfairway

I run a leisure club & beauty therapy business & we sell vouchers for both services or a cash value. We put a 6 month expiry date on our vouchers & make this clear at the time of purchase. Like every other business selling vouchers we get calls from people who have, for one reason or another, let the voucher go over the expiry date. Our policy is always to try & accommodate, "our customer." We will extend, offer different treatments, alternative dates or products. We have even honoured a voucher that the customer had lost & had only a vague idea of when it was bought for her, & when we identified it, it had expired.

We will certainly ask for an additional payment if the original treatment has increased in price since the voucher expired, but to our minds the voucher will always have a cash value to it.

In conclusion, look for companies that don't tie you up in T&C's. Even better go local & small as personally I'd find it very hard to tell someone that their cash had, "expired."

Paul_Varjak

I do not know why people bother with gift vouchers. I find them so annoying as gifts because it often shows that the gifter has no imagination. And that lack of imagination may also mean you have to drive miles to spend the money!

And what happens if the company goes bust? Do you not lose the gift value then? And did not Red Letter Days collapse with debts a couple of years ago?

So, unless there is some overriding reason to buy vouchers (ie moneysaving) I would personally give them a miss!!