30 days protection would probably be an acceptable compromise to all parties.

That would protect customers from the Christmas peak voucher sales period into the most likely period that retailers seem to go bust. It would give directors a legal way of still being able to sell the vouchers without being accused of fraudulent trading. And the major creditors still get a reasonable chance of getting more of their money back if the company can trade a little longer without an administration scare frightening customers away at the drop of a hat.

In my experience most young people cash their vouchers in pretty quickly.

I have often stated that the administration laws in this country mount to the point of a joke on quite a number of issues.

The problem is as stated by the person in the link who took action upon himself in regards to 'paid for vouchers'. People tend to get convinced that there is nothing they can do, except perhaps break the law, by stealing things them self (taking goods without accepted payment).

Over the past few years, there have been a number of increased incidents regarding not honouring vouchers, credit notes, tokens, promises and that included once well known high street traders, doing exactly the same thing.

The other point to consider, is that some of these companies (big or small) are very deep in debt, and the director's may well know this. Yet they will still make and take decisions that may benefit them self, and not the customer. And the law allows them to do this.

If HMV do cease to trade completely, because a buyer cannot be supposedly found, who will pick up the previous wage bill, or even the settlement of any redundancy payments, I suppose that will fall on the taxpayer. I appreciate that some companies pay an awful lot of tax, but others seem to get away with paying very little, compared to the profits that can and are being made in some form or manner?.

All I know is that I definitely won't be buying anything from any HMV store until they allow me to use my remaining credit.

That's a couple of my Xmas presents gone.