In approximately 120 municipalities, gift cards for caregivers or low-income residents are unusable. For example, city passes and do-it-yourself passes are invalid after the bankruptcy of their publisher, Groupcard. Some municipalities want to take action against the company.
According to the AD, there are tens of thousands of victims. Municipalities such as Haarlem, Tilburg, Deventer, Dordrecht, and Zaanstad used the passes, and the newspaper reports that there were tens of millions of euros on them in total.
Municipalities have lost the costs of purchasing the cards. A trustee who spoke to the AD estimates the damage at around 14 million euros. The trustee is currently investigating Groupcard’s bankruptcy and whether the company acted unlawfully.
Among others, volunteers, caregivers, and low-income residents received the passes from municipalities to ensure they had access to discounts and local amenities. They could use the passes at local shops and associations.
About a third of all municipalities are affected by the bankruptcy of Groupcard, writes the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG). Several municipalities are looking into possible steps to recover the damage from Groupcard. The VNG facilitates this. How the passes were used differs per municipality, says a VNG spokesperson.
‘The municipality is considering legal action’
Zaanstad, for example, can no longer offer the ZaansePas. With this pass, people could get free access or a large discount at shops, restaurants, theaters, museums, sports activities, and outings in Zaanstad.
“This is especially a very unpleasant situation for the pass holders and involved entrepreneurs,” writes the Zaanstad alderman René Tuijn to the municipal council. For some schemes, the municipality will carry out the services themselves. “In this way, this service to our residents remains guaranteed.”
Earlier, Tuijn wrote to the municipal council that Groupcard may have acted unlawfully. “The municipality is considering legal action.”
Zevenaar, where the ‘Zin in Zevenaar’ card is no longer valid, points to a possibility of filing a claim or demand. “Filing a claim does not automatically mean that you will get the outstanding amount back,” the municipality says. “That depends on how the bankruptcy is settled and whether sufficient funds are available.”