HMV Not Accepting Vouchers - Surely This Is Fraud

dalesrider

Smug mode on.....

Thanks to a conversation I had with someone who had Jessops vouchers and worked in the adminstrators trade ( had no idea on jessops being close to edge) So i asked if they had any insider info and HMV was mentioned.
As I had to Free £10 vouchers from their spend £20 and get £5 voucher pre xmas offer.

:rotfl:I SPENT THEM YESTERDAY :rotfl:

Sadly my daughter has lost out on her £5.....

Smug mode off....

And helpful advice time.

But there maybe a light at the end of the tunnel on this and getting something back.

You need to register with the adminstrators as a crediitor and see if you can get something in writing stating they will not pay back the value of the voucher.
If you can get this within 120 days of the debit date of the voucher purchase.
Then there is a possibility of a Visa chargeback.
We are chasing Visa for a full update on this, but this work round is very much the same as we do on travel co's who go under and have ABTA/ATOL protection. But they won't payout as the bond is not big enough????
Now only the person who bought the vouchers can start the claim.

There was another thread on this very subject when Jessops went belly up. Which set me on a chase to see if we could do anything.
As current advice is No comeback.
As the purchase is for a voucher, which is recieved. Therefor no non reciept of goods as you got what was requested.
Also no S75 cover as their is no creditor/debtor link.

Wicked_witch

Already had my say in one of the Vent threads, then found this one! I won't reiterate, but will just say that I do not believe for one single moment that HMV didn't know they were going to fail some months ago- certainly before Christmas. Although I don't imagine the staff at branch level knew of course.

I don't have any HMV vouchers myself, but I think the whole situation with huge businesses just shutting down and scr*wing everyone is out of control and there should be severe penalties for companies who deliberately run themselves into the ground to maximise the money given to directors and shareholders before admitting failure.

Now I shall go and drink my tea and stew in silence.

mjm3346

falcon21 wrote: »

Do you lot slow down at car crashes?

I am struggling to understand how your smugness and glee at other peoples' misfortune enriches you. Anyway, having made the point about how vouchers are stupid to people who probably didn't buy them anyway, perhaps we can back to the important points in hand.

No smugness or glee just a response to yet another post saying vouchers are a good thing when they are not.

rustyboy21

Shouldn't it also be the purchaser of the gift card, who applies to the creditors for re imbursement. The gift card owner does not have any contract with the company, as it was bought for them as a gift?

So in effect your complaint lies with the purchaser of the card, i.e your relative/friend etc, to cough up the money needed.

Also, it is a shame that no one has mentioned the sad fact that another 4500 people are going to lose their jobs out of this, wo have mortgages, bills, kids to feed and you are moaning about a card with maybe £10 on it?

Why don't you all just give them to a charitable fund, who can pool the amount together and put a claim into the creditors? At least someone will benefit more than you just getting £1 back from a £10 card.

whatmichaelsays

The "they must have known" argument is one that often comes out in these situations but it is not, necessarily the case.

Businesses can run into trouble overnight. One bad invoice, one lender calling in their loan or one supplier pulling the plug can bring the whole stack of cards falling down.

Did that happen in the case of HMV? Probably not - it was well documented that they were in difficulties but to suggest that HMV was being disingenuous in its selling of giftcards is unfair in my view. The staff and directors will have been doing what they can to rescue the business.

But therein lies the problem with the argument of "ban troubled retailers from selling gift cards". The simple fact is that a seemingly very good business can fall overnight whilst a seemingly struggling business can continue for months and even years.

whatmichaelsays

halibut2209 wrote: »

I thought the adminstrators themselves and the taxman got paid before anyone else.

The taxman doesn't have preferential status anymore (although he used to).

First in the queue is the administrator (after all, they wouldn't do it if they didn't get paid) and then usually the staff. The rest fight for what's left.

cracklepop

mjm3346 wrote: »

No smugness or glee just a response to yet another post saying vouchers are a good thing when they are not.

Nowhere in the post you quote is anyone saying vouchers are a good thing.

The-dadinator

full-time-mum wrote: »

If they knew they were in trouble then they shouldn't sell gift cards knowing they was a strong chance they weren't going to honour them.

Its all very well saying you shouldn't have bought them but I don't suppose you had to deal with an upset child whose Xmas present is now worthless.

Not everyone - particularly older people (ie. grandparents) would have realised.

We should start a boycott of the fire sale until they Change their minds like comet did. I bet the majority of gift cards are held by children.

.
I was given £40 worth of hmv gift card as a combined birthday/Xmas prezzie from my folks (as they have done for years)
I am frustrated because I wanted to buy a game ps3 fifa13 which they haven't had in stock since christmas.... Similar traits to GAME here methinks.
The levels of understanding are a bit shocking on here and I feel for any person that has been hit by this and also the staff who will have been having a really crap day with customers as well as being left in limbo with their jobs.
Cash is always the best option in hindsight but many people like to give a GIFT card, get it??? Many obviously don't.

FOREVER21

kronenbourg wrote: »

Bit daft buying them in the 1st place , HMV have been on the brink for months and now they finally have gone into administration

Cue a slew of sob stories like the comet debacle with people having £100s worth of useless vouchers

Hindsight is a marvellous quality, but it does not help OP now.

A Wiseman speaks when he has something useful to say, a foolish man speaks only to hear himself talk.:(

railbuff

marvin wrote: »

Statutory or Voluntary?

If Voluntary would not trust it an inch.

it is ring fenced protected by Park Group, their Banks and the Government