Voucher: Seems to be good if you know the code

David Lee

4.12.2020

Translation: machine translated

Everyone talks about these vouchers, but has anyone ever tested them seriously? Of course not. You have to do everything yourself.

A thorough test starts with the purchasing process. I immediately discover some explosive things. At galaxus.ch, there is no minimum order surcharge even for vouchers under 50 francs. The shop recommends suitable accessories for my purchase. Accordingly, the voucher for 30 francs is particularly suitable in combination with the following products:

• Voucher for 50 francs
• Voucher for 100 francs
• Voucher for 20 francs
• Voucher for 200 francs
• Voucher for 10 francs

A 200 francs voucher is supposed to be a suitable accessory for a 30 francs voucher? That's ridiculous! Digitec Galaxus AG only wants to take more money out of your pocket here, don't fall for it.

Snowball system fun factor put to the acid test

With this voucher, I can now buy pretty much everything for almost anyone. If something costs less, there is a remaining balance. If something costs more, I have to pay the difference. For the sake of simplicity, I buy something that costs exactly 30 francs. What costs exactly 30 francs? That's right: a gift voucher for 30 francs.

So I can build a snowball system - but one that's no fun. I'd have to be able to buy several vouchers worth 30 francs each with the 30-franc voucher. First interim conclusion: the snowball system fun factor is insufficient!

I can at least extend the validity date by buying a voucher later with the voucher. This is because each voucher is valid for two years from the date of purchase.

Transfer of ownership

We testers are often reminded in the reader comments that it is an advantage if the tester understands the intended use of the product. So I research what such a voucher is good for. On the internet, there it is:

"A voucher is a document whose issuer entitles the holder to a benefit." (Wikipedia)

I find more valid and comprehensible information at Weka-Verlag:

"The only benefit for buyers here is that the voucher can be given as a gift and seems a little less clumsy than giving cash." (weka.ch)

Or to put it in Wikipedia style:

The purpose of a voucher is a voluntary transfer of ownership from the buyer to the recipient in the amount noted on the voucher.

For the purpose of this transfer of ownership, there is a unique identification mark on the voucher - a so-called "code" - which can be delivered to the recipient via the usual transmission channels such as instant messaging service, telephone or, somewhat less clumsily, by bottle mail, thus completing the transfer of ownership.

Fully good.

Crack the code

I think it's less clumsy than transmitting the code if I encode the code so that it has to be cracked first. So I'll give you my test voucher, but you'll have to guess the code yourself. It consists of the following components:

• An unusual socket for lights
• The start of numerous flights
• Hotel booking for singles
• According to corona deniers, the cause of all evil
• Result of the lockdown
• Main road in Romania, not far from the mysterious monolith

If it's too easy: please buy a new voucher with it and continue the puzzle. Thank you
If it's too difficult: Muahahahar!

Conclusion: Buy it!

The voucher impresses with its fair value for money, is user-friendly and quite versatile. It can be reproduced at will and is therefore timeless. If you don't make it too easy for yourself by transmitting the code, you'll also get some puzzle fun. However, the recommended accessories are useless. I wouldn't buy it under any circumstances.

Update, 4 December 2020, 6 pm: Nothing has been deducted from the voucher yet, it seems that no one has found the right solution yet. But the Community has already come up with some good ideas. And one more clarification: The solution parts are arranged in the same order as the list above.

Update 5 December 2020, 10:45 am: By now, every solution component has been mentioned at least once in the comments. So now it's just a matter of playing through all the possible combinations, which is rather pointless. So I'll give you three more tips: The flights start in Germany, the lamp socket is not suitable for the flat and the main road is more than 50 kilometres away from the monotlith. If you crack the code now, remember that you would never have managed it without the Community. I'd think it would be cool if you used it to buy a new voucher and continue the puzzle.

Update 5 December 2020, 12 noon: An anonymous user has cracked the code and is going to make a new puzzle with a new voucher. However, he does not seem to have used my last tips, but simply tried all remaining combinations (brute force). Details and solution see comment section**

David Lee

Senior Editor

David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.ch

My interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.

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