Purchased a gift certificate for $250 from a local merchant on a Black Friday promo that adds a $35 bonus (promotional certificate). I understand that the promotional certificate may not be valid for redemption immediately, but in this case, the business states that the paid value is not valid for use until January 1, but the promotional value can be used immediately. Is this legal? I searched for similar cases, published law, and law interpretation on CA’s gift card/certificate law but found nothing to cover this topic. It doesn’t seem right to me that the paid value is not valid immediately and cannot be refunded. To get the promo, I basically have to offer an interest-free loan to the business for over one month.
Purchased a gift certificate for $250 from a local merchant on a Black Friday promo that adds a $35 bonus (promotional certificate). I understand that the promotional certificate may not be valid for redemption immediately, but in this case, the business states that the paid value is not valid for use until January 1, but the promotional value can be used immediately. Is this legal? I searched for similar cases, published law, and law interpretation on CA’s gift card/certificate law but found nothing to cover this topic. It doesn’t seem right to me that the paid value is not valid immediately and cannot be refunded. To get the promo, I basically have to offer an interest-free loan to the business for over one month.
Thanks,
Terry