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!

So those who are calling the OP a CF...are you saying if was your business and someone called about a similar voucher issue you'd simply keep the money and...bad luck?

Expired coupon = tough shit.
Sorry.

well quite, @Whichoneofyoudidthat. For the sake of £50, which they'd already recouped via whoever gave OP the wretched voucher, they've given themselves a rep as awkward tightwads & made sure that OP, her friend, & no doubt a few of their friends & family, will never go there again.

But to some people, making a redundant point about rules is more important than looking at the broader picture.

I could possibly email and ask for the manager to look it over but having already spoken to the receptionist (who told me I couldn't use it) I assumed it was the manager that she'd spoken to and that management had made the decision. I could be wrong though.

I'm usually a really organised person with things like this so I'm kicking myself now, and I also feel really guilty that I've wasted my friends money (best friend bought me the voucher).

Okay point taken @Clangus00

Do you remember the old days of book and record tokens that never expired. We found a £10 book token last year whilst clearing out my dad’s house, easily 10-20 years old. Took it to Waterstones and they let us use it no bother.

I’ve never heard of a voucher being valid less than a year, never mind 3 months. I don’t think they’re BU not to take it once expired but I think they’re CFs issuing 12 weeks vouchers knowing full well it’ll increase the number of people unable to actually cash them in.

Considering you tried to use and and were turned away, I would expect the hotel to bear that in mind and let you use it. Most good businesses would.
The voucher has been paid for, it doesn't make you a CF for trying to spend it!

I can understand why vouchers run out, they have to account for them within a financial year. Or they could just sell them to themselves and chalk up as sales. 6 months isn't terrible. Just chalk this up to experience

It’s pretty outrageous and I thought they had clamped right down on this. Gift vouchers used to be a right money spinner for this reason but now a lot of shop vouchers never expire. I would be naming and shaming on social media, especially given the earlier cock up. I can’t believe people are calling CF either. I have seen some right cheeky things on mn but this is not one of them.

I had the same with a voucher for Veeno, no expiry date on it but just says ‘expires within a year of purchase’. I emailed to check and they said it had expired. £50 wasted!

Name the place to warn others of their practices

I can understand why vouchers run out, they have to account for them within a financial year.

And since it's February, they could have done that.

I’d write an email to the hotel manager. Had you not been given the incorrect information, you would have used it in November.

They are so stupid as they will lose more as they were only going to gain by letting you redeem the voucher. They already have their £50 for nothing.

This voucher is less than 6 months if it went from September to 7th February.

Is this hotel part of a group? I'd write to Head Office and complain about the original wrong information and being turned away and ask them to extend the voucher. I might also mention about some up and coming celebration I'm looking for a suitable venue for. If it's not part of a group, I d try writing to the manager.

Sometimes being persistent pays off as the majority of people are fobbed off at the first stage.

The law in Ireland changed on 2nd December. Gift vouchers have to have a minimum of 5 years validity. 3 months is ludicrous.

Wasnt it a 6 month voucher or 3?

I’d try phoning again. I find being really polite and asking if they could make an exception for me usually works.

I don’t think anyone here is being cheeky or rude. Neither party is being unreasonable really. However, if I were the hotel I would honour the voucher.

It's not part of a chain, just an independent one but it's probably the nicest hotel in the area and it's very popular for wedding venues and things like that.

I've just tried ringing a few minutes ago but was put through to the switchboard and was told that the main reception is probably busy now dealing with check ins so they've asked me to ring back in about an hour. My mum has offered to ring up for me as she can be quite persuasive but I'd feel rather embarrassed getting her to sort it out, after all I'm an adult

I would email the manager of the hotel and copy in the headquarters too.

I would be polite and factual and not critical.
I would acknowledge the date has expired but also point out that you tired to use the voucher previously and were given wrong information on the phone about the need for a reservation (date when you called if at all possible and also the date when you turned up and had to leave)
Quite simply ask again, if given the fact it has only just expired and the hotels misinformation which prevented you using it last year year, they would consider allowing you to come for your meal in the next couple of weeks. Make very clear that you actually visited the hotel to use the voucher but were turned away.
Stress how much you have been looking forward to it and to telling the gift giver about your experience of her gift.

I would think that they will relent on this - the more specific you can be about the error of the hotel, the better I think. Approach it positively as if you expect them to be helpful and customer focused and I think you will get a positive response. Do not sound moany or critical or entitled - in the end, it will be up to them to decide and if you are rue or entitled, you are less likely to get a positive outcome.

If bizarrely you still have no joy, I would email again and this time express your disappointment very clearly. Disappointment that given the hotel's role in you not being able to attend when you'd hoped to, disappointment at their lack of being customer focused in what is a very customer-satisfaction based industry. I'd mention then how short-sighted their approach is, given you would have spent more money, your friend would have probably bought more gift vouchers and you would have been able to praise both their hotel and customer service.....but now, both you and the gift giver are left with a nasty taste in your mouths of a hotel which isn't interested in its customers or showing any flexibility, even when they have played a role in the voucher not being used, which you will of course voice to your friends and family and local contacts. I would be askimg again how they justify their position, given their role in the miscommunication about the need for bookings and the fact you actually visited the hotel in an attempt to use the voucher and were turned away.

Is it a gift voucher that someone paid £50 for or is it a special offer offering a discount?

It is a gift voucher @cabbageking bought from them on their website. I bought one for my auntie a few years ago also. You can either choose an amount to be spent on any of the facilities or sometimes they have vouchers for say "afternoon tea and cake" etc.

I'd write to them including the detail that you left out on the phone (that you would be spending a lot more on drinks and deserts as it wouldn’t cover the total) and asking them to reconsider.
Make it clear that you realise it's your fault but also point out that you were incorrectly advised by them in November 2019 and that you're hoping that seeing as both parties have made mistakes in relation to use of this voucher that they can look upon your request kindly and extend the validity until 7th March giving you an opportunity to enjoy their facilities.
Good luck!

I had the same with a Spa voucher for£40 accidentally missed the expiration date and they wouldn't honour it. I was gutted but ultimately it was my fault for not checking....