Beware of vouchers that expire

dogsbodyorg

I just wanted to warn people that if you got any vouchers for Christmas to be very careful about checking the date when they expire. I was shocked to find that vouchers I was given for my birthday for quad biking expired less than four months later with no chance of a refund. Lost money and not just lost but they have the money for providing nothing!

Perhaps it is my fault for not reading the small print. I don't get narked by many things but this has really gotten to me and the service was appauling. So much so that I have set a website to try and warn others (and make me feel a bit better). You never know, it may do something!

I have no problem with vouchers expiring, companies have to do this, prices of the experiences they sell will go up etc. however having a voucher that expired in less than four months with no other option is ludicrous in my opinion!

peter_the_piper

Totally agree, I had a PC world one given to me, not needing anything I kept it for later, when I did need it it had run out. Don't know if current ones are the same now though. I don't think that non specific gift vouchers should have any expirey date.

Riq

I had a next voucher that expired in 2005 as I found it in an old coat. I went and enquired and they honoured the voucher for the face value of £10 as it was effectively cash.

I can't understand why PC World didn't do this.

I am actually wearing the shirt I bought at the time right now. How strange!

spuds_2

Next vouchers expire something like two years from when you last used the voucher card, I think - better check to be sure if you got one for Christmas. Amazon ones expire fairly quickly I believe. I have also heard that ones which are 'shopping centre' vouchers not only expire quite quickly, but some actually decrease in value the longer you wait to spend them. I think I read that on MSE about a Scottish shopping centre, but I couldn't find the thread.

I usually end up spending my vouchers on stuff for the kids as there is never anything you want when you have vouchers, but loads of stuff when you are skint.

dogsbodyorg

A couple of friends have told me that they thought there was (or was going to be) a new consumer law against setting unfair expiry dates! Anyone know anything about it?

andyrules

I bought a gift from Eastex and was asked if I wanted a gift receipt. Turns out it expires shortly after Christmas, just around the time stock would be changing and could be quite low on choice. Also, items could only be exchanged, not refunded. Good job I found that out before - I just enclosed the ordinary receipt, no problems there!

I do think some gift vouchers are a rip-off as they force the recipient into purchasing anything just to get rid of it.

Butlers1982

surely this shouldnt be here, someone promoting their own site?

Moneysaving expert isnt here for people to advertise their own site,

Thats the reason the OP has put the link here- so MSE's go onto their site, its supposed to be free from advertising

Maybe poppycat can advise?

one more thing, something i dont understand is you slate the activity people but your email address is@ the acvivity people

Also, thats not a website, its a Blog

dogsbodyorg

LOL, I have paid money to buy a domain name that is close too but not the same as the domain I am complaining about. I am not making ANY money from this, quite the opposite, I have paid for the hosting of it out of my own pocket. I actually have my own website/blog and purposefully paid for a completely separate domain so that no one would think I am advertising

I would rather spend my money warning others of what I see as a rip off than to buy another voucher from them so they get more of my money. I am hoping that this domain will show up in search engines over time (as the domain is so similar) and warn others that they are doing this.

For clarity their domain ends .co.uk and mine ends .me.uk because I feel they ripped me off. I was very careful to write it factually to let people come to their own conclusions so there is no libel.

I hope this helps explain it?

dmg24

So you have nothing to do with dogsbody hosting, dogsbodyorg?

Yep, this is indirectly advertising, and an invalid username (also the name of a website).

OP, you need to edit your post so as not to link to your own website, and also contact Abuse to change your username.

dogsbodyorg

That was just the standard footer on the bottom of all websites that I build (yes, I'm a web builder) and I have literally just this second removed it as I realised it could be misconstrued.

Please believe me, I am a huge MSE fan and I was trying to give something back and show that people can make a difference. My intention has never been to make money, I was trying to inspire!

I'm not quite sure what I have done wrong, I set up a page trying to explain my story, that's all, there is no adverts, no nothing and now there isn't even a link at the bottom to the copyright holder, I was trying to be a good money saver, that's all

dmg24

You now have no advertising on the page, but you still need to get your username changed, as you cannot have a web address as your username. Just email Abuse, you could just change it to dogsbody (or anything else you like!) if nobody has it? x