Martin Lewis has a stern warning for shoppers who may be about to buy gift cards for loved ones this Christmas.
Speaking on ITV's This Morning on Thursday, the Money Saving Expert explained how he's 'not a fan of gift cards', after viewers asked what their rights were in terms of using Cineworld gift cards now the cinema chain has closed.
During the segment he warned against buying friends and relatives gift cards for Christmas, reports the Manchester Evening News.
He said: "The biggest answer I can give you and anyone else is, and I've said this many times before but never has it been more pertinent - I am extremely anti gift cards."
"The simple fact is that first of all some of them date - so someone buys them for you and if you don't use them in two years they are not worth it.
"But more importantly, if the company goes bust they are worthless. You just have to claim as a creditor on the administator."
He continued: "In this time of terrible uncertainty, and retailers won't like me saying this, the last thing I would be giving anyone for Christmas is a gift card, unless it is from a company I was absolutely rock certain."
Martin added that if you are going to buy a gift card, companies like Amazon and Selfridges could be safer bets, but said: "I'm taking a guess I don't know the strength of these companies."
Speaking on what people can do with their Cineworld gift cards, he told Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: "Cineworld has temporarily closed, we hope. Obviously we live in very uncertain times at the moment on these types of things.
"My team have been badgering them for an answer of what you can do with it but we haven't had anything back."
