Vouchers and their hidden secrets!
Created | Updated Jun 5, 2005
CONGRATULATIONS!! You've been given vouchers.
Every year and every birthday you can guarantee that one of those wonderful "presents" will be gift vouchers or certificates. But who really benefits? And is it really as good a present as you think?
The "giver".
The "giver" benefits because they can relax, safe in the knowledge that they haven't "gifted" you a white elephant. You know what I mean.
Check out that 18-inch high, Snowman cookie jar in the darkest corner of your kitchen.
It's going to look lovely when you present it (laden with the tastiest biscuits/cookies that money can buy) to the children at the summer BBQ. Along with those Santa glasses of lemonade on the Rudolf Reindeer tray. Who would criticise such a fetching ensemble?
Or that Tinkerers torque wrench. Is it still sitting patiently in its nice vacuum-sealed wrapper? Lovingly covered by the oily rag, in the drawer that sticks so badly you can never open it. Even if you had the desire.
You just know that the very first time you use it, it will teach you to "torque" a whole new language. Fundamentally based on the number four.
If you still have doubts, check out the loft. But be careful! White elephants can be really dangerous if you've stacked them too high!
Vouchers have got to be better than that, surely!
The "taker".
The shop (let's call them Dennocroy) benefits by exchanging the givers money, for a promise that you will have to purchase from them, or their "specially selected" partners.
Yes money up front, goods still on the shelves.
Accountants "manna from heaven".
Looking good so far.
Dennocroy happy. They've got the money and the gift!
Gifter happy. They remembered to get the vouchers without having to mount a shopping expedition. This would take up far too much time AND they'd actually have to think about what to get and where to get it from. They've been able to get away with being lazy AND you'll still think well of them!
The Receiver.
You're just happy that someone has acknowledged your sorry existence with a token of love and affection. How cool is that? You mean something to some one.
BUYERS BEWARE!
Your winning streak, however, is not as lucky as it first seems.
Yes! You could opt to buy that CD from 'Atomic Wonder Dog' as soon as it hits the streets.
Or, perhaps the latest release for the electronic toy box 'Return to Blood City VI'. After all, it practically guarantees more on screen blood than a whole city of vampires could quaff down their throats in a lifetime! Lovely!
Or a new iron, jacket, whatever. You can buy almost anything that takes your desire. Just so long as its legal and the shop normally stocks it. It doesn't even have to be in stock because the shop will order it for you. How helpful is that?
Well, it isn't!
The shop (Dennocroy, remember?), and it's specially selected partners (in crime) have saved you from doing the one thing that shops like Dennocroy DON'T want you to do!
How can you shop around, if you've been reduced to using less than 1% of the shops?
You can't bargain hunt. Dennocroy MIGHT be the cheapest but so might that not so "specially selected" partner next door. But you'll never know. What's the point in checking them out if you can't spend the vouchers there?
What that? Dennocroy sell the cheapest CDs, you say. Great!
TRAP 1.
Now try getting change from that 10 pound voucher for your £5.99 CD. Be warned! Trying not to finish 'Return to Blood City VI' without so much as a paper cut is easier.
The replacement for "have a nice day" has been "specially selected" for you, the voucher waving shoppers and it's "We don't give change for vouchers". It's meant to compliment the disarming smile that you get with all bad news. Smiling is more disarming than the mocking, demented laughter aimed at another fool to fall for the voucher scam.
Ok! So you decide to buy that game instead. After all it's only £11.99 in here, a pretty good (if not the best) price.
TRAP 2.
You've got a £10 voucher yet still end up spending an extra £1.99. Doesn't sound much but multiply it by the number of voucher transactions.
A tidy sum for Dennocroy, I'll bet a £10 voucher on it!
Why do we let it happen?
Dennocroy and partners rely on our conscience and guilt processes.
If we simply bought a gift, they would only get the money from one transaction. The same is true if we give money or cheques (and we might shop elsewhere too).
We don't like to give money. It just doesn't feel right. Gift vouchers are generally available in the same denominations as money (£5, £10, £20.... and so on. And any currency, I've used the pound but it could be the dollar, euro etc.). They show thought, don't they?
The other choices give the impression that we couldn't be bothered, or that we forgot until we were on our way to the lucky receiver.
Run that by me again.
Because we give vouchers they get two transactions:
i) Giver buys voucher.
AND
ii) You exchange voucher for an item less than its face value,
Or
ii) You have to add money to the face value of the voucher.
AHA! I hear you cry (Actually, I didn't hear you, but let's pretend).
"I was given a £10 voucher AND I bought myself something for exactly £10. Surely the shop only broke even? WE WIN!!"
NO! No, no, no!! You've just missed the hidden trap!
TRAP/TRANSACTION 3.
You get an item for exactly what it was worth. Was that all that you bought? Really?
Are you telling me that you went into town (or to the shopping mall) just to exchange your voucher? Didn't you think, "I need some clothes/toys etc? I'll use my voucher for a CD whilst I'm there".
Dennocroy are banking on the fact that you will do this. They get you into their shop and you MIGHT just buy those other goods from them. After all, we are naturally lazy (that's why we give vouchers in the first place!! Well, mostly!). Also, whilst your looking for the gift that you've decided on, you might buy items from your list or, see something in those glitzy displays that grabs your attention.
Is it really that bad?
YES! And no!
We might not be getting the best prices but, they (and cheques, bank orders) are great for posting to distant friends/relatives. They cross borders (most chain stores are global) and they are not as attractive to "light-fingered" opportunists.
Stores that trade shares make better profits from these practices. Since the world trades in shares we all have an equal chance to share in these profits (if we pick well. Don't ask me for tips! I've been picking the 3-legged horses for years!!).
I've drawn attention to more generalised vouchers/certificates, but the same principal applies to music or book tokens.
So why speak out?
It's not that I'm against these hidden tricks of the shopping industry.
It's simply the time of the year.
You see, I'm writing this in late January. This is the first chance that I've had to go to the shops. As the sales are ending, there should be some serious "LAST CHANCE" bargains out there.
AND I CAN'T FIND THE VOUCHERS THAT I SO CAREFULLY HID AT CHRISTMAS!!
I can't even find the "free" gift cards that they came in.
TRAP 4
IDIOT LOSES VOUCHERS. Dennocroy accountant shouts: "HEY GUYS, WE'VE MADE A SALE AND DIDN'T HAVE TO SELL ANYTHING!! HOW COOL IS THAT!!!!"Dennocroy accountant faints in disbelief!
"Hey guys! We didn't even have to use the 'not valid after' get out clause. This guy was easy money!"
Postscript: After doing a favour at work I was gifted some vouchers. Guess what? They are only valid until Christmas and who has misplaced them? Yep! ME!!
