AIBU to ask a restaurant to honour an expired gift voucher?

[Mum2BeRants]

So gutted and just need space to rant! I’m going to email the restaurant but unsure whether to go for begging or complaining!

Bought my partner a £50 voucher for his favourite restaurant as a birthday gift. This wasn’t cheap for me as I was 8 months pregnant and on maternity allowance and we had a lot of unexpected joint costs this year. But I wanted to buy it as he sadly had to miss a special event on his birthday when we thought I’d gone into labour on the way there!

Anyways gave birth a few weeks later, obviously not in a place to immediately use the voucher. Baby’s now 8 months so started looking at booking and it’s EXPIRED!! I can’t believe it. 6 month expiry date. I completely took it for granted that 12 months would be the absolutely soonest expiry, more likely 2 years+. Wasn’t a priority to double check in the midst of new born baby chaos and recovery.

What a punch in the face.

Didn’t say 6 month expiry in the email receipt. And just in tiny small print on the website.

I don’t think we’ve got a leg to stand on but also don’t think I have anything to lose sending an email pleading with them for mercy! Anyone else had similar and had any luck?

I think a new baby is a pretty reasonable excuse. I'd write hoping not expecting, maybe even offering not to use it Fri/Sat.

Just contact them then you’ll know either way

Don't complain and don't write about it as you have here, because it's not especially sympathy inducing. Ask nicely.

I think some people on here are assuming it’s some tiny little family business struggling to survive the rise in food costs and I’m going to try and stomp my feet and send them horrible emails and resort to giving them bad reviews online to try and destroy their business.

It’s a big restaurant chain.

The only “complaint” or probably more accurate to say feedback I would be giving is that it would help customers if they made the 6 month expiry point more prominent as I’m sure we won’t be the first to miss it.

I personally don’t think that’s monstrous or embarrassing.

Also yes, this isn’t Ireland, EU, Australia or the US. But the fact that all of these places have recently introduced laws relating to this to benefit consumers does make me expect it won’t be long until the UK follows suit and I would personally support that.

just send them an email, don't waste your time on here posting about it

I’ve had the exact same situation, just mention you were in the midst of a new baby and didn’t realise it was 6 month expiry, explain you’re flexible and understand the inconvenience but would enormously appreciate it as a kind gesture and see what they say. It’s so easily done especially with a new baby. I’ve had about two be understanding and one be a dick so shoot your shot!

To add - the restaurant has been paid regardless, so what difference does it make (with this time frame for context) when the booking is made? They’d be jobsworths to say no 2 months out of date

Except after 18 months they start charging an admin fee on the One4All vouchers which depletes the balance to zero eventually.

There ARE laws in the UK about expiry dates. They don't have to be 12 months+ like other countries, but the law states that the date of expiry needs to be made clear at the point of purchase.

If you bought it online, they CANNOT hide the 6 month expiry in small print. It needs to be clear. Under the 2015 Consumer Rights Act the expiry needs to be transparent and prominent.

I would email the restaurant politely.

Dear XXXX,
On <date> I purchased a £50 voucher for your restaurant. I was heavily pregnant at the time so the plan was to use this once the baby was old enough to be left with a babysitter. 8 months later I tried to use the voucher to book, and it tells me it expired. At the point of purchase, it was not clear that this only had a 6 month expiry date, as if I'd know this I wouldn't have purchased. I would appreciate it if you would extend the date on my voucher so we can use it.
Best wishes,
Mum2BeRants

If they say no, email back quoting the CRA 2015 and be polite but firmer.

Have you emailed them yet @Mum2BeRants? The longer you leave it the more out of date the voucher becomes.

I agree with others - email straight away - be polite and positive, and write as if you expect generosity and goodwill from them.

If you feel like it, include something about how much your partner loves that particular restaurant/ how much you've enjoyed going there in the past, and make it sound as though you have plenty of goodwill towards them yourselves... also leaving them with the impression that if they don't act nice they'll be losing two regular customers

I visited a restaurant that had a sign up saying that gift vouchers issued before a certain date weren't valid and wouldn't be honoured. Reason: The restaurant had changed owners. The previous owners had the money paid for the vouchers, so that doesn't seem unfair. For the new owners, it would be giving away a free meal they got nothing towards. So that can happen.

I always use vouchers immediately to avoid potential issues.

So, rather than rant, have you actually asked them if they can help by extending the date?
Or do you just want us to agree how outrageous it all is?
I had sympathy to start with, and posted about my happy outcome in a similar situation, but this us getting daft now OP, just talk to them and see if they can help😏

I emailed a few days ago but still no response.

It’s a big company that seems to own multiple restaurant chains (which the voucher would have been eligible for all of them) which makes it trickier to know who to contact.

If there’s no response tomorrow I’ll try and speak with an individual restaurant to see what they say.