Refused refund at "Monsoon" shop.

[grandpajoe]

My wife payed £50. 00 last week for a gift voucher at Monsoon in Lancaster and a week later, for various reasons, the voucher cannot be used.

She vent in today and asked for a refund (It was payed by debit card) and was refused. "We can't do that, you'll have to use it" was the reply.

How do we stand, please???

Cheers Chris

[daffy654]

You don't have a leg to stand on if the full information is what you have given above. Sorry.

[grandpajoe]

Don't know what other info' I can give, sorry.

[jackthehat]

Do you mean that the intended recipient of the voucher will have no use for it?

If that is the case, the shop are NOT obliged to refund you your money.

[sherrardk]

Bit cheeky, but could you buy stuff with the voucher, and then return the goods (they seem to be quite lax about returns if you look at their web site)?

[joko]

yes they are not obliged to refund you, just because you have changed your mind.

you could sell it perhaps?

[grandpajoe]

Thanks for those answers folks. Wife has decided to hang on to it and use it for a birthday in Spring.. Can't say, however, that this is a reasonable outcome. She should have been able to get a refund straight away.IMO.
Chris

[Buenchico]

I can't see why you should think that. When you buy a theatre ticket you've purchased the right to see the show. Whether you decide to turn up or not is entirely up to you. However (unless the performance is cancelled) you have no right to a refund on your ticket.

Similarly, when you purchase a gift voucher you have purchased the right to select an item to the relevant value. You can use that right, or transfer it to someone else, but you have no right to a refund.

[joko]

you are only ever ENTITLED to a refund if the item is faulty - in every other refund instance, such as you picked up the wrong thing or changed your mind etc, is only refunded as a goodwill gesture by the store... it is not a customer 'right' ...

[vodkancoke]

I am in retail myself and according to Trading Standards (as everyone else has said) you are not entitled to a refund unless the item is faulty. You are not even entitled to a credit note, that is up to the shop's discretion. I think if you were to buy something with the gift voucher and then return it within the time specified on the receipt you may get cash in return but I would think they would just give you a credit note or another voucher. If we ever give refunds, it is always refunded by the way the customer has paid for it.

Are you not able to re-gift it to someone or sell it to someone?

[ojread2]

To return a non faulty item they would need a receipt and see you paid by gift card, therefore your refund would be by gift card

[boxtops]

I agree with oj - when I've bought something on a gift card at M&S, then returned it, they always credit the value back to the card.

It must say on either the gift card or the receipt that it's non-refundable?

It's not the same as buying goods - it is in effect a cash voucher, so Sale of Goods Act doesn't apply, IMO, buying a voucher is no different to putting cash behind the till for someone else to use later. Would your wife know someone else who could buy it off her, who uses the shop regularly?

[ojread2]

Since when did two wrongs make right?

Get over it, move on and dont make the same mistake twice. Simple