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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to expect Waitrose/John Lewis to give me back my £500?

378 replies

Clazzer1 · 19/12/2017 21:43

I had my car stolen last night. This would be bad enough in itself but Inside my car was over £500 of Waitrose / John Lewis gift cards that have been stolen along with all my children's Christmas presents.

As I still had the receipt for these gift cards I was able to give JL the gift card numbers and they were able to confirm that nobody had used them and they were able to successfully block anyone from from using them in the future. Sounds good - so you think they would issue new gift cards to me - WRONG.

Waitrose/ John Lewis policy is to NOT refund or reissue gift cards. This means they have my money, they have stopped anybody from using the vouchers I bought, they have confirmed that NOTHING has been spent from these gift cards but they are now withholding this money and refusing to give it back or provide a replacement. I am totally shocked at this response from such a respectable retailer. They are no better than the thief that stole them in the first place.

These gift cards were the school collection money that the parents had collected for a gift for several teachers and teaching assistants To withhold this from us is a true disgrace. AIBU to expect a multi million pound retailer like Waitrose / John Lewis to do the right thing and provide a replacement?

OP posts:
ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 19/12/2017 22:05

It is sitting in their bank account

Maybe ringfenced or with another supplier if they outsource the gift card scheme.

Bombardier25966 · 19/12/2017 22:05

As you've discovered it only takes minutes for someone to steal a car!

I don't think JL are in the wrong here. It's a horrible thing to happen, but it's not for JL to resolve your issue.

LouiseH2017 · 19/12/2017 22:05

There is a John Lewis ad showing on my screen at the bottom of this thread!

AIBU to expect Waitrose/John Lewis to give me back my £500?
Sparklingbrook · 19/12/2017 22:07

Ah ok Clazzer1, that would make sense.

I think too that you should claim om your insurance. Any news on the car?

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 19/12/2017 22:07

It's well known gift cards are equivalent to cash. If you'd lifted £500 from a Barclays branch and left it in the car, would you expect it back if it had been taken, even if you had the serial number of each note? Likely not.

Absolutely this. It isn't John Lewis or Waitrose's problem to fix.

Goshthatwentwell · 19/12/2017 22:07

YANBU and pack it in with the victim blaming. You can carry what ever you like round in your car. Thieves are in the wrong not the Op.

Ridiculous they won't replace them, Of cause they can stop them. If they can check your balance they can cancel them. Obviously the policy is designed for numpties that lose them not victims of crime.

Original poster
Clazzer1 · 19/12/2017 22:08

LostInShoeBiz - but it is not cash, it is more like a debit card than cash. If your debit card is stolen you have protection you can call up and it is stopped much the same as the gift card. I think this is an antiquated policy based on old technology that just does not fit with the technology available today.

OP posts:
StepAwayFromGoogle · 19/12/2017 22:09

OP, if it's the case that they wouldn't refund/reissue them in Waitrose because it would come out of their budget rather than JL - surely the answer is to go into a branch of JL and try again? Or have I misunderstood?

Sparklingbrook · 19/12/2017 22:10

I don't think you can compare bank cards and gift cards TBF.

Skowvegas · 19/12/2017 22:10

Out of curiosity I looked up a local retailer that is sort of an equivalent to John Lewis to find out what they do with lost gift cards.

  1. What if I lost my gift card or e-gift card?
Your gift card has cash value and should be safeguarded as such. If you lose your gift card, contact us immediately. If your gift card has not been redeemed or has some remaining value, we can cancel the original and issue you a new gift card for that value.

So I guess it's not impossible, they're just choosing not to do it.

Spartaca · 19/12/2017 22:10

This doesn't make any sense. They now have £500 for nothing.

Original poster
Clazzer1 · 19/12/2017 22:10

The car has been found Sparkling brook - it is with the police for forensics. I had a tracker on the car and new the minute it was taken - we followed it and found it in a back alley with all the items removed. The police think they used this new WIFI key hacking to take it

OP posts:
bluescreen · 19/12/2017 22:11

Did you pay using a credit card? It might be covered by that. Your shopping will be!

www.moneysupermarket.com/credit-cards/guide-to-credit-card-protection/

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 19/12/2017 22:11

it is more like a debit card than cash

Actually, it's more like a prepaid card, and a quick Google suggests that they are replaceable - all the ts and C's for all the retailers gift cards seem very similar I wonder if there is some random money laundering law or something?

Mousewatch · 19/12/2017 22:13

Email the CEO

Original poster
Clazzer1 · 19/12/2017 22:14

StepAwayfromGoogle - the gift cards were bought in my local Waitrose - both John Lewis and Waitrose share the same customer service phone line for giftcards. I called the shared line and was advised to take the receipt to the shop. Once at the Waitrose they told me that the customer service line is John Lewis and they would not honor the promise the shared call center had made.

OP posts:
mummmy2017 · 19/12/2017 22:15

Ask your bank if they can cancel the item, and get the money back from the store.

Abitofaproblem · 19/12/2017 22:15

I think you are really unlucky OP but it is an insurance matter.
I am also wondering whether the cards would be sold instead of used by the criminal who stole your car, and what would happen when the people who unknowingly got/bought the stolen card turn up at JL.

QueenUnicorn · 19/12/2017 22:15

So Waitrose said no but John Lewis said yes over the phone? Try in store at John Lewis.

Ellisandra · 19/12/2017 22:16

It's not about the technology though - based on what you've said, it's about different stores arguing over budgets. That's what you need to raise with them - that it's ridiculous to drag a customer into that.

NoqontroI · 19/12/2017 22:16

That's pretty shoddy op. I'd expect more from John Lewis.

Skowvegas · 19/12/2017 22:17

That's pretty shoddy op. I'd expect more from John Lewis.

Yes - I would too. I'm very surprised at their attitude on this. This is not the kind of image they project.

desperatelyseekingcruising · 19/12/2017 22:19

I agree it's stupid they can't replace them. They were vouchers not a sodding bank draft. They've been cancelled so there is no way they can be used now, and they get to just keep the cash? That seems excessively harsh.

Twitter is definitely the route to use.

GlitteryFluff · 19/12/2017 22:20

Can you get to a John Lewis?

Shynotshy · 19/12/2017 22:21

I don't understand those who are saying OP is being U.
If the cards can be blocked (and I'm sure they can, with everything being electronic these days) and if they did take the money from OP, Waitrose/JL now have £500 and not given anything to their customer in return! How can they justify not refunding or not reissuing new gift cards??

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