Retailers ditch expiry dates on gift cards

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More retailers are dropping expiry dates on gift cards following a survey by Consumer NZ earlier this year which revealed that a majority of Kiwis felt they were unfair and that shoppers could be losing $10 million a year.

Consumer NZ launched the "Drop the Dates" campaign in September and a chorus of retailers have responded in kind.

Hallenstein, Macpac and Bike Barn are the latest to drop expiry dates from gift cards altogether, joining Countdown, Farro Fresh, Kathmandu and Noel Leeming.

A large number of other retailers have agreed to extend their expiry dates including Hannahs, Shoe Clinic, The Body Shop, New World, Z Energy and Pak'nSave.

Consumer NZ head of research Jessica Wilson said 25 retailers were changing the terms of their gift cards in response to the campaign.

Retailers who have declined to change their terms include Event Cinemas, Just Jeans, Mobil Oil and Repco who will be sticking with a 12-month expiry date.

Wilson said the decision by some companies to keep the expiry terms was disappointing.

"Some of these retailers have said they offer grace periods, will honour expired cards or issue replacement cards in certain circumstances, but these practices beg the question, why have a date at all?"