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Every Austrian gives away seven packs on average for Christmas. According to surveys, the average budget for this is 364 euros. In addition to games and books, the voucher is particularly popular this year. 42 percent of those surveyed plan to give one away.
But not every voucher is equally suitable for everyone. In addition to goods vouchers, so-called experience vouchers have also been in vogue for some years. “Especially with a balloon ride or a parachute jump, you can be really wrong. You should know beforehand whether someone wants to do that at all, ”says Gabriele Zgubic, head of the consumer department at the Vienna Chamber of Labor (AK).
Without a time limit, the voucher is valid for 30 years
It is important that the voucher is valid long enough so that the recipient has enough time to redeem it. In Austria, vouchers that have been issued without a time limit are generally valid for thirty years. Often the vouchers are still given a deadline. This is also allowed if there are good reasons for this and the deadline is not so short that it disadvantages the consumer.
However, this limit is not clearly defined. In the event of a dispute, the court must decide. For example, the court has already assessed the limitation of spa vouchers to two years and supermarket vouchers to three years as too short and therefore inadmissible.
Always have vouchers with you and redeem them quickly
Zgubic advises you to redeem vouchers as quickly as possible. It is best to always have it with you in your wallet so that you can use it at the first opportunity. “A money voucher loses value over the years due to inflation,” warns the AK expert.
In addition: the longer you have a voucher and don’t use it, the greater the risk of forgetting it. Countless vouchers are never redeemed – good business for companies, bad for consumers.
Tip: Expired vouchers can often still be used
If a misplaced and long expired voucher reappears in a handbag after years, you should not throw it away in resignation, but instead seek a conversation with the dealer. “You should definitely try to redeem the voucher anyway or to exchange it for another voucher,” advises the AK consumer advocate. After all, the consumer has already paid for the service.
If the business goes bankrupt, the voucher is worthless
If the company that issued the voucher goes bankrupt, the money is gone too. If you don’t know what to do with a voucher you have received, you are unlucky. There is no entitlement to receive the value in cash. Even if less is spent than the voucher is worth, there is usually only a new credit for the remaining amount and no cash. And: If the voucher is lost, the money is also lost.
Give home-made vouchers and cash
If you want to save yourself such problems, instead of buying vouchers paid in advance, you can simply be creative yourself and design a voucher – for example for a concert visit or the desired pair of sneakers. Payment is only made when the recipient actually redeems it. And giving money as a gift is a good alternative to the voucher.
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