Dick Smith gift cards: How you can get your money back
If you’ve been left holding a seemingly worthless Dick Smith gift card, you have some options to get your money back.
When Dick Smith Holdings announced that it was placing Dick Smith (the electronics retailer, not the gentleman who hasn’t been involved with the business for decades) into administration, anyone holding a Dick Smith gift card was instantly placed at the very bottom of the ladder of unsecured creditors. This means they were likely to be paid nothing at all for their gift cards when the final fate of the chain is decided.
So what can you do if you bought a Dick Smith gift card and you’re left out of pocket?
If you paid for the gift voucher with a credit card, you may be able to chase your card provider for a refund. If successful, you’d see the full value of the card returned to you. That may not work in every circumstance, but two different Australian retailers have set up schemes that may also help you out of trouble.
As the Sydney Morning Herald reports, Coles has opted to offer anyone who purchased a Dick Smith gift card through its supermarkets an exchange for a Coles gift card of equal value if purchased after 1 July 2015. Coles gift cards are accepted at Coles, Myer, Target, Target Country and Baby Target, Kmart and Kmart Tyre & Auto, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, 1st Choice Liquor and Coles Express stores.
Online retailer Kogan has also jumped onto the demise of Dick Smith as a promotional activity, offering anyone who sends in a valid Dick Smith gift card $25 of value to spend on its online store.
There are some significant caveats to that deal. The card has to be valid, although the value on the card doesn't appear to have any bearing on the amount of credit you get – it's $25 or nothing. You can’t use any part of the $25 towards shipping costs. You have to mail your card to Kogan before 1 February. The credit offered expires at 11:59pm AEDT on 31 March 2016, which doesn’t give you long to spend any credit once it’s approved. However, if you’re keen on anything Kogan is selling, it’s arguably better than waiting as an unsecured creditor.
Online retailer Mwave has also joined the Dick Smith gift card trade-in party, although it's only offering $20 of credit to spend with the online retailer. Like Kogan, you have to mail your card to the company, although you have until 15 February to do so. Credit applied will last until 11:59pm AEST on 31 June 2016.
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