New legislation on Gift Vouchers comes into effect today, Monday 2nd of December, Cork North West Fine Gael General Election candidate Councillor John Paul O’Shea has said.
Cllr. O’Shea said: “This new legislation is great news for consumers, banning a number of unfair terms in gift voucher contracts.
“This new legislation will bring minimum expiry date of five years for gift vouchers. It will also put a ban on contract terms that require gift vouchers to be spent in one transaction and on contract terms that limit number of vouchers that can be used in a transaction.
“Furthermore, it will prohibit cancellation of gift vouchers or imposition of charges by airlines where the name of the gift voucher recipient differs from name on a passport. Ireland is first European country to enact legislation protecting consumers on gift vouchers.”
Minister Heather Humphreys said: “I am very pleased to be able to bring the five-year expiry date and a number of other important protections for consumers into effect from Monday. I am particularly pleased to do so at the start of the Christmas period when many of us will buy or receive gift vouchers.
“Consumers should not find themselves unable to use gift vouchers given to them by family members or friends because of unreasonably short expiry periods imposed by gift voucher issuers. Many gift vouchers until now have had expiry periods of just one or two years and in some cases it has been as little as six months.
“As of today, anyone who receives a gift voucher will have the certainty that it will be valid for at least five years.”
