Shoppers should think twice before getting a loved one a gift card this Christmas. This is because research has found that they often go unused, and aren't protected should a company go into administration.
While they are a good option for people who are difficult to buy for, shoppers are warned that there is no automatic right to a refund. It comes as furniture retailer Made.com and fashion firm Joules both fell into administration. Previously, Topshop and Miss Selfridge only allowed customers to pay for 50 percent of their order using gift card credit, after they collapsed.
Last year, the consumer experts at Which? surveyed 2,000 people to find out the issues consumers have experienced with buying and spending gift cards in the last year. They found that an estimated two million people have unused gift cards lying around.
