GIFT VOUCHERS THAT NEVER GIVE
From wine-tasting to spa breaks, ‘experience days’ are a trendy Xmas present. But check the small print, or you may end up with . . .
IT ISN’T easy trying to find the perfect present for loved ones who seem to have everything, which is why more of us are opting for gift vouchers.
However, with complaints soaring about vouchers for experiences — such as spa days and wine-tasting events — it is vital that you check the fine print before you buy.
One of the most common gripes is that there is a very limited number of dates from which to choose when trying to redeem a voucher.
In some cases, customers can book to use their voucher only on one day a month, Money Mail research can reveal. Others are caught out by short expiry periods, with some vouchers valid for just three months. And some customers who have booked through websites such as Wowcher or Groupon, which offer services and experiences at heavily discounted prices, have even found that the company which is supposed to be offering the service has since closed down or the event has been cancelled.
When they then try to get a refund, they are told they can only have credit to spend on another voucher.
And because the industry is unregulated, there is no official body to complain to. Demand for ‘experience vouchers’ increased by almost a fifth between 2017 and 2018, according to trade body the UK Gift Card & Voucher Association.
But figures from online dispute service Resolver reveal that complaints have also rocketed 6,889 pc in just four years. In 2014-15, there were 99 complaints — last year, there were 6,919.
As Christmas approaches, experts warn shoppers to check the small print before buying this type of voucher. Martyn James, of Resolver, says: ‘ You must really be aware of the sneaky small print when buying experiences for loved ones.
‘ The explosion of complaints makes it explicitly clear there’s little protection for people who are gifted vouchers when things go wrong. From vouchers that turn out to have a ton of restrictions, to dodgy firms that vanish into the ether, so much can go wrong — it’s clear the industry needs to be regulated.
‘If you do want to buy a voucher deal, make sure you do so from established companies that have a clear complaints process on their website.
‘ It pays to check how you redeem the voucher, too, and the deadline for using it.’
Research by Money Mail shows how easy it is for customers to be caught out by restrictive terms and conditions.
Shoppers can purchase a Red Letter Days voucher for cheesemaking and wine-tasting for two in Surrey for £180. But the small print reveals that customers can attend only on one Thursday each month and the voucher is valid for just ten months.
Virgin Experience Days is selling a £50 voucher for a tour for two at a coffee roastery. It is valid for 12 months, but the tour runs only on the last Monday of each month, and it is recommended that you book at least four weeks in advance. Groupon offers a voucher for afternoon tea with prosecco at a London restaurant for £35. But the deal expires after four months, and customers can only book a Monday to Thursday slot.
Meanwhile, Wowcher is selling vouchers for spa packages for two for £ 99. However, they are valid only until February 29 and three ‘premium locations’ are available only from Monday to Thursday.
Groupon, Virgin Experience Days, Wowcher and Red Letter Days all said terms and expiry dates are made clear at the point of sale. A UK Gift Card & Voucher Association spokesman says: ‘We would always recommend that customers looking to purchase vouchers buy them from a reputable provider and thoroughly read the terms and conditions.’
MANY investors will be cheered no end by last week’s overwhelming Conservative victory.
The ‘ Boris bounce’ has already boosted a £ 100,000 nest- egg invested in the FTSE 100 by a whopping £5,400, according to experts at AJ Bell.
But, while great news for those with pensions invested in the stock market, it won’t help the millions who depend on ordinary cash savings accounts.
As we reveal on Page 51, cash savers have been utterly abandoned by Britain’s biggest banks, forced to watch as their hard- earned money wastes away.
Over the past 12 months, they have been rewarded with as little as 20p for every £100 they put into a cash Isa, our figures show. That’s just £40 in interest on the full £20,000 Isa allowance.
Meanwhile, as the Mail exposed yesterday, nearly a third of all savings accounts no longer even beat the Bank of England base rate.
And the misery looks set to continue, with banks and building societies still pulling their best deals. Just today, market-leader Marcus, by Goldman Sachs, cut its top-paying rate from 1.45 pc to 1.35 pc for new savers.
Banks have a million-and- one excuses for why savings rates are so low — they don’t need the cash, they are anticipating another baserate cut, they are responding to ‘market conditions’ — but it’s simply not good enough.
At the very least, banks could stop knowingly ripping off loyal customers by allowing their cash to languish in accounts paying as little as 0.1 pc.
No doubt Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s in-tray is already overflowing. But savers have suffered for too long — helping them must be firmly on his agenda.
Boosting funding for governmentbacked National Savings & Investments (NS&I) would be a good start. If NS&I had the money to offer better deals, it would help drive competition and force others to follow suit.
A strong word in the City watchdog’s ear might also help speed up delivery of its promise that all banks will be forced to offer a minimum savings rate.
We launched our Stop ShortChanging Savers campaign to fight for a fairer deal for savers — and we won’t rest until you get one.
Tricky terms
MY PARTNER, Chris, can be impossible to buy for. Unless it’s Arsenal memorabilia, he doesn’t really like ‘stuff’ or ‘clutter’ — and there are only so many books and socks you can give someone.
So when his poor mother came to me seeking ideas for his birthday in September, I suggested a cooking course — entirely selflessly, of course.
To Chris’s (and my) delight, a pasta-making class for two (with Prosecco) duly arrived.
With a busy diary ahead of Christmas, we decided to hold off booking a date until later next year. But, last week, I decided I’d better just check the expiry date — and it’s a good job I did, as the voucher is only valid for nine months.
It can be easy to think you have all the time in the world to use these sorts of ‘experience’ gifts.
After all, if someone has generously paid good money, why should the voucher run out after an arbitrary amount of time?
Yet, as we reveal on Page 50, many of these types of deals come with onerous terms and conditions.
So if you are lucky enough to receive a voucher this Christmas, check the fine print and lock into your chosen date as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.
Merry Christmas!
IF YOU are at a loose end at any point over the festive break, remember Money Mail’s annual customer service competition.
We want to hear your tales of how your bank, insurer, energy provider or favourite High Street shop really went above and beyond. There will be a bottle of Champagne for the best letter. Write to moneymail@
dailymail.co.uk or Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London, W8 5TT.
Finally, as there will be no Money Mail next week, let me thank you for all your support this year. Your letters drive our campaigning and are the lifeblood of all we do.
So, on behalf of the whole team, we wish you a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year.