Outraged

I received many wonderful gifts from staff, parents, family and friends this Christmas. I am one lucky lady !!!

But there is one gift in particular that I want to rant about this morning........

My new staff took up a collection and bought me the above pictured gift card to the Fairview Mall here in the Great White North. Fairview is a huge multi store mall.......

Once many years ago I bought my eldest daughter a gift card from Cadillac Fairview malls.. only to be charged a whooping fee for purchasing it. I wrote letters (to no avail) and then vowed NEVER to purchase a gift from them again. Store gift cards (at least the ones I have bought - do NOT charge the purchaser an additional fee) I could only hope when I opened this one for me - that the policy had changed and my staff were not charged this additional purchasing fee.

This morning, as I was sipping my first cup of coffee of the day, and planning out my day, I thought about the gift card and what I might go and purchase with it. I went and found the card (I had stashed it away safely until after the festivities) and looked at the back to see a) how much I had to spend and b) when it expired.

There was all this legalize writing in VERY small print - in french on the back. (Honestly so small that I had to go on line and find the card and read the "terms and conditions" online) I thought I had read on my small card something about a monthly fee being deducted from the gift card (plus applicable taxes) every month. It was small and in french - so I was sure..... SURE !! ...... I must have misunderstood.

Well I didn't. Apparently Cadillac Fairview will deduct $2.50 a month from my card plus applicable taxes - until such time as the card reaches $0. No wonder the card doesn't have an expiration date........ the expiration date is automatic - whenever it reaches $0 ............. grrrrrrrrrrrrrr I am spitting tacks here.

Have you EVER heard of such a thing???!!!! I am enraged! I am infuriated! If I could I would return the card for a full refund and damn their $2.50 a month....... but of course I can't.

I will write Cadillac Fairview ....... again.......... knowing full well that nothing will come of it..... and perhaps I will post something on Facebook - I hear from Warren that some big manufacturers / shops /etc actually read Facebook - and have accounts there... People should be warned ..... read the small print.. read it very carefully - because the gift you give may just give back to the shop rather than the gift recipient.

(now I am putting my soap box away - and going to get ready to go shopping and empty this particular gift card before the store claws back $2.50 plus applicable taxes)