to wonder can i challenge this

[montysma1]

My husband bought me an on line gift voucher to the tune £100 for a high street shop that also traded via its web site. When I tried to spend this sometime later I was told that the company was in administration and that they were no longer accepting the gift vouchers.

At this point their stores were still trading as was the web site.

Was told to write to the offcial recievers, which I did and occasionally recieve incomprehensible letters from them, but of course no hundred pounds.

I have now been getting advertising emails from them as well as a glossy brochure for christmas stuff. I phoned them today to ask, Why if they were still trading, can I not use my voucher for goods.? Was told that they are in effect a new company who has taken over and are trading under the same name (and same stuff). Was offered £20 as a maximum as they "dont have to".

It just seems unfair that when in administation, they were still trading, but not prepared to honour my voucher, I got no redress from the administators, and now that the whole shebang has been reopened (indeed, never really stopped trading), how it is that my £100 can just vanish into the either.

It also adds insult to injury that this "new" company has also been given my details and I am now being subjected to marketing literature from a company THAT NICKED MY HUNDRED QUID.

Is this legal or challeneable ?

[AgentProvocateur]

Don't know, but it's certainly immoral. Why don't you name and shame so that we can boycott them?

[montysma1]

Well, its realy twee and in my defence it was so that I could buy a "record player" disguised as an old radio, to play old vynyl LPs that I love ( and cant be arsed replacing with CDs). Anyway the shop was/is called Past Times.

[GhostShip]

The bastards! I used to love Past Times too :(

[ENormaSnob]

the bastards.

Yanbu

[ZombTEE]

Are they still trading? Or re-trading? They closed their shop here.

[Ithinkitsjustme]

I don't know where you stand legally but I'd certainly want to find out. YANBU to be furious - I would be!

[OpheliaPayneAgain]

They went into administration and are trading under a winding up order

www.kpmg.com/uk/en/issuesandinsights/articlespublications/newsreleases/pages/past-times-enters-administration.aspx

[OpheliaPayneAgain]

A bit of poking about shows Past Times is in Admin, the catalogue you got is from PT Bidco Ltd. That only seems to have set up in 2012 after Past Times went into Admin. Probably the same directors families etc involved

[DrHolmes]

I am sure there was an article on watchdogs re gift vouchers not being aceppted after companies are in administration and I am sure they dont have to accept the voucher and you should prob accept the £20 they are offering as you won't get anything else off them or your £100 back. That is very annoying and unfair but it's the risk you take when buying gift vouchers I am afraid.

[Mia4]

You aren't being unreasonable but once in administration they don't have to accept or honor the vouchers. It's shit but after a long look into things with a friend looking over the trading standards and everything I found that 'administration' is the magic word which stop the vouchers being honored or used.

I got lucky, Jane Norman started 'honoring' gift vouchers as long as you spend X amount of pounds equal to the vouchers on sale items. I still lost £20 because I just couldn't find something to match that voucher but at least I spent the larger £50 one.

You can try writing to head office and looking at the Trading Standards Website, even asking the question but don't be surprised if you're out of luck.

[EntWife]

if your husband bought the gift voucher with his credit card he might be able to get a refund via the card company.

before dd2 was born I ordered a new pram from a fairly reliable internet seller the pram never arrived. phone calls went unanswered and so did emails. the company went into administration and because we had paid by credit card and the goods were never delivered we were able to get a refund from visa.

in your situation it might be worth a word with your card company and see if you might be able to similarly apply for a refund.

[montysma1]

Unfortunately dh paid by debit card as he doesnt want a credit card. Eejit.

I'm sure you are all right and that they are within the law, but by jove, the law is shite!

Its just galling that they still have assets, are still selling the same stuff probably from the same wearhouses, but a loophole lets them just keep my money. Its infuriating. It wouldnt be so bad if they had ceased trading entirely its that fact that they are still trading thats galling, whether they call themselves a new company or not. I bet the same people are involved in the new company. They have my money, they have stuff, they should be givng me stuff for my money. Bastards.

Might email some of the "raw deal" columns in the hope that if it was followed up on , they might be shamed into it. I dont even want the money back, I want the bloody record player. The one they are still selling on page 2 of the catalogue that the have the cheek to have sent me!

[DayShiftDoris]

Montysma1

Is it, by any chance, a VISA Debit card???

Because if it is I am 99% certain it is covered by the same guarantee that credit cards are!

When that christmas club went under the VISA debit guarantee was mentioned then and I have filed that piece of info away because I have one.

Worth checking - can you update though if you do as its worth knowing if this is still the case

[montysma1]

It was a visa debit card, so i will look into that. I wonder would it be visa or the issuing bank that I contact?

If i have any luck i will post back here.