To be pissed off at Wowcher

[Ilovethebeach89]

I bought a wowcher for a restaurant in March before all of this horror costing £30. Was planning to go on Sat 21st March with a friend. Obviously we had to cancel. I'm self employed and since then I've lost all of my income and really struggling. I've contacted wowcher twice and they've extended the voucher until the end of Aug. I explained this is no good to me and I need the money now but they're not interested. Am I expecting too much or are they being unfair?

Personally, I think it’s fair that they’ve extended the voucher. While it’s not your fault that the voucher can’t be spent when you planned, it’s not theirs either. You bought the voucher and you still have the voucher, you haven’t lost anything through them.

I think that is more than fair enough of them.

I cancelled a prepaid for hotel this week and they have agreed to transfer the booking for when needed (an IOU at the moment as we don’t know the date). Of course I would have preferred the money back but transferring the booking means they protect business which is important for them

I think you have a very reasonable argument that your contract with them has been frustrated, hence the money should be returned.

You would be better off posting in legal for more specifics, but ultimately all you can really do is either send another letter quoting the exact law; you aren't going to take them to court for £30.

Well, they have extended it at least instead of saying that you could have used it before the lockdown. And you will have that meal in August hopefully. It's a bit unusual I'd say for them to refund as money has probably already gone to the restaurant anyways. What are the terms and conditions, have you checked?

YABU. I think it’s fair enough of them to extend it for you; while this isn’t your fault, it’s not theirs either.

I'm the same with Groupon - have a hotel booking and it clearly states that if cancelled more than 3 days before check in then full refund - it is £150 that I cannot afford to leave hanging on Groupon for potential future purchases as don't often buy stuff on there anyway.

Why on earth do you think you should get the money back from that voucher? Talk about entitled!! Be grateful they extended it in the first place.

I think in normal circumstances it would be entitled of me but not now when it's out of my control. I bought the voucher mid way through March specifically for that pre planned night. I hoped that they might have some sympathy for people who are struggling financially but clearly not!
What if the restaurant goes under?

It’s out of their control too though! And the more people who ask for the money back then let’s not forget the more likely they are to go under

You say you need the money but if you'd gone for the meal you wouldn't have the money anyway. They've extended it which is better than nothing.

Let me get this right?

If I had a voucher for a local restaurant, I should have the audacity to go in and ask them to take the voucher back and refund me the money?

That's ridiculous. And so is you wanting a refund on your voucher - woucher or not!

They're protecting future bookings like a good business should.

Perhaps you shouldn't purchase anything like that again as you don't seem to know how it works.

Think of it this way: the money has already been spent, when you go to the restaurant is still in debate. Had you gone in March as planned you wouldn’t have the money now anyway so you obviously calculated you could afford the voucher.

Or if you had gone in March, would you still be struggling financially now? And if so, why buy the voucher in the first place?

So I guess the moral of the story is don’t spend money you can’t afford to lose.

YABU if you bought the voucher in mid-March for use a week later - by then it was already apparent a lot of businesses would likely be affected and you presumably thought it was affordable anyhow.

@donquixotedelamancha are you legally trained?

They do not owe you a refund. They’ve extended the time for you to use your voucher. That’s good enough.

Had you used the voucher, say a fortnight earlier, you’d have no way to get a refund on food already eaten, why are you expecting a refund now?

Refunds are not an obligation when there is nothing wrong with the goods offered.

Get over you sense of entitlement! People are dying, weddings cancelled, jobs lost, domestic violence has led to at least 9 deaths since lockdown and you’re bitching about a sodding meal you bought and then changed your mind about!

I've had the opposite with Groupon regarding a purchased voucher.
I asked for the dates to be moved but they refunded my money straight away.

It's been the same for everyone. It isn't just dining options, but holidays, shopping deals etc. There would be too much money lost otherwise. I've had Primark vouchers extended from Groupon.

I'd rather what they are doing than Wowcher come to an end, or lots of businesses, because of this.

Just to clarify, I lost my job (temporarily hopefully) so did my partner. Hence why I now can't afford to lose the money. I didn't change my mind I was forced into it!
But I get they are probably struggling too. And yes I'm well aware that people are dying.
Thanks for the answers though, guess IABU! Not meaning to, I'm just broke!

The clarification is irrelevant, OP. Whether you lost your job or not, that money has been spent.

So look at it in a positive sense. You are no worse off now than you would have been if you had been for the meal but this way you get to know that at the end of this you will be able to go out for a meal without worrying about paying

You need to look at it from a perspective that you didn't lose money, you have already spent it. It's gone. But you will get a service out if it in some time.

Hi, according to the terms and conditions there’s a 14 no quibble refund policy. Has it been longer? Sorry things are hard for you it’s a tough time now.

you’re not ‘losing’ any money, you’ve already spent it