WH Smith voucher scam - have you been caught out?

[Geoff Settle]

I was at the Trafford centre on Friday dropping my daughter and her friends for a spot of retail therapy.

 

I took the opportunity to visit Smiths and spend my collection of gift vouchers - could I heck.

 

No chance the things had run out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

The cards were a gift and as a recipient I hadn't read the terms and conditions - as you can imagine I staged a shoppers protest there and then - I loudly informed the queue of what I thought of the situation called for the manageress - she phoned up head office but said that all she could offer was an address and the promise that if I wrote to them they would consider my case.

 

Now to be fair Smiths is just one of many shops successfully scamming the public.

 

I?m sure that I saw a tv program about it, they openly admit that a high percentage of people never use their vouchers and those that do spend a lot more than their face value plus they are making interest on the money so what?s the big deal about giving the customer what they are entitled to??????????????????????

:onfire: :onfire:

[Peter T]

It's probably about administration and accounting.

[observer]

Makes a change - paying in advance rather than on credit!

[Eagle]

I hadn't read the terms and conditions

 

Which suggests it was you that was at fault.

 

I loudly informed the queue

 

No comment required

[Geoff Settle]

Eagle surely you can put your distaste for me to one side and understand the point that I am making or are you that shallow.

 

Why should a recipient have to read the small and it is small print when they receive a gift from a friend? Why should a blue chip company like WS Smith rip off its customers so that they can make a fast Buck?

 

I for one think and believe that it is unacceptable. You may have lots of money to waste but there are people out there who haven't and don't want to be exploited. :bluegrab:

[JayC]

Geoff.

 

On the adverse how rude of you to wait so long to cash in a gift from a friend or family member I would think that person(s) are waiting to be told what you bought with the gift they spent their well earned money on.

 

I am with Eagle on this read the small print, its there for a reason and not just to keep a printer in work.

 

John

[Bill]

Geoff

 

For a change, I'm 100% behind you on this one because it's not like we?re talking money off coupons here; these can be sizeable sums of money.

 

If you pay Smiths ?10 in advance then your providing them with an interest free loan which even if it had no time limits would continue to work in their favour as it's buying power continually reduces with time while at the same time, the interest they earn only increases.

 

I often give such vouchers at Christmas but I'll be re-thinking this next year.

 

Bill

[Geoff Settle]

Cheers Bill you understand well what I'm trying to say about such schemes. Unlike Jayc and Eagle who are extolling child like responses.

[JayC]

Bill.

 

But when you give them do you expect them to be used or hoarded until a later date , if something has a small print it should be read. I do not see how you can complain if the date has expired on the voucher if you havent read the small print as I mentioned earlier its there for a reason.

 

John

[JayC]

Geoff.

 

How is my opinion child like care to explain please.

 

John

[Eagle]

Geoff, I don't know where the 'distaste' bit came from.........I just sometimes wonder at your lack of nous and worldliness outside of your many and varied interests,reports of which you give us full chapter and verse.

Your thinking that companies should cater for people who have found their long forgotten vouchers is a joke and your ranting in front of an audience is to use your word 'childish'

 

I always read the small print, I though everyone did.

[Geoff Settle]

Jayc your use of the term Rude is that used by a Parent to a child.

 

Yes my ranting would maybe appear childish but I felt that I was being treated like a child for not doing my homework, i.e. not reading the small print - it was that small that I didn't even notice it. I must read the small print 100 times before spending my voucher.

 

All I was aware of was that I had a 10 pound voucher to spend in WH Smiths on whatever I wanted to. It never even entered my mind that I needed to read the small print. I didn't even see it.

 

They are just having a laugh at our expense - plain and simple.

[JayC]

Geoff.

 

Then surely that would make me Paternal and not child like?.

 

John

[Geoff Settle]

JayC your catching on quick - you made me feel like I was a child being addressed by a disgruntled Parent.

[JayC]

Geoff.

 

You don't need my help to make you feel like a child you are very good at self promotion.

 

John

[Mary]

Gift vouchers of those sort should have an expiration displayed clearly printed at the bottom. I have to say that I will look more closely in future - Thanks Geoff.

[Robbo]

If you buy a ?25 gift voucher it clearly states that there is no time limit by which the voucher must be used gift voucher

[Anne-Marie]

On WH Smith website it says on both ?10 & ?25 there is no time limit. Was yours one of the old style or new gift cards ???? that may be the difference, otherwise you were robbed !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kateoflymm]

Small print or not it is inexcusable that a voucher can't be redeemed after a time limit. That company has had the money and it shouldn't matter if the voucher is used in 6 weeks or 6 years. To refuse to honour the voucher is tantamount to theft.

[JayC]

Kate.

 

While I agree somewhat , small print is small print its there to be read , would you ignore the small print on an insurance policy or an ISA etc, so why ignore it on a gift voucher.

 

John

[Legion]

another clear case of the "usual suspects" who like to turn a reasonable debate into an attack on a poster.

petty attempts to make themselves look smart...like they read the small print on everything... they struggle to read posts on here and interpret them correctly never mind legal clauses.

 

Gof, I fully support your possition, its not a question of whats written in the smallprint, its a question of the morality of the company, especialy large high street ones whome you beleive should have a high degree of customer respect.

 

This is clearly a loophole in the law that needs clearing up. respectable companies should not engage in these practices.

[JayC]

legion,

 

Atack by the usual subjects , little over the top even from you, I have attacked no one I have voiced an opinion only and that is (YET AGAIN) if a paper , document. gift voucher ,ticket (sport or lottery) or any such item has small print it is there for a reason then it should be read if you fail to read it and you fall foul to its rules then you have no regress.

 

John

[tod]

I wasn't aware that there was any small print on W H Smith vouchers, and as already posted you can buy them online where it does clearly state 'no time limit'

[JayC]

ToD.

 

Good call, so Geoff if you still have the vouchers what does it say??.

 

John

[Eagle]

Is the voucher in old money?

 

BTW,the small print on a lottery ticket says you have 180 days to claim your win, I would hate any of you lot trying to claim later and having a whinge on here.