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Retailers had been closed for about three months, earlier than reopening in June
UK customers could have misplaced a complete of practically £100m in unused vouchers throughout the coronavirus lockdown, the buyer group Which? has estimated.
A survey of two,000 adults advised 1 / 4 of individuals possessed a voucher that expired throughout lockdown.
Many retailers contacted clients and supplied to increase them – however a 3rd of these with an expiring voucher didn’t get an extension and misplaced the cash.
Which? urged individuals who had been unable to make use of their vouchers to contact the store.
It additionally warned of the dangers of shopping for new vouchers as a result of some well-known retailers had not too long ago collapsed – and added that additional coronavirus restrictions may make it tough to spend them.
Non-essential retailers and companies closed in March for a number of months, as a part of the federal government’s lockdown restrictions to take care of the pandemic.
Many retailers robotically prolonged the time that clients may spend their vouchers – in addition to extending their return durations.
Retailers finally reopened all through June (in Northern Eire first, adopted by England, Wales after which Scotland) with some long queues outside stores.
‘Contact the corporate’
In its survey carried out in August, Which? discovered that almost half of individuals with an expiring voucher had it robotically prolonged.
One in seven – or 15% – of individuals with a voucher needed to to request an extension, with one buyer telling Which? that an organization informed them “onerous luck, principally”.
However 36% – which may equate to an estimated 3.1 million individuals, in keeping with Which? – didn’t obtain an extension on their procuring vouchers.
Which? says the unspent vouchers had been value £31.70 on common, which means round £98m was prone to have been misplaced throughout the entire of the UK.
The buyer group suggested anybody who has a voucher that expired throughout lockdown to contact the retailer.
“You probably have a voucher you had been unable to make use of it’s value contacting the corporate,” mentioned client rights professional Adam French.
“Anybody contemplating shopping for a voucher ought to concentrate on the dangers, as some well-known retailers have collapsed in current months and additional coronavirus restrictions may make it tough to spend vouchers and present playing cards.”
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