When is a pound sterling equal to an Irish pound? When it is a gift voucher bought in the UK.
A Co Meath consumer offering two £25 vouchers bought in Mothercare in England was offered the "face value" only. A spokeswoman for Mothercare said currency difficulties meant the stores could only offer this.
The European Consumer Centre in Dublin said retailers can set their own terms for gift vouchers, and that part 3 of Mothercare's conditions said the "voucher could only be exchanged for goods of equal value or of a higher value than its face. The voucher cannot be exchanged for cash and no change will be give if it is exchanged for goods less than its face value."
A Dublin consumer given a gift voucher for Waterstones bought in Edinburgh was equally upset when Waterstones in Dublin told her the same thing. The sterling mark-up on books made this a double insult, she said.
She was offered a 25 per cent increase on the face value as a goodwill gesture. Mr Alan Warnock, manager of Water stones in Dawson Street, said some of its gift vouchers are stamped with the mark of the shop where they are bought.
"My understanding is that we only have to give face value within the jurisdiction," he added, but vouchers clearly stamped by UK stores would be honoured.
Some retailers, like Next, have decided that vouchers can only be used in the jurisdiction in which they are bought.
A spokeswoman for the European Consumer Centre said: "This a grey area and is not clear cut, so it is very much a case of buyer beware. Consumers should check the terms and conditions at the point of sale, particularly if you are buying a gift voucher in one jurisdiction for use in another.
"A trader cannot introduce new terms and conditions after the contract has been concluded. So, unless it was clearly set out or implied in the contract that the shop will only offer face value for a voucher, a consumer can argue their case and see how receptive a shop is."
The centre has received complaints from consumers offered face value only for Argos vouchers originating in the UK. An Argos spokeswoman confirmed that vouchers are redeemable for face value, regardless of where they are bought. She said this works both ways, so a voucher bought in the Republic for Irish pounds can be redeemed at the sterling face value in the UK.
The centre also received a complaint from a consumer who bought a gift voucher in Benetton in Galway and found it could only be redeemed there.
A spokesman for Benetton said its shops operated independently and there was no agreement about gift vouchers.