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Original poster

One-for-all b*starding gift cards!

55 replies

PMcGintysGoat · 28/12/2020 08:26

Am I the only one who hates these?

Unless I'm missing something you're basically committed to using them in a shop because they're useless online. And at the moment it's not possible to go to the sort of shops you'd want to spend it in.

You can only spend the exact amount or less - you can't use it as part payment. So if you have a £15 card you need to spend not more than £15 in one transaction. Which is fine unless there's a minimum order for free delivery and you want to order more things from that supplier anyway.

If you have a higher value one you end up losing some of it because if you want to buy something for £45 and the voucher is for £50 that leaves you with £5 that must be used in a single transaction I.e. useless. But if there was something you liked for £6 that's no use either because that takes you over the total amount and you can't use in part payment.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I've been trying to spend the bloody things for an hour now without success. If you don't use within 18 months they start charging you every month.

Are there any tricks to using these? I tried to buy an M&S voucher with it but that didn't work either.

OP posts:
LIZS · 28/12/2020 08:27

I'm sure we have used as part payment in the past.

FallenSky · 28/12/2020 08:29

I really dislike these cards! You can use for part payment in stores though so perhaps worth just holding on to until you can go shopping again.

Original poster
PMcGintysGoat · 28/12/2020 08:29

Online LIZS ?

It says on their website you can't use as part payment online.

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

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General shopping
gettingfedupagain · 28/12/2020 08:32

They also run out if you don't use them quickly, and you can't check the remaining balance at a till for some very annoying reason

Littlebelina · 28/12/2020 08:33

I got caught out with the part payment bit online in lockdown 1. It's very annoying. Once they get to a certain age they start taking cash off them as well. I ended up donating to children in need with mine as was loathe to let the voucher company keep the cash

Cluckycluck · 28/12/2020 08:38

Can you still change them in Amazon vouchers? That's what I used to do with them.

LIZS · 28/12/2020 08:40

Ah no was in store. Are you able to order a takeaway from any of the restaurants?

Sunshinehousexo · 28/12/2020 08:50

I hate them too!! I got one for my birthday a few months ago. Never had one before. Such a ball ache.

Original poster
PMcGintysGoat · 28/12/2020 08:51

No clucky not any more Sad

OP posts:
thecatsthecats · 28/12/2020 08:52

@Littlebelina

I got caught out with the part payment bit online in lockdown 1. It's very annoying. Once they get to a certain age they start taking cash off them as well. I ended up donating to children in need with mine as was loathe to let the voucher company keep the cash
Ah, thanks for the tip. We accidentally let one of these bastard things expire because we couldn't work out how to spend it.

We'll just use it for charity and spend the same amount on ourselves in future.

Doodlepip23 · 28/12/2020 08:53

They are a pain in the arse. I think I used mine on the Argos website, but you’re right, you can’t buy something that is higher value and use the voucher as part payment.

EspressoExpresso · 28/12/2020 08:54

We had one for Christmas. I just used it online at Argos with no problem. It had instructions to check the balance and had a 2.5 year expiry date on it.

Chasingsquirrels · 28/12/2020 09:01

We got them from work for Christmas.
Nice gesture, much appreciated, but when I looked at the terms & conditions and places to use (a lot if restaurants - not much good atm) plus the part pay issue I do wonder how / where I'll use them.

Original poster
PMcGintysGoat · 28/12/2020 09:05

I'm not sure what I did wrong earlier but I've just managed to buy an M&S voucher with one of them. HURRAH

I'm going to do this with all of them, then order myself a wine hamper Xmas Grin

OP posts:
Ostagazuzulum · 28/12/2020 09:05

My daughter has £80 worth of these in 4 separate cards. My parents buy them for her. Without sounding ungrateful, I've asked them not to as previous years when she was younger, there wasn't much she wanted in shops they can be used in. This year she wants something quite big in Argos. I was hop8 g to use them all. Is it not possible?
Could we use them to buy 4 lots of Argos vouchers with each gift card then group all vouchers together?

inappropriateraspberry · 28/12/2020 09:08

Some of them charge you for each week the money is sat on it - so you actually lose money!

ProbablyFault · 28/12/2020 09:10

Oh no, we got one of these at Christmas. FFS.

Kez0777 · 28/12/2020 09:12

@Ostagazuzulum

My daughter has £80 worth of these in 4 separate cards. My parents buy them for her. Without sounding ungrateful, I've asked them not to as previous years when she was younger, there wasn't much she wanted in shops they can be used in. This year she wants something quite big in Argos. I was hop8 g to use them all. Is it not possible? Could we use them to buy 4 lots of Argos vouchers with each gift card then group all vouchers together?
Be careful with Argos too! I ordered something and had 5 gift cards but could only use 3 online at once!
Original poster
PMcGintysGoat · 28/12/2020 09:13

osta I have just discovered I can buy M&S e-vouchers with them, I'm betting you'll be able to do this in Argos - worth a try. Still a pain in the balls though.

OP posts:
champagnetruffleshuffle · 28/12/2020 09:33

I hate those vouchers. After a year or so they charge a monthly fee until there's no balance left.

Jbck · 28/12/2020 09:38

Op says on their site M n S don't accept online, how did you manage it? I might try that option for John Lewis.
Have had loads of problems with these too and said to a few people not to buy us them but managed to get a couple this year.

Cantbelievelife · 28/12/2020 09:44

Friend buys me one every year yet to successfully use it would love a way of getting round it

chuckyegg2 · 28/12/2020 09:45

You can definitely use them as part payment at Boots if that helps you spend them! They can put it through as a part card payment if you know how much is on there. Smile

CoolCatTaco · 28/12/2020 09:54

I hate them too, also hate the shopping centre ones. They can't be used on line & the shops hate them because they can't see the balance. Went off the idea of vouchers generally after the way House of Frazer behaved...

Thereshegoesagain · 28/12/2020 10:09

I hate them and stopped buying them as gifts as soon as I realised how totally restrictive/crap they were.
Cynical me wonders perhaps they are designed to be so useless that you give up trying to use them, they end up in a drawer unused and the company pockets the cash.