SHOPPERS PLANNING to buy vouchers as last-minute Christmas presents are being warned about the potential pitfalls.
The National Consumer Agency has published a list of tips to help people get the best value from such gifts.
The voucher industry is worth about €300 million annually in the Republic but up to 25 per cent of all vouchers sold each year are never cashed in either because they expire before consumers get to use them or they are lost or simply get forgotten about.
This means about €75 million is wasted annually on vouchers which never get used.
The agency asked all people buying vouchers to check the expiry dates on them and the terms and conditions before making any purchase.
Research conducted by the agency found that 36 per cent of consumers plan to buy vouchers this Christmas but almost a third never check the expiry date while a smaller number again look at the terms and conditions in any great detail.
“For many last-minute shoppers, a gift voucher is a popular present as they give the recipient flexibility and choice,” the agency’s chief executive, Ann Fitzgerald, said.
“However, many vouchers have expiry dates – some last just six months – and maybe less if it is from an online deal site, so it is important to check these time limits before you buy.”
She also reminded people that if they buy or get a gift voucher and the company goes into examinership, liquidation or receivership, they are treated as an “unsecured creditor”, and may not be able to redeem the vouchers and urged people to redeem vouchers as soon as possible.
The agency said people who received vouchers this year should contact the retailer if the expiry date is not clear.
