** WARNING ** Currys eGift Card expiry not as described on their website.

Captain__Sensible

If you have a Currys eGift Card be careful about the expiry.

Below are three links to different pages on Currys website that make it clear that the expiry is 24 months [2 years] after last use or balance enquiry.

However, I have been informed by their Customer Solutions Advisor that the expiry is fixed at 24 months [2 years] and that the website information is wrong.

Currys should change their website pages if they are wrong, and I believe that anyone who finds their eGift Cards have expired prematurely, less than 24 months from last use or balance enquiry, then they have a claim to make.

I feel strongly that MSE should champion this on behalf of the general public, or at least advise whether its a trading standard issue or what recourse one has.

LINKS [modified as not allowed to post live links]: 

currysgiftcards.co.uk/currys/ByPost/Currys/FrequentlyAskedQuestions 

States: “The Gift Card will expire 24 months after the last use or balance enquiry and any remaining balance will be deducted.”

currys.co.uk/services/gift-cards-page.html 

States:  “Upon 2 years non-use, the card will expire and any balance will be deducted.”

currysgiftcards.co.uk/currys/ByPost/Currys/TermsAndConditions

States:  “The Gift Card will expire 24 months after the last use or balance enquiry and any remaining balance will be deducted.”

Hopefully  the above helps someone out there, and maybe I/we can get Currys to correct their website.

TheSpectator

MSE 'champion' the non use of gift cards at all, and for good reason.

If the retailer goes bust then your money is lost. You have no S75 protection. Any refunds are paid back to a gift card.

Although your point is valid (assuming the person you spkke to is correct) who is holding on to gift cards for 2 years?

Ergates

TheSpectator said:

MSE 'champion' the non use of gift cards at all, and for good reason.

If the retailer goes bust then your money is lost. You have no S75 protection. Any refunds are paid back to a gift card.

Although your point is valid (assuming the person you spkke to is correct) who is holding on to gift cards for 2 years?

Money - it's like a gift card that works in *any* shop.

Money_Grabber13579

The first and third links aren’t to curry’s but to curry’s gift cards, which is a site operated by voucher express. As such, I’m not sure curry’s can be responsible for the information on that site. They are of course responsible for the information in their own site, albeit it seems a bit more vague.

LightFlare

Ergates said:

TheSpectator said:

MSE 'champion' the non use of gift cards at all, and for good reason.

If the retailer goes bust then your money is lost. You have no S75 protection. Any refunds are paid back to a gift card.

Although your point is valid (assuming the person you spkke to is correct) who is holding on to gift cards for 2 years?

Money - it's like a gift card that works in *any* shop.

If you can find one that accepts physical cash

I suspect as more businesses go “cashless” then the use of gift cards may actually increase

Bradden

LightFlare said:

Ergates said:

TheSpectator said:

MSE 'champion' the non use of gift cards at all, and for good reason.

If the retailer goes bust then your money is lost. You have no S75 protection. Any refunds are paid back to a gift card.

Although your point is valid (assuming the person you spkke to is correct) who is holding on to gift cards for 2 years?

Money - it's like a gift card that works in *any* shop.

If you can find one that accepts physical cash

I suspect as more businesses go “cashless” then the use of gift cards may actually increase

Whilst some bars and other entertainment venue have stopped taking cash I've not heard of a traditional B&M shop stopping this. Who does not accept cash in your experience?

Okell

TheSpectator said:

... Although your point is valid (assuming the person you spkke to is correct) who is holding on to gift cards for 2 years?

I held on to £50 worth of M&S giftcards for at least 5 years (two year expiry).

Despite M&S online customer services telling me that the expiry period could not be extended (because "it would be unfair on other customers") I managed to extend them at least twice instore no questions asked.

(They'd been given to me as a gift and there's very little I want to buy in M&S which is why I didn't redeem them sooner.  I don't like gift cards, I don't buy them and I don't want them given to me.  If people want to give me a gift I'd prefer the cash)

TELLIT01

Bradden said:

LightFlare said:

Ergates said:

TheSpectator said:

MSE 'champion' the non use of gift cards at all, and for good reason.

If the retailer goes bust then your money is lost. You have no S75 protection. Any refunds are paid back to a gift card.

Although your point is valid (assuming the person you spkke to is correct) who is holding on to gift cards for 2 years?

Money - it's like a gift card that works in *any* shop.

If you can find one that accepts physical cash

I suspect as more businesses go “cashless” then the use of gift cards may actually increase

Whilst some bars and other entertainment venue have stopped taking cash I've not heard of a traditional B&M shop stopping this. Who does not accept cash in your experience?

There is a large garden centre in our area which stopped cash sales during Covid and is still card only.  I've also been into a few cafes which are card only.  B&M premises operating card only do exist.

voluted

LightFlare said:

Ergates said:

TheSpectator said:

MSE 'champion' the non use of gift cards at all, and for good reason.

If the retailer goes bust then your money is lost. You have no S75 protection. Any refunds are paid back to a gift card.

Although your point is valid (assuming the person you spkke to is correct) who is holding on to gift cards for 2 years?

Money - it's like a gift card that works in *any* shop.

If you can find one that accepts physical cash

I suspect as more businesses go “cashless” then the use of gift cards may actually increase

The plus side of money is that you can pay the vouchers into something called a bank and pay with your debit card.

They also do e-vouchers which can be paid directly into a bank account from another bank account.

Another win for money.