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Why do gift vouchers exist?
Having recently had to throw a john lewis voucher away because the number was scratched off with the shiny cover, my wife has just spent a fruitless 45 minutes trying to use 2 x monsoon vouchers for the children only to find the website only accepts 1 voucher per order....meaning we had to spend a load of money to cover the unused voucher or we would have lost the first one we entered
Now dont get me wrong. This is NOTHING compared to peoples real problems right now but it got me thinking why do these awful lazy presents exist? I would assume that a gift voucher would only get bought if it say gave you 10% more per pound spent...yet inexplicably 50 quid of tied in ,first to be lost in a bankrupt business gives you...50 quid of rubbish. Why do they exist?
Free money for businesses, why people don't just Paypal Gift some money for the recipient to spend on something they really want is a mystery. I still have a cinema voucher bought for me over two years ago, I ordinarily go to the cinema maybe once every 2-3 years, the person who bought this for me knows this as they live me me ffs! 😆
just be glad you weren't give a one4all card, got £20 quid one from my mum, "Please make sure that the total cost of your basket is equal to or lower than the value on your One4all Gift Card, as most online stores will not accept multiple payment methods"
So, take off postage of £3-5, doesn't leave me much.
Is it free money? I believe businesses still have to account for them in their annual accounts, so if they sell £250000 in vouchers they have to set this amount aside in their annual accounts for x years.......that said I do think they are shit as most companies hope a certain %are lost or never used which then frees up some money for nothing.
A few years ago i was given a voucher for a printing service for xmas.
Checked it when i got home ‘valid until 26th December’.
Lazy present.
I still have a cinema voucher bought for me over two years ago, I ordinarily go to the cinema maybe once every 2-3 years
We go to the cinema loads, so the ones we got were pretty useful. Or, they would be, if we didn’t have unlimited passes...
I got a not unsubstantial amount as a long service award at work.
Looking at the provider work got a good discount on the vouchers due to the bulk buying of them. + Tax reasons
Looking at the vendors I can use the vouchers with. I'm going to replace the TV in the living room with a smart TV so I can take the living room TV to my zwift set up in the garage.
So yes largely pointless. I'm doing this as the vouchers expire , they have limited places I can shop with then , I can't use them online , and im paranoid esp in current climate the voucher company goes bust.
There are more pointless presents. Things you need to throw away soon after or take to the charity shop. At least with a voucher you can choose something you want. Also there is something about being forced to buy from a particular shop that makes it more of a present. If you get cash then it'll just get spent on daily stuff whereas a voucher forces you to buy something you like but wouldn't buy yourself with your own money, sort of how a present should be. Some of the restrictions do take the pee, though.
Quite happy to get vouchers as a gift, as it's just that, a gift, and I'm thankful for that. Moaning bastards.
I think gift vouchers are good presents and I am always grateful to receive them. It means you can buy something you might not usually so it's a nice wee bonus. Just getting cash from someone isn't as nice as it will inevitably just go on your supermarket shop.
I still have a cinema voucher bought for me over two years ago, I ordinarily go to the cinema maybe once every 2-3 years, the person who bought this for me knows this as they live me me ffs!
How about you treat yourself and go to the cinema?
I don't like them, however, it's supposed to mean that the giver has at least thought about the sort of things you're into and might like to spend it on.
However, if your uncle gives you a voucher for Meat -R- Us, and you've been a vegan for 10 years, then that probably doesn't apply.
I’ve been appreciative of the John Lewis vouchers I received last year through work. They meant I could get a new iPad Air for £100 of my own money.
I’ve also awarded 4 of my team vouchers this year and each one of them have been happy with them.
And local recognition awards do have to go into your yearly budget.
Makes it easy for my family as my birthday is right after Christmas, making present choices a nightmare. Usually get a few vouchers for bike shops for my birthday, was usually Evans Cycles but switched to Halfords two years ago. They're very handy for buying expensive items that one person alone couldn't get you, mine from 2018 went towards a Voodoo Hoodoo. So rather than get a load of tat I wouldn't use I only had to find £100 to buy a decent winter hardtail 😎
the single most pointless thing ever?
now john lewis vouchers are always appreciated.
in my case i got love2shop vouchers - there was no thought put into it its just corporate scheme.
actual "gifts" are a different thing.
Looking at the provider work got a good discount on the vouchers due to the bulk buying of them. + Tax reasons
My employer at the time just said "tell us what you want for a long service present and we'll buy it" - that sorted the tax. They even managed to pay very much non-high-street supplier, a manufacturer of customised composite sea kayaks (sadly, my long service award didn't buy the whole kayak)
just be glad you weren’t give a one4all card, got £20 quid one from my mum, “Please make sure that the total cost of your basket is equal to or lower than the value on your One4all Gift Card, as most online stores will not accept multiple payment methods”
Not only that - due to money-laundering regulations, you also can't spend more than £40 online with one... so you can't directly buy anything expensive AND you can't use it to contribute to anything expensive... I have nearly £300-worth from work Christmas bonuses that I am struggling to use!
Vouchers are handy allows me to but something of use to me.