Bunnings

[*kazumi*]

I have recently done few small favors for friend and he sent me $300 voucher for Bunnings as thanks.  So i thought, GREAT!..    I will finally get some paint for the spare room, and have no excuse for not painting it, as I am running out of things to do.  Then I get some fibreglass resin and fix my fish pond, and I can think of number of other things.   Then quick look at the voucher and I was rather taken aback that I have to spend it all in one go; no credit for unspent amount, and only $9.99 can be given in change.  OK, so got on line only to find I cannot buy paint, I can get the resin but not the hardener?!!!  Then, after I added some drop sheet to the cart, the little bot on the side told me "I can see you are doing some painting, would you like some paint"  ????   So, i called the number given and was told yes, I can get paint, but i cannot use my voucher.  Oh, and I cannot also use the voucher for online purchases.  To redeem the voucher I have to come into the store.  BUT we are under lockdown, I am NOT allowed into the store........

I do not want to inconvenienced my friend by asking to have the money refunded.  I assume they will not give me the refund, and I feel it would be rather rude to complain to him about his gift.   So, basically, Bunnings is selling gift vouchers that cannot be redeemed.  I am sure that is against  the law.  So, what should I do?  I could be good little sheep and wait until the store opens .......  but really, should I let them get away with this? 

[lyndal1838]

I am absolutely stunned at the rules for gift vouchers.....it has certainly changed just recently.

I belong to several survey sites and have always redeemed Bunnings vouchers if they are available.....usually $50 or $100 at a time.

They have been able to be used towards the purchase of anything in the shop and have no expiry date.....never have had even when other vouchers had to be used within 12 months.

I wonder if the current restrictions have anything to do with COVID?

Edit....the under $10 cash change rule is to stop people spending say $2 and getting the rest back in cash.  You usually get Bunnings vouchers in change as well as the small amount of cash.

[the_bob_delusion]

I never got the concept of gift card. So I have something that can be used anywhere and in any store and has no expiratory date and I swap it with something that can only be used in one store only and has conditions and once it expires it's worth nothing. 

I don't get the logic. 

[*kazumi*]

Yes, I get the bit why they do not want people to spend only small amount, BUT not give credit for the remaining amount?  Then not allowing it to be used for online purchases when that is the only option in Victoria? It's not as if the lock daown only just happened.  Surely, they should inform people buying the voucher that in this moment they are not valid in Victoria?  Sure, I can redeem it after the lockdown, but why on the earth should I be giving Bunnings interest free loan? 

I should have mentioned that the friend is o/s and the $300 gift is totally over the top generous for the little bit I did for him.  When he asked my daughter if I would like flowers or chocolates, she suggested that I would prefer something more practical.  🙂

I think I will be going more to Mitre 10, which is the only other hardware in Melbourne as far as I know. 

[lyndal1838]

Kazumi, please go to the Bunnings website and recheck the terms.

What is displayed here in NSW is nothing like what you are saying.

Here I can use the gift voucher for anything in the store at any time....the credit never expires unlike some gift cards that only last a couple of years.

I have never used a voucher online....Bunnings is just round the corner so I have always shopped in person.  The current terms do mention using them through checkout online or in store.

All I can think is that there are different rules in Victoria due to the current lockdown rules.

Please do not think of it as giving Bunnings an interest free loan.  I find these cards the

best of all the gift cards as they never expire.....and you did not pay for it anyway.

I currently have $150 worth of them stashed away since late last year.  I just have not had the need to use them yet.

[zanadoo_56]

I'm in Victoria.  Bunnings' foray into online shopping is fairly recent.  They may have had their website for ages but you couldn't order anything delivered from it.

Under their gift card FAQs it states 'Currently Bunnings Gift Cards can only be redeemed in person at Bunnings stores.'

However, the status of their gift cards hasn't changed: 'Bunnings Gift Cards do not have an expiry date and are valid until redemption.'

So your options are - wait until they get their online act together, or visit a shop when COVID restrictions are relaxed....or just hang onto the card to see how things go, because it won't expire.

[kopenhagen5]

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@the_bob_delusion wrote:

I never got the concept of gift card. So I have something that can be used anywhere and in any store and has no expiratory date and I swap it with something that can only be used in one store only and has conditions and once it expires it's worth nothing. 

I don't get the logic. 

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Good way of putting it.

But, sending a giftcard in the mail is safer than sending cash. (Besides not supposed to send cash)

[zanadoo_56]

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@the_bob_delusion wrote:

I never got the concept of gift card. So I have something that can be used anywhere and in any store and has no expiratory date and I swap it with something that can only be used in one store only and has conditions and once it expires it's worth nothing. 

I don't get the logic. 

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I take part in online surveys where I am 'paid' in gift card points...and I still haven't redeemed any of them.  I think it is up to around $70.  One day I might I guess.  There is a choice of gift cards the points can be converted to including non specific store ones that can be used a many shops that accept gift cards.  Coles doesn't accept their own cards for online grocery shopping, but Woolies cards can be used for online grocery shopping at their site.  If I can convert the points to a Woolies card I could spend up big this Christmas....I might look into it.

My mother would live at Bunnings if she could (in the gardening department) so I regularly buy her their gift cards for Christmas and birthdays....and she loves them.  She loves the cards because if I gave her the equivalent in cash it might end up paying the gas bill or something equally boring like groceries.

[domino-710]

Heavy breathing ...................

Zan - I am your mother. 

[wide-world-of-stamps]

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@zanadoo_56 wrote:

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I take part in online surveys where I am 'paid' in gift card points...and I still haven't redeemed any of them.  I think it is up to around $70.  One day I might I guess.  There is a choice of gift cards the points can be converted to including non specific store ones that can be used a many shops that accept gift cards.  Coles doesn't accept their own cards for online grocery shopping, but Woolies cards can be used for online grocery shopping at their site.  If I can convert the points to a Woolies card I could spend up big this Christmas....I might look into it.

My mother would live at Bunnings if she could (in the gardening department) so I regularly buy her their gift cards for Christmas and birthdays....and she loves them.  She loves the cards because if I gave her the equivalent in cash it might end up paying the gas bill or something equally boring like groceries.

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Be careful with how much you accumulate.

There are many complaints that some sites suddenly put an account on hold for no reason, keeping all accumulated points.

It happened to me on a couple of sites, once when I had just redeemed 1 voucher and tried to redeem a second (there was no option to redeem the total amount in one go).  After a lot of back and forth and nothing happening, I gave up. Then they re-instated my account after several months.

Now I redeem any points as soon as I reach the amount they allow (and hold my breath every time), usually for Woolies egift cards.