A reader from Whangarei writes, “I am pleased some major retailers are going to eliminate the expiry date on gift cards. In August 2014 I was given a Palmers gift card. I have used it occasionally but when I tried to use it last week they said it had expired and my remaining credit was lost! Lost! Lost in their pocket! It’s just not good enough.”
According to media reports Kiwis are losing up to $10 million a year because gift cards have expired. So it’s good to hear that Countdown, Kathmandu and Noel Leeming are going to scrap expiry dates entirely. We think all companies should do likewise, including Palmers. If there is an expiry, we think there is a legal case for it to be six years, which is the timeframe referred to in the Limitations Act 2010. No doubt there will be much more on this matter in the future. Some firms say they have been honouring expired cards anyway. Unfortunately that was not the case for the oily rag reader from Whangarei.
If you have had a good or bad gift card experience, let us know and we will share it around the oily rag community.