When using restaurant certificates, before I sit down at the table from now on, I’m going to ask whether or not they will be accepted.
A while back, I purchased a $50 restaurant certificate for $25 from one of our local radio stations. The certificate said that it “never expires.” I visited the restaurant with two colleagues from the office. After lunch, I got the bill, added on a gratuity and paid with cash and the $50 certificate.
Imagine my embarrassment when the waiter returned and said they would not honor the certificate: They had stopped accepting the certificate that “never expires.” Since I was with colleagues, and I did not have additional cash on me, I decided to pay the full amount of the bill with my credit card and dispute it later.
I contacted the radio station, and they said that the restaurant was in violation of the terms and agreement of the contract and that they should have honored the certificate. The station was very apologetic and to make up for the inconvenience, sent me two tickets to our local dinner theater.
When my credit-card statement with the restaurant charge on it arrived, I disputed it with the carrier and sent them a copy of the certificate. When they sent me a letter confirming that a credit in the amount of $50 had been applied to my account, I paid the balance of the bill.
Lesson learned: Ask first!! But the restaurant needs to learn, too: Honor thy coupons! Has this ever happened to you?
Angela
02:06:29 PM on Thu May 31 2012
I had a friend who had a similar experience when she went to a restaurant and her Restaurant.com voucher was denied. I learned from her experience to always check with the server before ordering. However, during one particular dining experience, I confirmed the voucher was still valid, but at the end of the meal, was told I hadn't spent enough money to receive the $25 off $50 deal. The server told me that the alcohol wasn't being counted towards the final amount, even though the voucher didn't state that limitation. Having purchased a number of Restaurant.com vouchers, I know to always read the fine print and in this case, the print didn't exclude alcohol. I was going to argue my case with the restaurant manager, but my date didn't want to cause a scene so we just ordered a couple desserts (which I really didn't want) and paid the check. In the end, I spent the same amount I would have if I didn't have the deal.
Carolyn Kirkland
07:50:38 PM on Thu Jun 7 2012
Just a note to say how much I love my Shop Smart magazine and now my husband is hooked and tries to read it first when it comes. So much information, my house has stacks of Shop Smart magazines. Thanks for all the research. CKirkland