Jessica Walker: Consumer NZ Campaign Manager on the bill extending the minimum expiry date of gift cards

It's a win for the consumer, with gift cards being given a new lease on life. 

Parliament has passed a private member's bill —originally put forward by National's Melissa Lee— requiring gift cards to have a minimum expiry date of three years. 

Consumer NZ's Jessica Walker says one in four gift cardholders end up stuck with a card they can't use. 

She told Mike Hosking this change brings much need consistency and clarity. 

Walker says three to six month expiry dates is pretty much allowing the retailers to have money for nothing. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hope for the unclaimed gift voucher. A Government members bill
past its third reading so that becomes law, meaning expiry
dates will soon be extended to three years. It is
thought that one on every five are not used, which
is a total of Team million Back's annually consuming New
Zealand campaign managers Jessica Walker is with us on this, Jessica,
good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Does it sort of a problem?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah? I think this is a great step forward. We
were actually pushing for a five year minimum expiry, but
you know what will happy with three is much better
than one we've got right now, which is no expiry,
which is obviously not a great situation to be in
for a hell of a lot of people that find
themselves with gift cards that they can't actually spend.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
Indeed, how do people leave it so long? And therefore
it becomes a problem And is that only really.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Of course, is an element of personal responsibility, but you know,
people are busy, and because there's no minimum expiry, we
hear from people who've got gift cards for their birthday whatever,
and some of these have got three months on them
and it's you know, I think it's totally reasonable to expect.
If you get a gift card, then you're going to
have you know, at least and what we're going to
see now is three years, which is great. We'll consistency

(01:04):
and clarity, we think is key, so people are going
to know you. That's great. I've got this, I can
stick it in my wallet and I'll get around to
using it eventually. And I think that you know, when
we're looking at three months, six months, it's just not
feasible and really it's just a gift to the retailer
of our service provider, literally money for nothing. So it's
great to see that ending.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
And the industry will buy I mean, I know they've
got no choices the law, but broadly they'll buy into
it and therefore you won't have a hassle.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Do you think No, I don't think so. And you
know Australians bought this this beef the law in in
twenty nineteen, so it brings them in line with them.
So right now we've got this crazy scenario wh if
you go a tiki tech vout you in Australia you
get three years on it and if you get on
here you get eighteen months. And so it's going to
stop stillings like that. If you get a vouch it,
then it's going to be it's going to be the same,

(01:47):
no matter way you laugh.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Oh good on you, Jessica. Appreciate it. Jessica walk around
of consumers this morning. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
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