Consumer New Zealand says it's good news some major retailers are dropping expiry dates from gift cards.
The consumer watchdog had launched a 'drop the date' campaign, saying shoppers lost up to 10 million dollars each year on cards that expired before they could be used.
Countdown, Kathmandu and Noel Leeming have now dropped their 12-month expiry dates, with Shoe Clinic extending the expiry on their cards to five years.
Consumer NZ CEO Sue Chetwin believes it's a positive step.
"Strict expiry dates, like 12 months, are really unfair on consumers - if people have gone to the trouble of buying a gift card, they people should actually be able to redeem them," she says.
While she would have liked others to follow suit, Ms Chetwin says Consumer NZ will keep pushing for other retailers to adopt similar policies.
"If we don't see more stores changing then we might take it up with the Government and see if it would be interested in adding short expiry dates to unfair contract terms, which would be banned."
She hopes that New World and Pak 'n Save will follow in the footsteps of their competitor, Countdown.
Briscoes, Prezzy Card and Westfield Shopping Centres are refusing to give in to consumer demands, insisting on keeping their 12-month expiry dates.
A Consumer NZ survey found 54 percent of Kiwis believe that there should be no expiration date on cards, and that other countries had tough laws about the issue.
Newshub.
