HMV Not Accepting Vouchers - Surely This Is Fraud

tomwakefield

Prolaser2 wrote: »

Play HMV at their own game. Select the goods, take to counter, give the staff your voucher and walk out. No dialogue with staff, just go. Let them chase after you and insist you paid with the voucher. Tell them to check their CCTV. Better still get your mate to video you in action.
Lights Camera Voucher........
Well just a thought.

At this stage that is the legal equivalent to walking up to the counter, leaving a scrap of newspaper on the counter and insisting you've paid.

As far as gift vouchers as presents are concerned, I've already made my own then either given money (if the voucher is for an item) or said to get me to book it when they want it (if it is a service). Same level of thought as a gift voucher (and indeed more effort) but far fewer risks.

System

Some guy in Ireland just walked out with the goods and he seems to have got away with it. Obviously different rules over there

katejo

goater78 wrote: »

Some guy in Ireland just walked out with the goods and he seems to have got away with it. Obviously different rules over there

Where did you see/hear this ?

System

katejo wrote: »

Where did you see/hear this ?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9805992/Irish-grandfather-defies-HMV-voucher-policy.html

Hotchocolate

goater78 wrote: »

Some guy in Ireland just walked out with the goods and he seems to have got away with it. Obviously different rules over there

Think this is the incident:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9805992/Irish-grandfather-defies-HMV-voucher-policy.html#

What a great story and although its a risky tactic and not one I would condone, i can understand the ethics behind it and would even go as far as to say it may not be legally correct but morally acceptable.

Gift card voucher holders should be treated as preferential creditors as in a lot of cases its these funds that have helped keep the company afloat with their free loans.

I believe the whole Jessops immediate closure was designed to diffuse the whole gift voucher situation as well as retention of title clauses on the products they had in stock but hadn't paid their suppliers for.

Chas

I have a £20 HMV voucher & am a little fed up that I won't be able to spend it.

However, all I've lost is the opportunity to watch a dvd or listen to a CD. Irritating maybe, annoying possibly but hardly a life changing situation.

My sympathies are with the staff. They haven't just lost the opportunity to purchase some entertainment, they've lost their livelihoods.

I'm really interested to know when some of you think a company 'in trouble' should stop selling goods/services/gift vouchers? Regardless of when the cut off point is, there will always be people who bought just before that point who will lose out!

Hotchocolate

Chas wrote: »

I'm really interested to know when some of you think a company 'in trouble' should stop selling goods/services/gift vouchers? Regardless of when the cut off point is, there will always be people who bought just before that point who will lose out!

The beauty of gift vouchers is that not all get claimed, some get lost, forgotten about, expire etc But the point at which a company no longer trades is normally when a decision is made that it is absolutely no longer viable and the staff on the shop floor will be the last to know.

A shop cannot just stop trading when cashflow gets a bit poor they will try and ride it out but the point of concern should be when new orders are required to pay of very old debts or a robbing Peter to pay Paul scenario is taking affect.

That's not to say funding can't come along to rescue a company but when the time comes that bills can't be paid and theres no solution in sight that's the moment sales should stop and not after trying to ride the wave on gift vouchers and trading when insolvent, but in the real world there are jobs and lively hoods at stake so I can understand why a company will only pull the plug when all else is lost.

Anyone with Argos gift voucher's should be using them ASAP. in my honest opinion.

With whats gone on over the past few weeks gift vouchers should no longer be considered an acceptable alternative to cash as a gift, why not stick a scratch card in as well if you feel the need to show some effort has been made.

tomwakefield

Hotchocolate wrote: »

...and would even go as far as to say it may not be legally correct but morally acceptable.

Not sure I agree. As the holder of a voucher, someone is a creditor, and should expect to be treated the same as any other.

While one might argue "well they've already had the money", this is really no different to any other goods or services that they have provided HMV, but have not (and probably will not) seen any returns.

OlliesDad

Hotchocolate wrote: »

Gift card voucher holders should be treated as preferential creditors as in a lot of cases its these funds that have helped keep the company afloat with their free loans.

Is it really fair that others should lose out though? Should suppliers who continued to provide stock on a credit basis in order to keep them afloat get nothing at all?

apesxx

my grandad bought the OH a hmv gift card for xmas. I did ask him not to as i knew they were in quite a bit of trouble but he still bought it anyway so as soon as he had dropped them off on the wed before xmas i opened it, gave it to OH and told him to go spend it quick as hmv have been teetering on the edge for quite some time now.

i bought a few gift cards at xmas but got the post office ones that can be spent in quite a few different places. The guy behind the counter said they have been so popular this year that hes run out a few times.