Hotel being awkward or am AIBU?

[peterrrabbittt]

I was gifted a voucher worth £50 for a hotel back in September last year. It was for a lovely 5 star hotel not far from where I live and it can be used in any part of the hotel e.g the spa, restaurant or towards booking a room. It was valid from September 2019 to February 2020 (although I thought it was March, not sure why I must of just glanced at it and read it wrong. I appreciate it’s completely my fault).

Anyway, I planned on using it last year in November and decided to take a friend. We decided to use it in the restaurant and have a lovely meal as both of us aren’t really fussed on spa treatments. After being told over the phone that we didn’t need to book a table beforehand, we just turned up, however we were given the wrong information. We were told that we would need to either book over the phone or online. Fine, I said I would ring up in a couple of weeks when I received my rota from work and knew when I’d be off.

Unfortunately I became very ill before Christmas with a stomach bug which lasted a couple of weeks so didn’t get a chance to go before then and then I was working a lot of overtime in January as they were very short staffed in work (I know this isn’t the hotels problem). I have no idea what made me do it, but I looked at the voucher yesterday morning and realised it had expired on Friday, literally 2 days ago. I decided to phone up the hotel and explained the situation and asked if they would make an exception given the circumstances. The voucher itself is worth £50 but as it’s quite a nice place we would definitely be spending a lot more on drinks and deserts as it wouldn’t cover the total (I didn’t say this on the phone though). I said I would be happy to come within the next week if they had any bookings available as I didn’t expect them to wait for months for us to use it. The receptionist took all the details and said she would give me a call back as soon as possible. I didn’t hear anything back last night but they’ve finally called me back this afternoon and said they can’t do it unfortunately, didn’t give a reason why.

I just feel like they’ve been purposely awkward. I appreciate it was my fault for reading the small print wrong but given that I’d already tried to use it last year but couldn’t due to their mix up, I thought that they might have made an exception just this once. It just feels like such a waste to me.

AIBU? If so please feel free to tell me that I’m being a spoiled entitled brat!

While it is very disappointing for you, they have an expiry date and they were expired. Hotels usually have blanket rules for things like this and will only bend the rules in very specific circumstances.
I don't think TABU at all I'm afraid. What is annoying is that they gave you the wrong information back in November, but then, from their POV, you had two whole months to use the vouchers. Like you said, it's not their fault you were poorly or had to work overtime.

In fairness you could have used it last year - it wasn't their mix up that prevented you from going before now. YABU to expect them to bend the rules just for you "just this once" because they probably get lots of people asking for exceptions expecting it to be different just for them.

If I managed a hotel I'd be pretty lenient for stuff like this. I'd probably also be bankrupt, though, because I'm soft.

That’s a shame. I don’t think they are being unreasonable really, but a bit tight and shortsighted as I guess you, your family and friend won’t book there or get vouchers for there again.

We'd accept it where I work. We're of the view of we've already received the money used to pay for the voucher. Ours also have a much longer expiry

YANBU. Two months is quite a short time. I bet they make a fortune out of short-dated gift vouchers the recipient then can’t use. They don’t have to turn on a foot spa or make a single sandwich.

It’s expired. You’re a CF for trying to get them to take it tbh

Thanks @Biancadelrioisback, I agree it was completely my fault for reading the voucher wrong. I think I'm just feeling a little disappointed as I know it would have been a lovely treat for us.

@FudgeBrownie2019 absolutely I could have used it last year but having been ill and working a lot I just didn't get the chance. I do think it was "their" mix up giving me the wrong information in regards to booking a table though. But I appreciate I'm BU. I just thought since it had only
expired on Friday, one week wouldn't make a difference.

Never mind, lesson learned!

Name and shame them on social media. Think they were being unreasonable as they gave you wrong information initially. Won’t help you but might stop other people wasting their money.

One week won't make a difference to them at all tbh, but they won't have one rule for you and another for everyone else unless you had a good sob story.

The hotel have picked the money and given nothing in return. When you tried to use the voucher you were turned away, even though you asked

I’d try trading standards

I agree @Saucery I did think 6 months was quite short as when I've been gifted vouchers in the past for the same sort of thing, they've lasted a year. Maybe it's for a specific reason though.

It is a short expiry date. I wonder if it was a prize or special offer someone decided to pass on as a gift. It's a shame it expired but it can't be helped, I guess.

You arnt a CF at all, this happens all the time, and you don’t no if you don’t ask! Anywhere I’ve worked would have extended it for a short period if it had only just expired, so I think it’s poor of them to not honour it, but there’s nothing you can do unfortunately, except maybe try again and ask to speak directly to the manager:

The customer service of some businesses baffles me. You won't go there now, you'll likely never go there. You won't recommend it to anyone, so it's the business that loses out eventually. Incredibly stupid of them.

I'm surprised they didn't accept your very recently expired voucher as a 'gesture of goodwill'. I'm guessing you probably won't go there and will tell all your friends and family about it so they may ultimately lose out on business.

It's stupidly shortsighted in these times when many hotels are struggling, particularly high end ones.

YANBU.

In some countries you can't have expiry dates on vouchers.

I think they've been short-sighted especially as they gave you the wrong information. Might be worth pushing back again and making that point, and saying because of that the six months should have started running again. They might come back with an offer of an extra month or something.

Seriously it's only £50. How much admin time is it costing arguing about it, I wonder?

I've had something similar with my local leisure centre. Haven't got anywhere, sadly, but if you don't ask you definitely don't get.

I think they've just changed it in Ireland that vouchers can expire.

Which makes sense, as a pp said: they've taken the money and given nothing in return.

It doesn’t really matter why you did not use the gift certificate earlier. If you no show within the dates, you lose unless you have purchase insurance.

So I honestly think it’s cheeky of you to try and get a hotel to honour an expired gift certificate.

I hate vouchers that run out. It's shitty. They took the money and gave no service. A coupon, fine. A voucher, they should honour it.

They’re BU, most definitely. Yes it’s past expiry but you’ve called them and explained the situation, plus have tried to visit before and couldn’t due to their own mistake. Not sure how anyone could think you’re a CF for wanting to use something that’s already been paid for. As PP said, they’re going to be missing out on this eventually.

I’d send a formal complaint email and see where that gets you.

I received a voucher for my 21st birthday, was valid for a year but I lost it until I was 32, rang up and I paid the difference (price had gone up) & they let me use the voucher!

In fairness you could have used it last year - it wasn't their mix up that prevented you from going before now.*

Of course it was the hotel's mix up!
OP did try to use it last year - but After being told over the phone that we didn’t need to book a table beforehand, we just turned up, however we were given the wrong information. We were told that we would need to either book over the phone or online.

Bickering about the niceties of a few days grace has lost this hotel the extra cash OP & her friend would have spent, & any goodwill or return visits. Very shortsighted of them. Especially as the voucher was presumably either paid for by another pungter, or covered by the budget allocated by the hotel to the marketing of their 'freebie' loss-leader.

Gift vouchers are such a con really as companies must make a fortune from unspent ones. Rules are rules though

I'd expect a gesture of good will, bearing in mind the wrong information you were given concerning the initial booking of your meal.

I'd push again, drawing more attention to that point and the fact only recently expired.

Not good PR for them at all.

Request a review by the general manager and an email response.

Good luck.

So I honestly think it’s cheeky of you to try and get a hotel to honour an expired gift certificate.

But not "cheeky" of the hotel to tell OP over the phone that we didn’t need to book a table beforehand, we just turned up, however we were given the wrong information. We were told that we would need to either book over the phone or online. ?