Expired gift voucher - any chance of an extension?

Cloth_of_Gold

In December 2021 someone bought us a £50 gift voucher as a Christmas present; it's for a well-known chain of brasseries. At that time covid was in full swing so we weren't keen on eating out and then eventually we forgot about it. I've just come across it in a drawer and I went onto the company's website and it says that the vouchers expire 13 months after you last used them (I suppose might have used only part of the value in the first transaction).

It seems a bit of a cheek that they can keep someone's money like this and its not as if it was bought donkey's years ago, and we have been through a pandemic when many people didn't want to eat out. Have I got a case to have it extended do you think or should I just bin it and forget about it? I would be happy for them to donate the £50 to charity rather than just keep it themselves.

Aylesbury_Duck

No harm in asking, but any consumer rights rest with the person that bought the voucher, so it's down to goodwill if you ask.  There's nothing cheeky about it, it's how vouchers work.  The retailer gets cash up front and hopes to profit from additional sales when the voucher is used, and a percentage of people that forget or lose their vouchers so 100% of the revenue is profit.  I'd argue it's cheekier to buy someone a voucher as a gift instead if putting effort into selecting something more personal.  It's a cop-out.  Worse than giving cash, as you've discovered. 

elsien

Some places may extend as a goodwill gesture, if you have a good reason for not using it in the timescale. Sticking it in a drawer, and forgetting about it is unlikely to fall into a “good reason not to use it” category.
Can’t hurt to ask, but don’t hold your breath.

Newbie_John

One year I got an ugly jumper for Xmas worth £50. Never worn it, kept it in wardrobe for few years and then gave away to charity.
Once gave an Italian Hamper, from what I discovered later most things went out of date and got thrown away.

Same thing can happen to any other gift really.

Giftcards come with rules, it's not cash - it's more like - have a free meal up to £50 in 2024. It's up to you if you spend exactly £50, spend £20 and lose £30, spend £120.. 

My rule is - spend any giftcard as soon as you can.

They are really bad for Xmas gifts, come with many rules - no chargeback available, you're stack with retailer, deadlines..

But as mentioned above, you can always ask and see what happens - otherwise it's like having a ticket for X concert on Y day, you snooze you lose (it's not cash).

Okell

You need to ask them.

I had some M&S vouchers that had expired.  They were a gift from a relative but I hadn't been able to use them as there is very little in M&S that I would buy.

I asked their customer service people online if they could be extended and they refused as it "would be unfair on their other customers"

I went instore and got them both renewed no questions asked for another two years.  I did that twice so got them extended by four years before I used them.

Don't ask - don't get.  And if the first person you ask says "no", ask somebody else.

(Useful tip:  never buy expirable vouchers for yourself and never give them as gifts)

Bradden

There is a good reason for retailers to put expiry dates on. Financially they have to allow for any unused vouchers in their accounts.- over time this could build up to a significant historical lability which could affect their ability to sell the business.

motorman99

Well…..my wife had sone range vouchers for her birthday 3 years or so ago. Then along came Covid, etc and she went in the shop with them and they were expired. 

I called range customer services to be told tough luck
So I took  them to small claims court for the £100 plus £35 costs. Said it was unconscionable that they could take money in this way and as the customer I get nothing in return, simply wrong that they can take money in this way, and that the small print which stated they would expire was so small it was impossible to read. 

They caved in with 2 days to go, got a call, they offered new vouchers for £100, stated at first they wouldn’t pay the £35, so I said I wouldn’t settle and would take my chance in scc. After this they then sent vouchers for £135. 

They don’t want the hassle for a few quid even if they might win. 

Try it. 

RefluentBeans

motorman99 said:

Well…..my wife had sone range vouchers for her birthday 3 years or so ago. Then along came Covid, etc and she went in the shop with them and they were expired. 

I called range customer services to be told tough luck
So I took  them to small claims court for the £100 plus £35 costs. Said it was unconscionable that they could take money in this way and as the customer I get nothing in return, simply wrong that they can take money in this way, and that the small print which stated they would expire was so small it was impossible to read. 

They caved in with 2 days to go, got a call, they offered new vouchers for £100, stated at first they wouldn’t pay the £35, so I said I wouldn’t settle and would take my chance in scc. After this they then sent vouchers for £135. 

They don’t want the hassle for a few quid even if they might win. 

Try it. 

To clarify they would would win. Unless if you purchased the vouchers for her, they have no contract with you. Like you said they only reason they settled was because you took them to court and it would cost them more to defend themselves then it would cost to pay out to get you to go away. 

motorman99

RefluentBeans said:

motorman99 said:

Well…..my wife had sone range vouchers for her birthday 3 years or so ago. Then along came Covid, etc and she went in the shop with them and they were expired. 

I called range customer services to be told tough luck
So I took  them to small claims court for the £100 plus £35 costs. Said it was unconscionable that they could take money in this way and as the customer I get nothing in return, simply wrong that they can take money in this way, and that the small print which stated they would expire was so small it was impossible to read. 

They caved in with 2 days to go, got a call, they offered new vouchers for £100, stated at first they wouldn’t pay the £35, so I said I wouldn’t settle and would take my chance in scc. After this they then sent vouchers for £135. 

They don’t want the hassle for a few quid even if they might win. 

Try it. 

To clarify they would would win. Unless if you purchased the vouchers for her, they have no contract with you. Like you said they only reason they settled was because you took them to court and it would cost them more to defend themselves then it would cost to pay out to get you to go away. 

Well, it was never tried so who knows? The registrar may well have agreed that the small print was too small etc. Or that it was wrong that you can take money and give zero in return. 

But yes, they don’t want the hassle sometimes. 

RefluentBeans

motorman99 said:

RefluentBeans said:

motorman99 said:

Well…..my wife had sone range vouchers for her birthday 3 years or so ago. Then along came Covid, etc and she went in the shop with them and they were expired. 

I called range customer services to be told tough luck
So I took  them to small claims court for the £100 plus £35 costs. Said it was unconscionable that they could take money in this way and as the customer I get nothing in return, simply wrong that they can take money in this way, and that the small print which stated they would expire was so small it was impossible to read. 

They caved in with 2 days to go, got a call, they offered new vouchers for £100, stated at first they wouldn’t pay the £35, so I said I wouldn’t settle and would take my chance in scc. After this they then sent vouchers for £135. 

They don’t want the hassle for a few quid even if they might win. 

Try it. 

To clarify they would would win. Unless if you purchased the vouchers for her, they have no contract with you. Like you said they only reason they settled was because you took them to court and it would cost them more to defend themselves then it would cost to pay out to get you to go away. 

Well, it was never tried so who knows? The registrar may well have agreed that the small print was too small etc. Or that it was wrong that you can take money and give zero in return. 

But yes, they don’t want the hassle sometimes. 

With no contract with them you have no standing to sue them. Pretty easy win for them, if they chose to defend themselves. Whoever purchased the voucher may have had a claim. This was certainly a nuisance claim. 

user1977

motorman99 said:

RefluentBeans said:

motorman99 said:

Well…..my wife had sone range vouchers for her birthday 3 years or so ago. Then along came Covid, etc and she went in the shop with them and they were expired. 

I called range customer services to be told tough luck
So I took  them to small claims court for the £100 plus £35 costs. Said it was unconscionable that they could take money in this way and as the customer I get nothing in return, simply wrong that they can take money in this way, and that the small print which stated they would expire was so small it was impossible to read. 

They caved in with 2 days to go, got a call, they offered new vouchers for £100, stated at first they wouldn’t pay the £35, so I said I wouldn’t settle and would take my chance in scc. After this they then sent vouchers for £135. 

They don’t want the hassle for a few quid even if they might win. 

Try it. 

To clarify they would would win. Unless if you purchased the vouchers for her, they have no contract with you. Like you said they only reason they settled was because you took them to court and it would cost them more to defend themselves then it would cost to pay out to get you to go away. 

Well, it was never tried so who knows?

Anyone who understands basic legal principles knows.

You can't win a court case just by saying you thought something was "unconscionable" or "simply wrong", you need to have an actual legal argument.