Christmas gifts void after firm goes bust

Rhiannon Hayman had been saving the luxury spa voucher that boyfriend Aaron Dixon got her for a special occasion. Photo / Dean Purcell

Thousands of people who bought or were given activity vouchers as Christmas presents have been told they will not be honoured after the selling company went into liquidation.

Total Experience, a company that sells vouchers for a variety of industries, was wound up on January 17 with debts of $1.2 million and $300,000 worth of vouchers outstanding.

The liquidation has come as a shock to people who paid hundreds of dollars for deals on the company's website.

Student Aaron Dixon spent months saving for a $300 spa treatment for his girlfriend Rhiannon Hayman's Christmas gift only to have Total Experience file for liquidation before it was used.

Miss Hayman's voucher was for Spa Di Vine in Kumeu, Auckland, but is now void.

Four days after the liquidation, Mr Dixon, 19, received an email telling him that as an unsecured creditor Miss Hayman, also 19, would not be able to redeem her treatment.

"When I received the letter and read it, I couldn't believe it had happened. I was more angry than anything else and there is nothing I can do about it. I guess I got her nothing [for Christmas]," Mr Dixon said.

"I had a part-time job shrink-wrapping, weather-proofing houses. It took about three to four months to save up. What I want to know is why this company was selling vouchers when they had problems."

He said the worst part was how disappointed his girlfriend, who was saving the voucher for a special occasion, had been at the news.

Spa Di Vine director Paula Haverkate would not say how many Total Experience customers had bought vouchers and would miss out.

Ms Haverkate said the spa was also a creditor of the company because it had redeemed vouchers it had not received payment for.

"It's gutting. But we are one of a large number of suppliers."

Liquidators Gerry Rea have been appointed to wind up the company.

Liquidator Simon Dalton said any vouchers that had not been redeemed before January 17 for any industry would be void and customers would not receive refunds.

"Unfortunately vouchers are unsecured creditors. It's quite mean but that is the procedure."

When asked why Total Experience was selling Christmas vouchers for $300, three weeks before being placed into liquidation, Mr Dalton said: "That's a good question. It's something that we are looking into. If there are any funds we will go after them."

Directors Adrian and Janice Dewey are based in Bedfordshire, in Britain, but the trading address of the company was in Botany Downs, Auckland.

The company was placed into liquidation following a shareholders' special resolution after the directors recommended it.

Preferential and unsecured creditors can file a claim with Gerry Rea until February 21.