Buyagift - Experience price hikes with vouchers

ianianian_2

Hi, 
I've used this site before and have had some great deals, so i was very happy when i was given a voucher for buyagift by a friend. Unfortunately when you log in to the 'voucher redeeming' page, identicle experiences appear to be significantly more expensive than on the rest of the site. Furthermore you can't use any of the offers that are on the rest of the site when redeeming a voucher. Does this sound above board?
I can't imagine getting a high street voucher and then being told at the till that the prices in the shop aren't applicable to me? 

Aylesbury_Duck

Happens all the time. Tesco clubcard vouchers are just one example.  Pizza Express vouchers and others like it are similar in that they can't always be used with other offers.  It's why I never bother with gift vouchers. Hang around on here long enough and you'll see loads of voucher-based problems.  Cash is king.  There is simply no need for pseudo cash that comes with all sorts of conditions and restrictions. 

"Look at this money I got you.  Only it's not exactly like money. You can only use it in a certain number of places, it comes with all sorts of conditions, you might not get any change from it and it might expire or become worthless if the company goes bust.  Aren't I kind?"

ianianian_2

I can understand the offer element (ish), but someone buying a gift voucher and then a shop immediately suggesting its worth 20% less seems unethical at best. 

carol428

I'm a bit gutted with Buyagift too.  I was given a voucher for afternoon tea at a London hotel last Christmas by a good friend.  I was planning to take my elderly mother with me, but because of Covid19, she is reluctant to travel on public transport at the moment.  According to the Buyagift website, I can extend my voucher for "free", but when I try to do this, there is an "uplift" charge of £10 payable.  I understand what an uplift charge is, but I think it is excessively cheeky of Buyagift to promote extensions as "free" when in reality, I will actually have to pay £10 to extend my voucher.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Are you saying for example that the The View from The Shard with Cocktails for Two which shows as was £91.90 now £49 is actually £91.90 if purchased with the voucher? 

If so it does say that the vouchers can't be used to purchase special offers but I would assume their was prices are a bit like DFS sales and no one pays the full price, unless you've been given a gift voucher! 

Agree with the above that it's unethical unless the special offers are genuine rather than marketing, you can complain to the ASA if you think their advertising practices aren't acceptable.

ianianian_2

... If you go on their website, spa package X is £100. When you've been given a gift voucher, you go to their website and they redirect to a subsite which has exactly the same spa package for £120. This isn't a one off, everything on the 'redeeming subsite' is 20% more and they are literally identicle packages (inc. same reviews). 
They have generic offers every day too which aren't permitted on the subsite, so in reality you can get your spa package for £80 without a voucher. As i say, it works out really well if you go direct but if you've been bought a voucher they take advantage. I'm waiting for them to confirm their complaints process before i test the waters with trading standards or someone similar as it just doesn't sound right. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

ianianian_2 said:

... If you go on their website, spa package X is £100. When you've been given a gift voucher, you go to their website and they redirect to a subsite which has exactly the same spa package for £120. This isn't a one off, everything on the 'redeeming subsite' is 20% more and they are literally identicle packages (inc. same reviews). 
They have generic offers every day too which aren't permitted on the subsite, so in reality you can get your spa package for £80 without a voucher. As i say, it works out really well if you go direct but if you've been bought a voucher they take advantage. I'm waiting for them to confirm their complaints process before i test the waters with trading standards or someone similar as it just doesn't sound right. 

Unless the £100 price exampled is actually detailed as a special offer I can't see how this set up can be acceptable. 

The issue is the rights are with the person who purchased the voucher, the company probably get away with this kind of thing as few people will go back to the person who gave them a gift and say anything negative. 

ianianian_2

Thanks, just what i thought.
I too, won't be saying anything to the person that gave me the voucher - either way its a great gesture... But i don't think they should be able to do this, so I'll do some prodding 

Spank

I really don't know why people use vouchers. They restrict where they can be spent, the company could go bust & now this.