BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?

Subject: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 15 Jan 13 - 04:09 PM

Now that HMV has gone into Administration, it seems that they won't be honouring their vouchers, many of which will have been given as Christmas Presents. We gave one to my wife's brother in law - any clues as to how we can reverse the transaction which was paid for by debit card?

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Jan 13 - 06:01 PM

Can somebody explain this to us furreners?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 15 Jan 13 - 06:11 PM

Joe, click this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMV_Group

I guess "administration" in the UK = "bankruptcy" in the US.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 15 Jan 13 - 08:12 PM

Administration is more or less what Americans call "Chapter 11" - there is still some chance of a large chunk of the company surviving, once they hang enough creditors (e.g. the gift coupon holders) out to dry.

The only HMV store I've ever had any time for is the one in Oxford Street, London. To get to anything I might want in a typical HMV store like the Edinburgh ones, I've always had to fight through the rock music and video departments, which are as dark and noisy as a bad war movie. I can buy the same stuff in Blackwells in peace and quiet. I won't miss HMV one little bit once they go down the toilet.

They had a great history a very, very long time ago.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 15 Jan 13 - 10:18 PM

You are fucked, no offence.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 16 Jan 13 - 02:04 AM

i got caught out

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: DMcG
Date: 16 Jan 13 - 02:36 AM

I've never understood the concept of vouchers in the first place. If buying a voucher got you say £21 of value for every £20 you spent it would make sense. But all that happens if you in effect give one a £20 note along with a restriction that it can only be spent in one place. What makes that a good idea?

The fact that, with the HMV case and others, you may not be able to spend it at all makes the idea even odder

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: GUEST,Musket sans cookie
Date: 16 Jan 13 - 02:38 AM

If you purchased with a credit card you might be able to use the built in insurance purchases enjoy.   This is time limited though. .

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: Megan L
Date: 16 Jan 13 - 03:17 AM

HMV store in Glasgow advised my brother to keep popping in with his vouchers whenever he was in town as there are hopes the administrator might do a Comet and honour them if there is enough pressure.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 16 Jan 13 - 03:43 AM

The obvious thing to do is to call the number on the back of the debit card and complain. Since you haven't received the bargained for service, you may be able to get the transaction reversed. If so you would probably have to act within 30 days of purchase.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 16 Jan 13 - 04:27 AM

DEBIT cards aren't protected, if payment was made by CREDIT card you might have a chance.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: GUEST,Rev Bayes
Date: 16 Jan 13 - 10:52 AM

It depends on your debit card issuer. Visa and Mastercard both now allow you to reverse debit card transactions; however, banks are very poor about honouring them so you may have to push hard and quite possibly make a complaint to get anything done. Keep at it.

Also, put in a claim for the value of the voucher against HMV (find the administrators website and follow links for unsecured creditors). Takes a while but you should get something back eventually.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: Howard Jones
Date: 17 Jan 13 - 08:40 AM

"you should get something back eventually. "

After the taxman and the VATman and the secured creditors have taken their cuts. You'll be a long way down the queue, and will probably only receive a fraction of the voucher's face value. Don't hold your breath.

Your best chance is that the business is acquired and the new owners agree to honour the vouchers in the hope of retaining goodwill and future business. However the collapse of Blockbuster suggests that the days of record and video shops is now over. Of course, there may still be a place for the independent specialist retailer - let's hope so.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 Jan 13 - 06:08 AM

I heard a suggestion that any one with an HMV voucher should take it to Tesco and tell them its a Horse Meat Voucher .

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 18 Jan 13 - 06:44 AM

The bosses and staff of HMV are the architects of their own demise!
Anyone who visits HMV, will have noticed how the easy-listening/jazz/blues/country/folk/film soundtrack/classical sections have got smaller and smaller compared to the rock/pop section, and I know exactly why: The hostile enivronment created by HMV!
Take the very large Market St Manchester,UK shop.
At one time the whole basement was given over to the jazz/blues/folk/easy-listening/classical but last time I was there, those sections were housed in a smallish room at the back of the groundfloor, and to reach that room, customers had to run the gauntlet of a barrage of very loud rock/pop music. That's crazy. That's turning your back on millions of sales.
A few years ago, I was in the basement of HMV checking out the folk and blues cds, and some very loud rock music was been played over the soundsystem.
I went to counter and complained about the volume, and pointed out that the music didn't even match the type of music on sale in that department.
"Oh, but it does", said the idiot behind the counter, "it's off such and such film soundtrack album!"
That's the sort of mentality that has helped quicken the demise of HMV.
They should have been targeting the customers who don't download stuff illegally/copy their mates cds/buy on line, but they did just the opposite!
They alienated the exact type customers that they should have attracted.
The reason for HMVs demise? Easy! Gross stupidity!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: GUEST,Doc John
Date: 18 Jan 13 - 07:26 AM

I think the point of gift vouchers is for the giver to appear more thoughtful and caring than he or she would seem if they just handed over cash. OK for children, who prefer it, but adults feel the voucher indicated that giverhas thought about them. That's the theory.
Yes, Tunesmith, I agree. Years ago the small HMV two floor Exeter shop had two or three racks for folk, blues, country, classical, MOR etc; on my last visit all the racks were Rock & Pop except one which was 'other' and, yes, it was everything else, the lot.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: vectis
Date: 18 Jan 13 - 10:27 AM

According to last night's news there are over £6, 000, 000 worth of vouchers out there. That's a lot of money.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 18 Jan 13 - 04:22 PM

From:Howard Jones - PM
Date: 17 Jan 13 - 08:40 AM

"you should get something back eventually. "

After the taxman and the VATman and the secured creditors have taken their cuts. You'll be a long way down the queue, and will probably only receive a fraction of the voucher's face value. Don't hold your breath.
Just as an update, HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs) no longer rank as a secured creditor. They are in with unsecured creditors, along with all the holders of HMV vouchers.
Here
If, as Vectis says, there are £6m worth of vouchers out there, someone could make a killing (though a risky one) by buying them in at a small percentage of their value in the hope that there will be money left to pay unsecured creditors.
An individual with £20 of vouchers is unlikely to apply to be considered a creditor, but someone with a large holding could find it worth their while.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jan 13 - 11:49 AM

Happily the administrators have announced that vouchers will be accepted again from tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd Jan.

BBC Report

Hurrah!

LFF

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 21 Jan 13 - 12:18 PM

That was me sans cookie...

LFF

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 21 Jan 13 - 04:08 PM

Agree about their over-loud music, usually rock and pop. But having visited the Norwich store many times with my husband looking for African music, modern and traditional, or DVDs on certain themes, I always found the staff absolutely delightful. They would show us where to look, help us choose, accompany us to the checkout and serve with friendliness and courtesy. Quite unusual nowadays. Pity it's all gone down the pan. Feel sorry for those youngsters now out of a job. They were so sweet to us.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone caught with an HMV voucher?
From: JHW
Date: 22 Jan 13 - 02:30 PM

I've always thought of HMV as middle of the road so no point in me looking there for folk music. May be the same for other genres?