An expired $12 voucher turns into a major headache for BP.
An expired $12 carwash voucher has turned into a $5 million lawsuit against BP, Pioneer Press reported.
A Minneapolis customer bought a $12 carwash voucher in November from Calhoun Beach Automotive, a BP gas station in Minneapolis, but due to a long line she decided to wait until later to redeem her voucher.
The voucher featured a code to enter at the automated carwash that expired in 30 days. When the customer returned 37 days later, and found the code had expired, and she is suing BP.
However, her lawyer, Shawn Wanta, is seeking more than just a $12 refund. Noting that this situation is so common that it merits a class-action suit, the law firm is seeking damages totaling more than $5 million—which is the sum the law firm estimates as the minimum value of carwash certificates since February.
The lawsuit was filed Friday before the U.S. District Court in the District of Minnesota. The suit noted that federal law prohibits the sale of gift certificates with an expiration date less than five years after the date of issuance, and that Minnesota state law prohibits the sale of gift certificates with an expiration date of any kind.