CHURTON PARK WOMAN'S PALMY GIFT CARD REFUSED FOR BEING 'TOO FESTIVE' IN AUGUST
A Stuff investigation into a retail policy no one can produce in writing.
A $50 gift card issued by a Palmerston North homeware chain has been refused at the counter for being "too festive for the time of year", raising questions about whether the policy exists at all.
The cardholder, Deirdre Fanshawe of Churton Park, had driven up to visit her sister and thought she'd redeem the card, gifted at Christmas, on a set of tea towels. The card has a sprig of holly on it and the word "CHEER". It was declined by the till, and then, separately, by the cashier.
"She looked at it, looked at me, and said the system wouldn't take anything Christmas after July," Fanshawe told The Daily Yarn. "I asked to see that in writing. She said it was 'more of a store feel'."
"It's August. The card is $50. The holly is decorative." — Deirdre Fanshawe
Two sources who spoke to Stuff on condition of anonymity — one a former staffer, one still on the roster — confirmed no such policy has ever been emailed, printed, or mentioned in a huddle. A third source, described only as "someone's mum on the checkout", said the rule had been "a vibe since about 2019".
What we know: The card is valid until 2026. It was purchased in December. The tea towels were $38. The cashier's name badge said Raewyn. Raewyn was, by all accounts, immovable.
What we don't know: Whether the policy applies to Easter cards in November, or vouchers with snow on them. Head office, contacted twice, referred us to the store. The store referred us to head office.
Fanshawe left Palmy with the card intact and the tea towels on the shelf. She has since used it at the Wellington branch without any trouble, suggesting either a jurisdictional quirk or that Raewyn is simply having a year.
Stuff has approached Raewyn for comment.
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Reader Letters
Garry (Halswell)
Retail's gone mad if you ask me! Who's ever heard of a gift card being too festive? It's bloody woolly-headed thinking, and it's what happens when management leaves good sense in the staffroom. If my Elsie had this happen to her, she'd have given them a proper earful. I remember the days when any business would be grateful for fifty bucks, no matter the time of year.
MumOf3_Riccarton
Why should the time of year matter? A gift card is as good as cash. Raewyn's just making a piss-take out of it. Next they'll be refusing cards for being too wintery during summer!
trev_Hornby
Mate, that's just how retail operates these days. If it doesn’t beep on the register, it's like the world stops. Raewyn’s just a cog in a bigger, more confused machine.
ropeable_dave
Whoever came up with this nonsense should be buggered! There’s a conspiracy in all this. Retail workers trained to push a 'vibe'? That’s just code for dodgy practices.
Sandra McKenzie
Raewyn must have a bone to pick or heaps of time on her hands. As for the mysterious 'vibe', it’s got all the charm of a damp flannel!
couchgremlin
Lol.
Garry (Halswell)
@couchgremlin not everything is a joke, but this situation sure is a laugh. Maybe stores should programme gift cards to self-destruct after Christmas if they want these arbitrary deadlines!
tired_in_riccarton
Could we possibly be overlooking what's essential here? It’s about understanding why Raewyn felt the need to impose her power on a simple transaction. What defines 'festiveness' anyway?
wayne1987
I reckon Raewyn got confused herself! Working retail around events screws with your sense of time. She's probably dreaming of December already and mistook the month!