Buyagift.com

pauan

My daughter bought me a gift experience box through Buyagift.com for last Christmas. I looked online and the choice of gifts was limited but I paid £20 to upgrade my experience and booked my experience, an overnight hotel stay online. I immediately realised I had accidently clicked on the wrong date so emailed them explaining and asked if the date could be changed. I then got a reply saying unfortunately not, as this is stated at the time of booking online and I had missed it. I rang the hotel concerned and they said they could not change it and only Buyagift.com could do this. I emailed them back asking again could the date be changed (the hotel were fine with a change as I had checked) but was again told no and insultingly offered a bottle of wine as compensation! Surely this cannot be legal for a company to in effect 'steal' your money and give you nothing that you have paid for? Can anyone help? Needless to say I do not recommend anyone using them if you are thinking of buying a gift experience for someone.  

Alderbank

pauan said:

My daughter bought me a gift experience box through Buyagift.com for last Christmas. I looked online and the choice of gifts was limited but I paid £20 to upgrade my experience and booked my experience, an overnight hotel stay online. I immediately realised I had accidently clicked on the wrong date so emailed them explaining and asked if the date could be changed. I then got a reply saying unfortunately not, as this is stated at the time of booking online and I had missed it. I rang the hotel concerned and they said they could not change it and only Buyagift.com could do this. I emailed them back asking again could the date be changed (the hotel were fine with a change as I had checked) but was again told no and insultingly offered a bottle of wine as compensation! Surely this cannot be legal for a company to in effect 'steal' your money and give you nothing that you have paid for? Can anyone help? Needless to say I do not recommend anyone using them if you are thinking of buying a gift experience for someone.  

Welcome to the forum, pauan!

Like Wowcher and other voucher companies, Buyagift say they are just agent or middlemen introducing the buyer to the operator.
After buying the voucher, you have 30 days to decide whether there is any experience you want. If not, the buyer can reurn the voucher for a full refund. You decided there was something you liked so used the voucher to buy a hotel experience. Later you wanted to change the date. It is unfair to say that they have 'stolen' your money and given you nothing.

Buyagift Terms and conditions say 

10. Cancellations

Once you book a specific date with an operator, you are bound by their Terms and Conditions regarding cancellations. Once the Operator has confirmed a date, it is not possible to change this date unless the Operator agrees to the change. 

So Buyagift say it is up to the operator (the hotel in your case). You need to go back to them and tell them what Buyagift's T&Cs say. Make sure you speak to someone with appropriate authority rather than the front desk staff.

If you can't agree a date, in consumer law the hotel can't just keep the money if you have to cancel, they can only retain their costs. If they can relet the room they can keep only their admin costs plus any difference if they had to relet the room at a cheaper rate. Also the payment they received from Buyagift would have been less than the gift value (pehaps 10%). Even if they can't relet the room they can't retain any costs they did not incur such as food, laundry and spa services.

If you wish to share the name of the hotel we might be able to advise you better about your statutory consumer rights with them.

pauan

Hi, thanks for your reply. Actually, I didn't wait any length of time, I emailed them immediately within minutes. It was a genuine slip. The hotel, St Ives Bay in St Ives Cornwall said they would be happy to change the date but that any instruction had to come from Buyagift.com? Apparently, they get paid by Buyagift after the date has passed... I am confused.