Gift card nightmare as company goes into receivership

Jo Vujnovich with her 16-year-old daughter Ashleigh who had her gift card declined at Wild Pair, which has gone into receivership. Photo / Supplied

A teenage girl was left distraught after her sweet 16th birthday gift was reduced to a worthless piece of plastic.

But after an apparent change of heart by those now running the company, the $50 gift voucher will soon be legal tender at Wild Pair.

Jo Vujnovich bought a voucher from the clothing retailer for her daughter Ashleigh's 16th birthday.

But when Ashleigh went back to the store in Bayfair, Mount Maunganui, to buy a pair of jeans last night, the gift card declined and she was told the company was in receivership.

Mrs Vujnovich wasn't with her at the time but said Ashleigh ran up to her to tell her.

"I was so shocked. I marched straight over there and of course it's a bit awkward as the poor girls that worked there can't do anything about it."

Mrs Vujnovich was told by shop workers that accountants had taken all gift cards and informed staff the cards couldn't be honoured.

She was upset the shop was still operating and cash payments were accepted.

"Other people in the store were able to purchase clothes in the store with their money. My money, which was cash last week, is not good enough anymore," she said.

Mrs Vujnovich wanted to take a pair of jeans home for her daughter, but had to reluctantly walk out of the store empty-handed.

"I'm going to get them one way or another.

"I'm not backing down. It's not good enough," she said.

And after an announcement today it seems she'll get that wish.

Administrators of a company don't have to accept vouchers and Mrs Vujnovich said she was originally told by receivers that would be the case with Wild Pair.

Enraged, she posted on its Facebook page and within hours her disappointed words had attracted hundreds of comments and a couple of thousand "likes".

And this afternoon receivers Andrew Grenfell and William Black from McGrathNicol said Wild Pair would soon be able to honour gift vouchers.

"The receivers have assessed the position regarding the redemption of Wild Pair gift cards and although they are not legally obliged to, they can confirm that customers will be able to redeem them at their local Wild Pair store," the receivers said.

"However, as the gift card systems are currently being reconfigured to take account of the receivership, it will take a few days before they can be redeemed. We will provide an update as soon as the system reconfiguration is complete."

That update will be made on Wild Pair's Facebook page.

Mrs Vujnovich was delighted with the news.

"I'm absolutely thrilled. I think that's just the coolest thing," she said.

It was the first time she'd used social media in such a way.

"I'm not one of those public ranters. I just felt really really gutted about that yesterday."

Consumer New Zealand adviser Maggie Edwards said if a company was in receivership, liquidators may choose to run and operate the business so that debts could be paid off.

During that time, gift cards were usually not honoured.

"If a business owes money to secured creditors such as IRD or banks, they have to pay them back first," she said.

Wild Pair is a family-run New Zealand business that began in 1987. The 21 stores nationwide sell clothing and shoes.