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AIBU?

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Original poster

to be furious with WH Smiths

58 replies

ChilliHobnobs · 20/10/2018 11:37

DD bought a gift card in there recently and tried to redeem it online; the code is illegible so we took it back today and the unhelpful woman in there just said 'oh, we're only the third party, you need to do some detective work online and find out how to get it sorted out' and refused point blank to help' after checking with the manager.

I'm beyond furious, DD has apparently lost £25 and all WHS could suggest was online detective work and phoning the company using the address on the back - yes, we're going to phone the States and ask for help of course.

OP posts:
SchadenfreudeUndeadified · 20/10/2018 12:39

She is wrong, your contract is with them as the retailer. I’d contact WHS customer services/complaints/Head Office

What Hoosey says - WHS sold the item, they are responsible. It is up to them to refund your DD, and then they take it up with the supplier themselves to get their money back.

araiwa · 20/10/2018 12:40

If it was an itunes card would smiths have any way of knowing that you had used the card then damaged and are now asking for a refund or replacement? Sounds a profitable scam to me

Iaimtomisbehave1 · 20/10/2018 12:44

They have no way to check if the value on that card has been spent. They have no way to validate your claims.

When you buy a branded gift card from a different retailer, you are bound by the terms and conditions displayed on that branded gift card. Not by the terms and conditions of the shop you purchased it from.

They should have offered to phone customer derbies for you, but ultimately, you need to follow the clearly displayed terms and conditions on the card.

Iaimtomisbehave1 · 20/10/2018 12:45

@SchadenfreudeUndeadified

So I could spend the gift card, then go to smiths and say "it didn't work" and get a new one. Then go spend it again.

How would they be able to test and see if the balance had been spent?

When you buy a gift card through a third party like that, the terms and conditions are disaplyed on the card or packaging. Those are the terms and conditions which you are purchasing with. And they will tell you who to contact if there is an issue.

InspectorIkmen · 20/10/2018 12:52

Thanks WhenTheRabbits - I did in fact go straight to Rymans and spent my money there including on stuff other than the palette. Ok - a minor loss to W H Smith but these things add up and then they whine that they're in trouble. Idiots.

Original poster
ChilliHobnobs · 20/10/2018 12:53

I have seen the store guidance now from head office which explicitly states that they are not to give refunds or exchanges, I have been back and spoken to the store manager who is going to try and sort it out for me but she can't do anything without doing what head office have said she's not allowed to do - she's in between a rock and a hard place.

OP posts:
Original poster
ChilliHobnobs · 20/10/2018 12:53

Oh and they can see it's not been spent because the strip is faulty.

OP posts:
SausageOnAFork · 20/10/2018 12:54

What Hoosey says - WHS sold the item, they are responsible. It is up to them to refund your DD, and then they take it up with the supplier themselves to get their money back.

But unlike a faulty physical product they have no way of checking the value. They can’t look at the card and see that it hasn’t been spent. If they handed over another gift card then found out it had been used already then they would be out of pocket. They only have the customers word for if that it didn’t work.
Gift cards are unlike other products, you need to call the customer service number on the card.

Iaimtomisbehave1 · 20/10/2018 12:54

Who is the company? Maybe we can help find you a UK customer service number.

PotteryLady · 20/10/2018 12:57

Who's the company? Have they a branch you could go into?

Original poster
ChilliHobnobs · 20/10/2018 13:01

It's an xbox card done by somebody called Coin something or other, the manager is going to phone them for me when they are open on Monday.

OP posts:
SemperIdem · 20/10/2018 13:02

Iaim is correct but as she says, you could reasonably expect better customer service than what you received in the first instance.

Original poster
ChilliHobnobs · 20/10/2018 13:02

@Iamtomisbehave1 When you buy a gift card through a third party like that, the terms and conditions are disaplyed on the card or packaging. Those are the terms and conditions which you are purchasing with. And they will tell you who to contact if there is an issue.

There is no such information on the card, just a postal address for Microsoft in Seattle.

OP posts:
carbuncleonapigsposterior · 20/10/2018 13:02

Commiserations OP, I hate WH Smith with a passion, they seem to specialise in unhelpful staff who couldn't give a damn, that and their queues to the counter that snake round "pile it high" displays of chocolate. If you use one of their self service tills, that's if you can find one that isn't out of order, should there be a problem, there's never any staff around to sort it out.

zukiecat · 20/10/2018 13:05

I'm sorry you had trouble with the gift card, hope you get it sorted.

However, I love WH Smith, it's probably my favourite shop, I go in for a look round even if I have no money to buy anything.

I'd be devastated if they go under

Iaimtomisbehave1 · 20/10/2018 13:07

Did your daughter throw away the card packaging? All those gift cards are sold on a card backing with the branding all on it. Unless they've completely changed designs.

SausageOnAFork · 20/10/2018 13:08

Microsoft store customer service 0800 026 0329
Call them and see what they suggest.

WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 20/10/2018 13:08

Thanks WhenTheRabbits - I did in fact go straight to Rymans and spent my money there including on stuff other than the palette. Ok - a minor loss to W H Smith but these things add up and then they whine that they're in trouble. Idiots.

Smile

Re WHS it is a shame what happened as years ago (talking early 80s here) it was a decent shop , the Go To shop . Worked in a branch as a Saturday girl many years ago now in various departments . My Nan was a full timer and back then they got staff discount (not sure if they still do) and for retired staff members they had a holiday home in Bognor Regis which my Nan went to a few Summers . That has gone as I still talk to the lady who was a young woman when I started there.

lilyboleyn · 20/10/2018 13:29

I second contacting the CEO. I have had cause to do this on two occasions (Hobbs and Monsoon). Had to use detective work to get their emails (and some guessing) but Hobbs CEO was amazing, issue sorted in ten minutes. Monsoon CEO also got the issue fixed, albeit with fewer bells and whistles.

GabsAlot · 20/10/2018 13:38

phone microsoft uk they should sort it

Ktay · 20/10/2018 13:47

If any of you are on Twitter you should follow @WHS_Carpet ...

Funkyslippers · 20/10/2018 13:51

I sympathise. I bought a Vue gift card from a Tesco store as they were on offer and when I tried to use it at the cinema it wouldn't work and the cinema staff said it hadn't been validated by Tesco so I had to pay on my cc. I rang Tesco and they said there is no way it could be their fault as I couldn't have bought it without it being validated. I was passed between Tesco and Vue several times before Vue validated it for me and I still don't know whose fault it was, only that I was out of pocket because of it and no-one taking responsibility

hackmum · 20/10/2018 14:04

"No. I don't even know what that is. What do you mean? Anyway, no"

That made me laugh. Not knowing what a paint palette is. What is the world coming to?

Cagliostro · 20/10/2018 14:07

I bought a gift card in there once and they forgot to activate it. So that was why it didn’t work and it was most definitely their problem!

Must say the service in ours is ok mostly but I don’t tend to buy much in there

SchadenfreudeUndeadified · 20/10/2018 14:20

I'd be devastated if they go under

Brace yourself Zukiecat