As a follow up from the artice where I complained about a Woolworths Wish Gift Card that had expired, there is some good news!

This is the response from Woolworths Wish Gift Card customer service;

Dear Kathy,

I am writing in response to the correspondence you submitted via the
WISH Gift Card website on Friday 01st August 2008, in regards to the
funds on your expired Gift Card.

Please note that all WISH Gift Cards expire 12 months from the date of
purchase. This is stated in the terms and conditions printed both on the
back of your Card and on the cardboard carrier which the Cards are
attached to. Full terms and conditions are available from
WISHgiftcard.com.au

As a gesture of good will I have reactivated your Gift Card. The new
expiry date is 04th September 2008.

Please ensure that you use your Card prior to the new expiry date as no
further extensions will be offered.

Regards
[name removed for privacy]
Group Financial Services

Well, this is a partially positive outcome – at least now I get access to the funds that were still left on the card. But this doesn’t address the bigger issues of;

Gift cards expiring after a period of time (in this case 12 months). The value of money over time – or net present value – means that a gift card actually depreciates in value as soon as it’s bought. After 12 months, a $100 card will really only give you $95 worth of purchasing power. Sure, this doesn’t seem like a lot of money for one card, but multiply this by hundreds of thousands of Wish Gift Cards issued annually and the value soon starts to add up – in favour of Woolworths!

Card not showing the expiry date. In my case, the assistant who issued the card did not print the expiry date on the card – so how was I know it was to expire?

My advice – if you get a gift card, use it as soon as you can – and if you can avoid Wish Gift Cards, do so!

The saga continues. Here is a copy of the complaint I made to WishGiftCard.com.au:

Hi there,
I would like to make a formal complaint about the Wish Gift Card.

After being urged to purchase a Wish Gift Card at Safeway Newcomb last year, and with a not-insubstantial amount left on the card, I have hence been told by Big W in Geelong that the card has expired.

Checking the card against your site, it expired on 26 June 2008.

Point 1: I was never told that this card expires

Point 2: The card has no expiry date printed on it

Point 3: What happens to the leftover money? I assume that Woolworths simply absorbs this. At the current CPI, the $100 I “purchased” in 2006 would now be worth around $106, not to mention the fact that there’s still over $20 left on the card. Nice going – that’s a 26% return!

Obviously I will not be purchasing a Wish Gift Card again, and will be telling all of my friends about my poor experience.

Regards,
Kathy

Now, I don’t usually do rants. However, incensed at my recent woeful customer service experiences, an exception will be made.

Task number 1: Purchase digital photo frame at Big W

Result: Fail

Of the six models displayed, only two were in stock, and one of those was two and a half more times expensive than the other models. I was left wanting.

Task number 2: Purchase roll down Bonds Large yoga pants in size XL at Big W

Result: Fail

Now, the homework had been done on this one. I had contacted Bonds and asked their customer service department where I could purchase (using specific product codes) a pair of Bonds Large roll down yoga pants. Obviously my grammar and standard of English were subpar, because the response I got was little more than a rehash of the Bonds website (which any semi literate person could peruse). The response told me to go to Target, Big W or K-mart. Well, the original pair was from K-mart and they were sold out. So, next to Big W. Wrong! None there either.

The Bonds response told me to try the TSL website (keeping in mind I had specified the product I wanted). TSL doesn’t even stock the Bonds Large range. What the??

Task number 3: Use up Wish Card at Big W

Result: Epic Fail

This is the most worriesome and wicked part of the rant. Last year I purchased a Wish Card, promoted by Woolworths. It had $100 on it. The week before last at Big W, approximately $70 worth of the $100 card was used. It doesn’t take much effort to calculate that $30 is still on the card. So, after going to the register and trying to pay for goods using the Wish Card, the card is declined – apparently it’s expired! Who knew currency could expire so quickly!

After going Evil Kathy on the customer service lady, I paid using other methods and will follow up with Woolworths. Wonderful.

So here’s a warning: Think of the Wish Card as a You Wish Card – I’d like to pay for some goods with this card. You wish!

To be continued….