To think Toys R Us gift cards should not be wiped after 2 years?

[ballstoit]

On DD2's first Christmas (2009), she really didn't need anything, so I asked friends and family who wanted to buy gifts, to get her gift tokens for Toys R Us so I could get her something when she needed it.

So, she has just started to be able to pedal a tricycle, and I thought it would be nice to get her a new trike of her own. I went to Toys R Us this morning, she chose a trike (well, I did, and then helped her to 'choose' it!), and we went to checkout to pay with her gift cards. Except that they are apparently wiped after 2 years, if they are not used, and all have a nil balance.

AIBU to expect that gift cards should not be wiped? DD2 has lost £85 through Toys R Us dodgy policy, and the fact that I didn't read the (tiny) small print on the back of the gift card which explains this will happen. And Toys R Us have gained £85 for 6 pieces of credit card sized plastic...bastards.

I didn't know Gift Cards had expiry dates on either!

I had a thread on a while ago expressing at being unable to redeem DDs gift card at New Look because "the system was down" and I thought I was told that gift cards were much better than vouchers because they didn't expire. Perhaps I misremember.

YANBU OP.

And don't start me on fecking Game, which sold me a gift card for my nephew, which I duly sent off to him while still in town. When I got home DH looked aghast and told me that Game were having the receivers in the next day. I'd had no idea! Cheeky bastards selling gift cards when they are going bust! Had to send him some money as well.

TBH, I agree it is your fault. It must be very disappointing given you didn't know, I do see.

I've got to admit I would be slightly fed up if I'd been to the trouble of getting a gift card (more of a pain than just giving money, obviously), and it was not used fairly promptly. It just seems a shame that relatives who wanted to get your DD a present were not only told to get vouchers instead, but also wasted their money.

It's possibly I'm being a grouch today, but honestly, that's how I'd feel.

YABU i had to do the books of a company who didnt date their vouchers, absolute nightmare

M and S ones I have haven't expired yet and dd is 4, I got one from work. i do find it a bit weird and I do think that they should make it clearer with the date on it.

YANBU. Gift cards that work like this are a bit of a con. It may not be actually illegal, but seems completly unfair that the company should keep the money and give nothing back for it. And if they don't point this out very very clearly then they are being dishonest.

This is why I now avoid gift vouchers - would rather give someone cash or cheque, then they can choose where to shop as well.

Just checked John Lewis in a panic but theirs don't expire - phew! Looks like they might be the vouchers to ask for in the future, OP.

she didn't need any toys/clothes/bedding etc in 2 years?
I'm genuinely sorry you've had a bit of a shit couple of years but I also agree with LRD

YAstillNBU. In fact, thinking about it, it is probably a deliberate policy by the shops that sell time-limited vouchers.

They must know that a certain percentage of these will never be used and that will be pure profit to the company. Therefore they set time limits, make sure they do not flag these up the customers, and stick the gift vouchers/cards prominently by the till.

Very clever.

YANBU it's outrageous that they expire, they should be honoured as they have taken your cash. I came across some from my wedding recently that have expired, I am going to write to the boss about it but I doubt I will get anywhere. It makes me that people paid to buy us gifts and we have got nowt. We didn't need anything at the time and wanted to get something special. The shop would not suffer- the money would have gone further when they were issued!

yanbu - as I don't agree that they should have an expiry - and a company as big as toys-r-us can suck it up imo

Also, you never know these days when a company will go bust, so your vouchers could conceivably be worthless after a week or so.

So, all in all, best avoided really.

I don't know if you're being unreasonable or not. I never buy gift cards for almost exactly those reasons.

Part of the problem with gift cards, is they are generally given to someone who wasn't there at the time of purchase (so obviously didn't hear the assistant's warning about expiry dates) and then they are often shoved in a greetings card, without any paperwork to tell you how long they're valid for.

I'd rather give someone a tribble!

Panda watch speaks the truth. YANBU. Vouchers never used to expire , this is a relatively new con.

TBH I think its fair enough that gift cards and vouchers can have exp dates on them, personally I asume they will and read any small print as soon as I recieve them ( I do work in retail though, so I supose I would be wise to this sort of thing). However - if slightly of topic - I DO find it unreasonable that the company I work for, (large department store chain, am not alowed to say anything negative publicly ever, so will not name...) changed company logo a year or so ago and printed new vouchers along with it - pre g/cards, do them now instead - we are not alowed to take the old vouchers WHICH HAVE NO EXP DATE ON and if the customer isn't happy we advise them we can send them to head office and they will get new ones in about 3 weeks. Feel so sorry when this happens to people who've normally just spent an hour picking out what they want to be told no!

YABU. Two years is plenty of time!

YANBU. It's bollocks. Vouchers never used to have dates as someone said it is only since plastic cards came in. I reckon it's because those plastic ones will physically last longer than paper. I expect they used to make their money in the old days by people putting them in the wash or ripping them. They make them expire now that they last for years.

Yanbu. I would complain. I just used a vue voucher from 2 Christmas' ago. They already received the money. You might as well complain and see where it gets you. Toys r us are dodgy anyway.

YANBU it's rubbish. FWIW I would go onto the BBC website and fill in the Watchdog form, might be something they might like to look at

M&S is a year if they are not used IIRC. I also think there is an expiry date on the reciept that tells you how much is on the card with M&S. Its been a while since I worked there so Im not 100% certain though. One thing I do know is that if you have a card for M&S for say £100 and after 10 months you spend £10 of it the other £90 is valid for a year from the time you spent the £10. Vouchers definately dont expire for M&S, but they don't sell these. They are given out as offers (such as the current recommend a friend to Sky) and with the voucher scheme (I can't remember the name, but its like Park was)

Sorry but I think YABslightlyU as 2 years is a long time to not spend the money. Toys R Us do sell things for babies as well.

No ignore my last post I think Im thinking about credit vouchers with M&S

2 years is plenty of time to spend a voucher, I wouldn't expect them to remain valid forever.

And you might want to check your other cards. Boots do the same

bootsgiftcards.com/bootsb2c-faq

Yanbu, if they are going to expire it should be large letter on the front of the card.

So what happens to the £85 the op has lost

I've got gift cards at home from Boots, Next, Asda, Ikea, Marks & Spencers and Argos, which I have just checked in a bit of a panic, and none of them have an expiry date on them.

Asda cards are definitely on a 2-year time limit. That is, if you don't make a transaction during a rolling 2-year period, the credit is lost.

I know this from personal experience...