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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About Post Office gift Cards

15 replies

balia · 29/03/2016 18:32

Or does everyone else know about this already?

Doing a bit of a spring clean and found 2 gift cards in DSS's room. Presents from his grandparents. He can't remember when he got them/how much they were for, so checked it out online - they're for £20 and £10. Except they aren't anymore, as apparently after 18 months they start charging a monthly card fee! £1 a month, so all the balance has been used up.

Am not pleased.

OP posts:
Bryna · 29/03/2016 18:50

I don't know about post office cards, but when gift cards were brought in shops put a 'use by' date on them (usually 2years) then the balance is removed ( 'admin fees') . The old paper vouchers lasted forever!

TheTroubleWithAngels · 29/03/2016 18:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cardibach · 29/03/2016 18:59

You can say it's his own fault, Trouble, and by the letter of the terms and conditions you are right. However, the PO have had £30 for nothing - and I can't see what 'admin visits' might apply to justify this.

Twinkie1 · 29/03/2016 19:01

We had this too.

I think it should be advertised better that the PO are taking your cash for doing sweet FA!

ilovesooty · 29/03/2016 19:01

I think I'd be more annoyed with him for treating presents from his grandparents with such disrespect than I'd be with the Post Office.

Flumplet · 29/03/2016 19:04

Not so easy to spend either are they!! I've got one and tried to spend it in H&M once and they didn't know what to do with it so it's been sat in my purse ever since. That was over a year ago so it's probs worth jack-all by now!

Original poster
balia · 29/03/2016 19:28

I am a bit annoyed with him; he's -hopelessly- a bit disorganised and the issue of his attitude to presents has come up more than once.

But in fairness he wouldn't have read the small print and realised what a waste it was going to be. The 'valid until' date on the actual cards is 2017 and 2018. I think this is a rip-off.

OP posts:
Original poster
balia · 29/03/2016 19:28

hopelessly

Oops!

OP posts:
Floggingmolly · 29/03/2016 19:37

How could they be valid until 2017/2018 if the admin fees (what fecking admin??) have managed to eat up the balance already?

That has to be false advertising, surely?
Dd did this with a Paperchase gift card one Christmas, it got tidied away with the decorations and was found again the following year and when she checked; they told her it had a 2 year expiry date so was good for another 12 months.

fascicle · 29/03/2016 19:37

I very recently made the same discovery. We also have two unused cards. I'm planning to contact them when I've got an idle moment. It seems a tad outrageous to invoke a monthly charge presumably to cover making a monthly charge. National book vouchers on the other hand are very generous and restore unused balances after cards have expired.

Queenbean · 29/03/2016 19:40

I would just write to the post office and explain, they will likely refund you the amount

I had an old house of Fraser voucher which was about 6 years old and all dogeared - I emailed them a scan and said I was really sorry, had just found it and could they replace and they asked me to send it in and replaced with no problem

I know the post offices t&cs do state it but if you complain they might be kind

gingerdad · 29/03/2016 19:50

We had a similar problem when we spent part of a card and they started taking fees. Just try to avoid them now.

DriveInSaturday · 29/03/2016 20:01

The first time I used one, in Curry's, the assistant hadn't seen one before, but I showed her the leaflet (which said Curry's accept it), and she got someone else who helped her put it through. Yesterday I used one in H&M with no problem. I take the leaflet with me, though - I expect people not to have heard of it.

MIL bought one for DS's birthday. We said what a good idea and didn't dare admit we hadn't been brave enough to try using it (the instructions look quite forbidding), so she got him another one for Christmas. So I finally womaned up. I did notice the charges after 18 (I think) months in the small print and didn't want to lose the money.

pineapplecrush · 29/03/2016 21:11

I didn't know this and have bought 2 or 3 in the past as thought they were a good idea as they can be spent in so many shops. However, did discover they can be used in some WH Smiths and not others and the balance can't be checked if you don't spend the full balance all at once (in WH Smiths when I asked).

ThedementedPenguin · 29/03/2016 21:16

I was given one for being great at a task at work once. Saved it to buy some baby things only a month or so later and it was empty. Went onto live chat and they said they are only valid for so long (think it was 18months) and then the balanced is wiped. You can send the card back including an prepaid envelope to return and it costs £5 to get the balance put back on.

Wasn't worth it as it was £10 gift card.

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