Westfield charging for gift vouchers!

gregg1

Tried to purchase a gift voucher from our local westfield shopping centre and was gobsmacked to be asked to pay a £2 "administration" fee for it. You are charged that whether you buy a voucher for five pounds or twenty!!!! What the hell is that all about (i didn't buy it in the end on principle).

Azari

They just want you to pay them £2 so that they can have the use of your money between the time of purchase and the time the recipient spends.

What could be fairer?


ETA: If you weren't an established member I'd assume it was one of the recurring trolls making it up as the idea seems so crackpot!

DVardysShadow

gregg1 wrote: »

Tried to purchase a gift voucher from our local westfield shopping centre and was gobsmacked to be asked to pay a £2 "administration" fee for it. You are charged that whether you buy a voucher for five pounds or twenty!!!! What the hell is that all about (i didn't buy it in the end on principle).

Only stupid people have to pay this tax. Given that gift vouchers now often expire after 2 years or even just 6 months, anyone giving a gift voucher is going to be making themselves look stupid for not handing over cash in an envelope instead.

gregg1

Azari wrote: »

They just want you to pay them £2 so that they can have the use of your money between the time of purchase and the time the recipient spends.

What could be fairer?


ETA: If you weren't an established member I'd assume it was one of the recurring trolls making it up as the idea seems so crackpot!

Well i am glad we have established I am not a troll!

My point is, no other retailer I know of makes this charge. It is the first time I have come across it and seems rather harsh to me. The only reason I was going to buy a gift voucher was because someone had asked for a voucher rather than the cash, not because I was anxious to make myself look stupid! They are now getting the cash ( with the extra two pounds thrown in!)

meer53

Our local shopping centre charges £2.50 for a gift card. The cost is for the card itself. I wouldn't pay it either.

Azari

gregg1 wrote: »

My point is, no other retailer I know of makes this charge.

I agree.

It's absolutely crazy.

So much so that I immediately checked to see if it was a 'post count 1' user who registered today. It is on the same level as the idea that Tesco would charge 50p for an itemised bill. Except that in this case it's real!

shaun_from_Africa

It must be a difficult choice for a savvy shopper to make.

Now, do I give someone a piece of paper that cost me £12 which entitles the bearer to purchase goods valued at £10 in one shop only providing that the shop in question hasn't closed or the piece of paper passed its use by date,
or
Do I give someone £12 that they can use in any shop in the UK at any time and they don't have to use it all in one go.

The person (probably a senior manager) who came up with the idea of charging an admin fee for gift vouchers really does need their head looking at.

redped

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Now, do I give someone a piece of paper that cost me £12 which entitles the bearer to purchase goods valued at £10 in one shop only providing that the shop in question hasn't closed or the piece of paper passed its use by date,
or
Do I give someone £12 that they can use in any shop in the UK at any time and they don't have to use it all in one go.

As this is MSE, the answer is that you should give the person a crisp £10 note, as this will give the person the same monetary benefit as option one, and you save yourself £2

NiallB

It's probably illegal....

gregg1

redped wrote: »

As this is MSE, the answer is that you should give the person a crisp £10 note, as this will give the person the same monetary benefit as option one, and you save yourself £2

I have failed on that one. Gave the recipient £22 instead of £20 with an explanation why they had not got the voucher but were £2 better off!!

gregg1

Azari wrote: »

I agree.

It's absolutely crazy.

So much so that I immediately checked to see if it was a 'post count 1' user who registered today. It is on the same level as the idea that Tesco would charge 50p for an itemised bill. Except that in this case it's real!

You couldn't make it up ( or maybe a troll could!). The world is going mad!