Birthday presents
I'm great at giving presents. Receiving them? Not so much. Especially if they are vouchers.

You would think that there wouldn't be much to it. Yelp joyfully like a new bride being bent over the kitchen counter. Smile like a mong. Say thank you.

However vouchers require project-like planning and thinking after the gift giving. You have to take note of things, like the expiry date. My sister was not too pleased when I didn't end up using the beautician voucher she gave me because I was too late in making the booking. Fail.

This year I have a rather special voucher. It is for a tandem hang glide. I am much more excited about this one.

And yet so far it has been postponed twice because of weather conditions. Apparently it is not a good idea to fly when the wind will bash you back into the cliff, or when it is so soft that you could drop out of the sky.

Today is the latest re-scheduled date. I was well-behaved last night and didn't go out drinking as I don't fancy raining vomit from the heavens on the unsuspecting ("my god, Mavis. I never knew seagulls ate carrots.").

The voucher expires soon. Lets hope the wind is in the right direction. Wish me luck.
(russet_gusset up the reds, Sat 5 Dec 2009, 21:42, 7 replies)

Interesting
No hang glider will drop out of the sky due to a lack of wind. It's true that you can use wind to gain lift in certain circumstances, but hang gliders are designed to work with or without it.
( MatJ LOOK, Sat 5 Dec 2009, 22:12, closed)

I am prone to exaggeration for comedic effect
Indeed it all went well today, and so no fail!
(russet_gusset up the reds, Sun 6 Dec 2009, 9:19, closed)

Christ, I know what you mean.
We got a voucher for a balloon flight. Cancelled five times for weather, had to have the tickets extended for a year as the Mrs fell pregnant, cancelled a few more times, moved to Switzerland after that. Cost my brother-in-law more than 160 quid and we never got to take the damn' thing...
( Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...", Sat 5 Dec 2009, 23:03, closed)

That really angers me
that 'gift vouchers' can expire: Companies will happily take your money, but won't commit to offering you anything in return (and has anyone else wondered how much interest companies are making just on the collective balance of vouchers that are later redeemed?). Keep in mind that they're losing nothing if you redeeem it later; since a voucher is normally a fixed cash value, rather than the guaranteed full cost of an activity or item.

My brother got me a HMV gift card. I was very ill and couldn't use it for ages. Recovered enough to leave the house and visit HMV, only to be told that as it hadn't been used for a while, the balance had been wiped.

I think HMV are cunts who stole from my family; the only way I'd ever visit there again would be to create helpful diversions for shoplifters.
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Mon 7 Dec 2009, 1:11, closed)

I still have the borders gift card
given to me as a farewell present from four jobs ago. Doesn't work now, oddly enough.

I would care more if it wasn't for my own ineptitude. But you would expect them to make exceptions for difficult circumstances such as your own.
(russet_gusset up the reds, Mon 7 Dec 2009, 10:47, closed)

Always worth fighting back
A few months ago, Skype e-mailed me to say my balance had "expired". I went nuclear. I told them that I rejected their "terms & conditions": I had paid for my balance, therefore it was MY money. If they wanted to expire my credit, then they should refund the money to me in cash. To simply reset it to zero was THEFT, plain and simple. I told them that I would never, ever again pay them a single penny - and seek out other VOIP services, if they did not refund me.

They capitulated and reinstated it.

It may be technically legal for companies to include expiry terms in their small print, but it is not fair - and if you call them on it, then there's a good chance you will win.
(EuroSong I love horse meat: best of all the animals, Mon 7 Dec 2009, 16:47, closed)

Thankyou both
But, like a meek idiot, I let the till monkey retain the 'expired' card. So, lacking even a receipt, I have no proof of ownership.

With hindsight, it was possible that the balance still existed or was recoverable; although I saw he dropped it in the bin, he could have easily retreived it later and used it himself - So it's possible it wasn't a bad company, as much as a bad employee.
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Wed 9 Dec 2009, 20:41, closed)