AIBU...all4one vouchers

[Tubs11]

I have 4 cards amounting to £110, so far one4all have taken £25 approx in a 90p month fee for inactive use. I tried to use online yesterday and it didn't work and today when I tried to use in-store the retailer said the cards hadn't been authorised, despite them taking a 90p fee monthly. AIBU to think this is some sort of scam and the Post Office should stop using them? Anyone else successfully use these cards and actually see the benefit in giving them as gifts?

My in laws buy these for us and I hate them. So many stores struggle to use them. You have to have right amounts on. Trying to use them online are a nightmare.

I appreciate why the measures are in place -fantastic- but as an ex till-monkey they are a flipping nightmare 9/10 times they appear at a till. They're either unactivated, depleted by charge or just won't cooperate with till software and hardware.

I used to work at H&M. They did not help the post Christmas queues. They were a fucking nuisance and caused a ridiculous amount of tantrums. I'd never buy one, I'd hate to receive one as a present and I think they're a shit waste of money. And time. And plastic.

I'm in Ireland, appreciate the charge for inactive use a bit of a pain but I use them reasonably quickly so no issue.

Have never had to activate them though - and I've got them through a variety of sources including my employer.

I love them, as I do with any gift / 'free money'

I had a real rant at them via email last year having lost my whole gift amount through monthly fees even thought the expiry date hadn't been reached. Apparently the monthly fee that kicks in after 18 months is for 'admin'. If you take it into a store they can't tell you how much is on it until you make a purchase. Complete piss-take, avoid at all costs unless you are going to spend the entire amount in one hit within a few weeks of receiving it.

Never had a problem and the DCs have had a few. It is a pain when they have numerous small denomination ones and we spend ages checking balances before we can queue up and spend (invariably we forget to write how much we have left). They get spend fairly quickly here though.