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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:
Original poster
Clazzer1 · 20/12/2017 17:39

Hi Everyone I have an update for you all. First a few clarifications. I paid for the gift cards on my debit card I did not use cash and frankly would never carry that amount of cash on me. I have had another response from Waitrose on twitter. They have asked me to send the numbers of the cards to them and the names of the people I have spoken to in the store and on the helpline so I have done this and I am waiting to hear back from them. I have shortened the email and sent to the CEO so hopefully they will do the right thing. Will keep you all posted with any further news

The teachers received the replacement vouchers today - they were really pleased :o)

OP posts:
Noofly · 20/12/2017 17:44

Best of luck. I think it’s bizarre for posters to say, oh well, it’s in the terms and conditions so tough luck to you. If no one ever provided negative feedback/raised awareness etc about perceived unfairness in terms and conditions, companies would never change them!

yumyumpoppycat · 20/12/2017 18:29

actually wheretheviolets that cashpoint scenario happened to me a few years ago, I realised I had walked away and just pocketed my bank card and ran back but the machine had taken the money back. I rang the company who said the details could not be checked and that the money could not be refunded. A few years later there was a change in legislation and the exact amount of money was refunded out of the blue - so the cashpoint company were lying when they said they couldn't trace the transaction.

StripySocksAndDocs · 20/12/2017 18:31

Good on you @Clazzer1 hope you hear back soon.

Sorry you had a rubbish time and lost you children's presents.

wherethevioletsgrow · 20/12/2017 18:35

yumyum it happened to me too actually. I stupidly left £100 in a cash point in a slightly dodgy part of London and then go on the bus but miraculously it was not stolen. I contacted the bank who put in a claim to the other bank (whose cash point it was) on my behalf. They said that at the end of each day/week, they do a tally and if there is any surplus, they pay that back to people who have made a claim. Seems that that week, there was only one idiot (!) who didn't take their money so I got it all back.
But yes, it would be hugely wrong for the bank to keep the cash in this scenario and I am glad you got yours back too.

wherethevioletsgrow · 20/12/2017 18:35

And OP, best of luck- I am rooting for you.

MelonKnee · 20/12/2017 18:43

The teachers received the replacement vouchers today - they were really pleased grin)

OP is that an I wish, or have they actually replaced them???

GlitteryFluff · 20/12/2017 18:45

melon op re purchased the vouchers using her own money so the teachers still got their gifts.

greenhairymonster · 20/12/2017 18:46

I think JLP are being unreasonable - I don't care what their t's '& c's say - someone has benefitted from the £500 and it wasn't the OP or the thief - where has the money gone?
On another issue I feel vouchers are a stupid gift idea they often have an expiry date, I don't see the point - give cash instead - I hate vouchers!

Original poster
Clazzer1 · 20/12/2017 19:56

Very disappointing response from Waitrose twitter - they have said they are unable to re-issue the gift cards and that I would need to raise it with my insurance company. So so disappointing, I have just cancelled my Christmas delivery slot and will not be shopping with them again.

OP posts:
Pandoraphile · 20/12/2017 20:11

I've just had to make my second huge complaint to JL. They've turned into a dreadful company and I certainly shan't be using them again. Have you emailed a complaint in? [email protected] or something like that.

NisekoWhistler · 20/12/2017 20:17

I'd love to see you get through life never using John Lewis or Waitrose, never going to happen!

kaytee87 · 20/12/2017 20:23

Good email op but I'd take this bit out.

As I feel responsible to the other parents involved in the collection, my moral compass will allow me no other alternative than to purchase even more gift cards to replace those that have been stolen and are now cancelled. This is at a time when I can least afford it and also have to find some way to fund the other lost Christmas presents and provide some sort of Christmas for my family.

It's just 'blah' and he won't be interested.

Good luck

KCWW · 20/12/2017 20:23

I'd love to see you get through life never using John Lewis or Waitrose, never going to happen!

Seriously?!

Gilead · 20/12/2017 20:25

I'd love to see you get through life never using John Lewis or Waitrose, never going to happen!
and yet so many of us do...

jazzandh · 20/12/2017 20:26

Have just tweeted Waitrose on the back of this. IF they can prove that cards not been used etc then it is very poor behaviour.

JL customer service has slipped recently. Previously, I would be a loyal Christmas Shopper. In light of recent responses I have received unfortunately I have gone with the more efficient (and cheaper product purchase) of Amazon.

jazzandh · 20/12/2017 20:28

I would have purchased an alternative gift voucher ...in fact why don't we all just give the teachers the CASH!!!!!

HopelesslydevotedtoGu · 20/12/2017 20:29

OP have you complained to John lewis, rather than wait rose, as a poster suggested upthread? Her explanation sounded sensible

If not can you write to martin lewis?

I would make your email shorter and explain the really significant point in the first paragraph - JL have your £500 and the gift card has been blocked, so nobody can ever spend it, and so JL are £500 up. They would not lose out at all by issuing a new card (except the staff time so a small admin fee would be appropriate).

"It's in the T&C" doesn't mean op should roll over and accept illogical, unreasonable treatment.

Now that gift cards are electronic, traceable, block able, the analogy with cash fails. It's more like you lose your debit card and the bank says "oh yes we've cancelled it, but we aren't going to give you another card, so we'll keep your money. It's in our T&C"

Noofly · 20/12/2017 20:31

Someone ought to tweet a link to this thread to both JL and Waitrose!

Original poster
Clazzer1 · 20/12/2017 20:59

Thanks for your support mumsnetters - if I tweet the link to this thread it will be seriously outing but I would appreciate others tweeting it - I haven't contacted John Lewis directly yet - only via Twitter as I wanted to give Waitrose the opportunity to do the right thing. Now they are refusing to, I will also send the email to John Lewis. I'm not going to let this go - I think it is shocking behavior and not in the consumers best interest. I will continue to battle this cause.

OP posts:
Notthemessiah · 20/12/2017 21:12

Good to see that the majority of people are able to see this for what it is - JLP profiting by £500 from someone's misfortune. Whether or not the OP can claim it back on insurance is academic (and possibly worse as we all then effectively pay to line JLP's pockets and end up paying higher premiums as a result).

I can only assume that those who are defending them or, worse, having a pop at the OP, are the same miserable fuckers who always delight in other people's misery wherever they can find it. Either that or they are so used to being told what they can or cannot do by companies, organisations or other people that they have lost all possibility of independent thought.

It's our social duty to not put up with crap laws or shitty terms and conditions - not to just sit there and suck it up like good little sheep.

Original poster
Clazzer1 · 20/12/2017 21:38

KCWW - i have just cancelled my Christmas delivery slot on Christmas Eveso I think I am pretty serious - fortunately for me I have a very good M&S very close by and I can internet shop from anywhere.

OP posts:
bendywindy · 20/12/2017 21:42

keep pushing, you will get it back with enough tenacity.

MaximaDeWit · 20/12/2017 21:43

I'm really shocked that they've been so "computer says no" about this.

I've been so, so disappointed with JL and Waitrose recently. Had problems with a very expensive electrical item I bought in JL and after lots of back and forth with the electrical company I went directly to JL and they basically told me they weren't going to do anything and I'd have to wait to hear from the other people. I had always been happy to pay more and buy from JL because I expected to be looked after if anything went wrong but this simply isn't the case.

In contrast, I've had a couple of issues recently with Amazon who couldn't do more to make things right, irrespective of what their T&Cs said.

It's been a while since I stepped foot in our local Waitrose/JL and I have a child free day of Christmas shopping tomorrow. I'll be avoiding them

BouncyTigger85 · 20/12/2017 21:47

@Clazzer1 I think KCWW was asking the person who said avoiding shopping at Waitrose or John Lewis was never going to happen if they were serious (2 posts above KCWW's) as it's clearly very possible to do.

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