Money lost, due to inability to use gift vouchers

I purchased a gift voucher for someone online, and now they can't use it, because Mr Price wants a reference number ( a number that neither the recipient, nor myself, has ever received). I tried logging a call to ask what this reference number is, and no one responds to my online message, nor can I get a hold of anyone telephonically. Did I lose R1000 now, because the recipient of the voucher cannot use it?? I also recently tried using a gift voucher someone gave me, on an online purchase, and couldn't, because I had to enter the reference number. Again, a number that was nowhere on the slips or the voucher itself.