CUSTOMERS with outstanding gift cards for Borders book shop in Newbury will have to pay double their value to redeem them under the administrator’s policy.
Borders UK Ltd, which has a large store at Newbury Retail Park, entered administration last week and gift card holders have been told that they may only redeem their gift cards against 50 per cent of the value of their purchase.
This means that anyone with a £20 gift card will have to spend £40 to redeem it in full.
Thatcham woman, Vicki Staton, claims to be a regular customer of Borders and was dismayed to discover that she would have to spend double to redeem her £15 gift card.
She said: “I actually feel really sorry for the Border's staff. When I arrived at the store, which, as is always the case, was really busy, there were signs in the window to advise that, due to the company going into administration, that they could only accept gift cards for 50 per cent of the value of your purchase.
She added: “I spoke to the gentleman serving me that this was contrary to what I had been told on the telephone, and that I had been spoiling to make a big fuss. In the end I left having spent twice as much as I had planned to, but having purchased some Christmas presents at 20 per cent off and wishing the staff good luck.”
The store discounted its products by 20 per cent when the administration was announced, but switched to a full closing down sale on Saturday (November 28).
However, it is not yet certain that the Newbury store will close for good.
Store manager, John O’Connor explained that shop staff had no say over the administration policy.
He said: "The one thing I do want people to realise is that the store staff have nothing to do with the policy.
When customers do start getting angry and taking it out on store staff it isn’t going to get them anywhere. Especially when they [the staff] don’t know what the future holds job-wise.
The issue with the gift cards is out of our hands although the majority of customers have actually been pretty understanding.”
He added: “All the people with gift cards are considered creditors. There’s a long list of them, and gift cards are at the end of that queue.
Philip Duffy, Geoff Bouchier and David Whitehouse of administration firm MCR have been appointed joint administrators and are currently trying to find a buyer for the business - which owns 36 Borders and 9 Books etc stores across the UK and employs 1,150 staff.