Lifestyle giftcards

Grumpy_chap

flaneurs_lobster said:

I can sort-of sympathise, bought a £50 B&Q gift card (4% cashback) to purchase a specific item. Turns out that the item was one of their "marketplace" listings (so not "proper" B&Q) - gift card cannot be used. 

Had this damn card for 4 months now (it's valid for 5 years), can't think of a single thing I need or want from them.

I assume that at some point within the 5-year period of the gift card validity you will need to spend some money on cleaning products, or small tools, or decorating, or garden, or soft furnishings...

Aylesbury_Duck

Grumpy_chap said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

I can sort-of sympathise, bought a £50 B&Q gift card (4% cashback) to purchase a specific item. Turns out that the item was one of their "marketplace" listings (so not "proper" B&Q) - gift card cannot be used. 

Had this damn card for 4 months now (it's valid for 5 years), can't think of a single thing I need or want from them.

I assume that at some point within the 5-year period of the gift card validity you will need to spend some money on cleaning products, or small tools, or decorating, or garden, or soft furnishings...

I'm pretty sure B&Q sell toilet rolls.   Buy £50 worth and stick the excess in the loft as extra insulation until you need them.

Skiddaw1

Aylesbury_Duck said:

PercySu said:

But there were other retailers I would've happily spent it at - not for groceries or duvets! It's purely Dunelm's fault I am in this position and now forced to spend money at Dunelm when I don't want anything. 

You could always gift the Dunelm voucher to someone...   Pass the problem on!

Yes please!! It's no help to the OP but I must admit I'd have no problem whatsoever in spending a Dunelm gift voucher.... 

screech_78

Pretty much every retailer does the same. 

I’ve dealt with complaints similar before and have to explain that if you’re using a gift card, then you have to accept the limitations that these impose if anything is to go wrong. 

flaneurs_lobster

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Grumpy_chap said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

I can sort-of sympathise, bought a £50 B&Q gift card (4% cashback) to purchase a specific item. Turns out that the item was one of their "marketplace" listings (so not "proper" B&Q) - gift card cannot be used. 

Had this damn card for 4 months now (it's valid for 5 years), can't think of a single thing I need or want from them.

I assume that at some point within the 5-year period of the gift card validity you will need to spend some money on cleaning products, or small tools, or decorating, or garden, or soft furnishings...

I'm pretty sure B&Q sell toilet rolls.   Buy £50 worth and stick the excess in the loft as extra insulation until you need them.

Not a bad idea, although we do have an occasional wasp's nest built into our eaves, With that amount of paper available they'd build something the size of a Range Rover.

Aylesbury_Duck

flaneurs_lobster said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Grumpy_chap said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

I can sort-of sympathise, bought a £50 B&Q gift card (4% cashback) to purchase a specific item. Turns out that the item was one of their "marketplace" listings (so not "proper" B&Q) - gift card cannot be used. 

Had this damn card for 4 months now (it's valid for 5 years), can't think of a single thing I need or want from them.

I assume that at some point within the 5-year period of the gift card validity you will need to spend some money on cleaning products, or small tools, or decorating, or garden, or soft furnishings...

I'm pretty sure B&Q sell toilet rolls.   Buy £50 worth and stick the excess in the loft as extra insulation until you need them.

Not a bad idea, although we do have an occasional wasp's nest built into our eaves, With that amount of paper available they'd build something the size of a Range Rover.

   Nearly laughed my coffee out. 

jnm21

I use gift cards a lot & regularly buy them at a discount (I have a friend who gets them through work & prefers cash - I get a nice discount & she gets cash that she can spend where she likes).

If I have a gift card with multiple redemption options (like OP had), my first thought is not what do I want to buy, but where do I shop that I don't already spend GC? For example I am yet to get a discount GC for Home bargains or Lidl. They very rarely do GC via these routes. Next if there are 3 retailers available that I use, the question is "which one can I get the lowest discount on?" Amazon is a good shout - it is difficult to get a discount on Amazon credit.

So my advice to OP is have you thought about selling/trading the GC for somewhere you do want to buy something? There are a couple of GC trading sites (not sure I am allowed to mention). You will lose value on the GC you have, but may make up at least some of that loss if you buy a different one.