What to do if your gift card has expired, been damaged, or gotten lost!

The Christmas shopping season is fast approaching. If you’re buying or redeeming gift cards and vouchers, you might run into trouble if you’ve got an expired card (or if you’ve lost or damaged your gift voucher).

Here’s what you need to know.

What can I do with an expired gift card?

Gift cards and vouchers normally have an expiry date.

The time it takes for a gift voucher to expire is decided by the seller – our advice is to check the expiry date as soon as you receive it. It’s best not to get caught out. If your card has expired, you might be out of luck.

If you discover that your gift card has expired, our advice is to use Resolver to contact the retailer. Although they’re under no obligation to extend gift cards or gift vouchers, they might decide to do so as a goodwill gesture. Most stores will do this for you – it’s better for them to keep hold of happy customers after all.

There aren’t any specific laws that say how long a gift voucher or card should last, meaning they could last anywhere from a few months to a few years. If the card is only valid for a really short period of time, you might be able to argue that the time limit represents an unfair term under the Consumer Rights Act.

What do I do if my gift card is damaged?

On some occasions, shops may refuse to accept any damaged gift cards – this includes damage to any “scratch-off” sections or stickers! In these cases, it’s best to contact the retailer and ask them to replace the damaged card or voucher. They’ll normally be willing to do this.

What do I do if I’ve lost my gift card?

If you lose a gift card or voucher, the retailer isn’t obliged to replace it. If you’ve got a receipt, it’s always worth getting in touch. There’s a possibility they may replace it as a gesture of goodwill. In some cases, retailers may only deal with the person who originally purchased the gift card or voucher. If this happens, ask the person who bought the gift card or voucher to contact the retailer on your behalf.

Want to know more? Check out our Online Shopping Guide!