Help! Any rights when can't spend vouchers?

PCMcGarry

elsiemo wrote: »

Thanks Paddyrg.
I too think it's terrible customer service. The staff there may not have known that they were about to lose their jobs but management certainly would have known and still allowed them to continue selling vouchers as christmas presents in the knowledge the store was about to close. In fact i see it as sharp practice.
I was told that I could call the London store to have them posted but i wasn't allowed to use a gift voucher over the phone either! It's the most stupid situation when i'm actually trying to give them custom.

I am continuing with my complaint and have now raised it with a more senior level of management. fingers crossed…….

Wouldn't they let you post the vouches to them before sending the shoes?

unholyangel

glentoran99 wrote: »

and this is just one reason gift vouchers are a bad idea,

Definitely agree.

I think people only really buy them because they want to be seen putting a bit of thought into a present and cash is often viewed as thoughtless.

Tbh, I'd much rather have cash than half the crap shops sell as christmas presents. Often things that might be a novel idea and you might use a few times, but then its stuffed in storage, tossed or given away.

ThumbRemote

paddyrg wrote: »

Actually you have my sympathies, a shop selling vouchers a fortnight before closing is crappy. We won't know if it's a franchise or what ever, but it's certainly indicative of terrible customer service if head office aren't prepared to help.

Could you phone the London store (if that's the only other branch) and ask them to post the boots?

Further to this, the purchaser of the vouchers almost certainly is entitled to a refund because of the store closing. Not informing the customer that the store was closing is clearly a 'misleading omission' as defined by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. A small claims court action against them would almost certainly succeed, however it really needs to be the purchaser who takes any action.

(I say almost certainly succeed, as there is the small possibility even head office didn't know the store was to close when the vouchers were bought).

daytona0

elsiemo wrote: »

They suggested I go to London to buy them!! I was already angry about this but now i've learnt the Nottingham shop closed down today.

That is a bit of karma in fairness..

Unless it doesn't clearly state that they can be used in store only, which is a whole different ballgame, then you shouldn't have got angry over the inevitable response. The end result? Your local shop shuts down! It is a bit of a "well you should have just read the Ts and Cs" sort of moment Sometimes the answer to the question is 'NO' and, whilst it is very unfortunate that Notts closed down, you do have to accept it sometimes.


On a more helpful note, I would kindly point out that:

- There is a shop in Cambridge (closer and potentially cheaper to get to)

- You could probably sell it on ebay etc for 80-90% of the value

daytona0

ThumbRemote wrote: »

Further to this, the purchaser of the vouchers almost certainly is entitled to a refund because of the store closing. Not informing the customer that the store was closing is clearly a 'misleading omission' as defined by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. A small claims court action against them would almost certainly succeed, however it really needs to be the purchaser who takes any action.

(I say almost certainly succeed, as there is the small possibility even head office didn't know the store was to close when the vouchers were bought).

Don't forget that it brings up the obvious question as to whether the purchaser was told at the point of sale. Would it turn into a "your word against theirs" sort of thing?

Also, there are allegedly 4 stores in the UK so how would that impact it? They OP still has the opportunity to use the vouchers.

Finally, the OP didn't even want to spend them in Notts shop! How would a few angry emails fired over to CS reflect on court action were the retailer to advise the court that the OP didn't even want items from the Notts shop?

Not to disagree with you completely, but a few question marks floating about...

ThumbRemote

daytona0 wrote: »

Don't forget that it brings up the obvious question as to whether the purchaser was told at the point of sale. Would it turn into a "your word against theirs" sort of thing?

Also, there are allegedly 4 stores in the UK so how would that impact it? They OP still has the opportunity to use the vouchers.

Finally, the OP didn't even want to spend them in Notts shop! How would a few angry emails fired over to CS reflect on court action were the retailer to advise the court that the OP didn't even want items from the Notts shop?

Not to disagree with you completely, but a few question marks floating about...

Regarding being told at the point of sale - it's very unlikely the retailer would use this as a defence, because it doesn't make sense. If they had been told, why would someone buy the gift vouchers there, and then want them refunding?

The location of other stores isn't terribly relevant. The CPFUTRs states that misleading omissions omit "the information which the average consumer needs, according to the context, to take an informed transactional decision". Given that the context is a purchase in a specific store, the fact that specific store is closing is information needed for an informed decision.


And regarding OP not wanting to spend them in the Nottingham store, again I'd argue it didn't matter. They at least could spend them in the store, even if it wasn't on something they really wanted. Now they don't even have that option.