Shoppers lose £100m in expired vouchers

People have lost out on nearly £100m worth of shop vouchers which expired during the coronavirus lockdown, according to a leading consumer group.

Which? found 25% of people it surveyed had a shopping voucher - worth £45.70 on average – that expired during the period when many shops and businesses were forced to close but 49% of those said it was automatically extended by the retailer, while 15% said they had to request an extension.

Just over a third – 36% – did not receive an extension on their vouchers, automatically losing the money.

This, Which? says, equates to around £98m across the UK.

The consumer group said many retailers introduced new Covid-19 terms and conditions during lockdown and offered to extend vouchers and, while some proactively reached out to customers, others were not so helpful.

Which? is advising anyone who had a voucher that have expired during lockdown to contact the company to try and get an extension.

Adam French, Which? consumer rights expert, said: "Our research suggests consumers may have lost tens of millions of pounds on expired vouchers during lockdown.

"Many retailers have extended shopping vouchers that expired during lockdown, so if you have a voucher you were unable to use it is worth contacting the company.

"Anyone considering buying a voucher should be aware of the risks, as some well-known retailers have collapsed in recent months and further coronavirus restrictions could make it difficult to spend vouchers and gift cards."