Expired Gift Vouchers - is it right?

geoffs87 on 12/11/2015 - 08:30

Preface: Not a sob story!

Bought a groupon voucher for a restaurant a month or so back, went to print off so i can use it this weekend, it expired yesterday (oops!).

Now i'm going to call them and see if they'll still redeem, but wanted to hear other's thoughts on the matter.

So you buy a gift voucher, pay money to the distributor. Distributor pays the advertiser the majority of the cash received. If the purchaser does not redeem the voucher before it expires, the restaurant gets money for doing nothing!

Anyone had any experience, or comment on this being an acceptable practice?

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Comments

  • isthisreally_me on 12/11/2015 - 08:36
    +7

    Same like anything you need to stick to the terms and conditions under which you purchased it.
    Cant purchase a plane ticket for a specific day not show up and expect to fly the next day instead.

  • DarkOz on 12/11/2015 - 08:39
    +3

    There is always a catch to discounted vouchers. Expiry date and limited times of use is the most common and important. If you want to play the game, you have to follow the rules.

    • PJC on 12/11/2015 - 13:26

      Not with EB Games, unless that has changed recently.

  • ozhunter on 12/11/2015 - 08:54
    +2

    Yes, it's right.

    If you don't want to use it within the time frame, just don't buy it and pay cash.

    Maybe the restaurant ordered extra stock and rostered extra employees to cover the period when the discount vouchers would be used.

  • [Deactivated] on 12/11/2015 - 09:22
    +2

    Moral? Some would say yes, others no.

    Legal? Definitely.

  • Sunny84 on 12/11/2015 - 09:24

    I bought a groupon voucher for a Vietnamese restaurant in Newtown, everytime I called to book a table they advised they were busy and proposed inconvenient dates… eventually the vouchers validity period ran out.

    I contacted Groupon support and asked for an extension and was pretty much told me too bad so sad.

    • geoffs87 on 12/11/2015 - 09:25

      :(

      • Sunny84 on 12/11/2015 - 10:30
        +1

        I know lesson learned.

        You know what I do now? I make bookings first then purchase the Groupon

        • xyron on 12/11/2015 - 12:37

          alternatively don't mention the groupon when making the booking. its sharp practice on the part of the restaurants and offerors of the groupon products, so I don't have a problem being a little sharp back :)

  • chill on 12/11/2015 - 10:20

    The only thing groupon was good for was the 7.5% woolworths egift cards

    but after they made a small clerical error and 50% of OzB did homeshop with other peoples cards and the other 50% wrote to every single government authority about the leaking of their gmail address…well no more 7.5%

    but wanted to hear other's thoughts on the matter.

    Well my thoughts are that they would build in a certain % of people non redeeming them by the due date to offset the discount.

  • inherentchoice on 12/11/2015 - 10:24

    Ah I've had over $100 worth of vouchers expire on me from the likes of Groupon/Scoopon etc. Would love to know if there's any chance I can still redeem them or get my money back.

    Unfortunately it seems the business is not obliged to honour expired vouchers:

    Using a gift voucher or gift card after the expiry date
    Your business is not obliged to honour a gift card or voucher after the expiry date, unless otherwise negotiated.

    Source: https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/businesses/fair-trading/vouc…

  • Zonty on 12/11/2015 - 10:34
    +1

    We have restaurant and we do deal like that, but normally u can do nothing abt it. I know sound unfair for u but also they gave u time to use vouchers if u missed your loss, that is teason it is cheap deal. But yea we let people allow after expire voucher. We only allowed if they talk nice and showing genuine reason and say not mind if u can not do. But when they go says I could not make because of this I will not come back blah blah etc we never allow those customers as they call bad customers for business. So try call be polite if u lucky they let u use like we always do. Good luck though.

  • amkssg on 12/11/2015 - 13:34

    Only speaking about Groupon here, not other deal sites. (This is based on my understanding, and the info that I know)

    The reason why shops will not allow you to redeem expired groupons is because they don't get paid.

    Scenario 1: You used your Groupon
    1) You bought your groupon.
    2) Groupon keeps the full amount and pays the shop absolutely nothing.
    3) When you use the groupon, the shop scans the barcode on it, and groupon aknowledges that it is used.
    4) Groupon then pays the shop a percentage.

    Scenario 2: You DID NOT use your Groupon
    1) You bought your groupon.
    2) Groupon keeps the full amount and pays the shop absolutely nothing.
    3) Groupon expires. Groupon keeps 100% of the money paid, the shop gets nothing.

    So, technically speaking, if your groupon expires, it is Groupon that is robbing you, not the shop.

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