Here is a nice restaurant SCAM

Two weeks ago my girlfriend and I along with another couple went out for dinner. I had made the reservation online and that required that I provide my e-mail address and phone number. I did not have an issue with that. We had a nice dinner and about three days later I received an e-mail from the restaurant thanking me for my visit and saying that as a sign of their appreciation they would like to offer me a $100 gift certificate for $85. I’m a suspicious chap so I called the restaurant to make sure this was legitimate. The pleasant woman that answered the phone assured me it was legitimate and said that if I gave her a Master Card/Visa/Discover/AMEX number they would bill me for the $85 and send me the $100 gift certificate. I asked if there was some kind of catch like the gift certificate could only be used on the last day of the month after 10:00 PM or something like that and she said that there were not any restrictions whatsoever on the use of the gift certificate. The four of us enjoyed our dinner there and said we would have to return so I figured I would take them up on the gift certificate deal.

On Saturday I was going through the mail and there was an envelope from the restaurant. I thought to myself “that was quick” and opened it up. Inside was my credit card receipt and four $25 gift certificates. My reaction was that it was nice of the restaurant to give me four $25 gift certificates instead of one $100 gift certificate because they probably do not allow cash back it you do not use the whole thing. Then I noticed the fine print on the gift certificates…”Only one gift certificate per table per visit”. To make matters worse, the entrees are priced in the high $20’s/low $30’s. Also, the certificates expire in March. Grrrrrrr.

I called the restaurant and spoke with the Manager. I explained that what I was offered was a single $100 gift certificate and not four $25 gift certificates that could not be used together. She didn’t seem to care and said that they offered me $100 worth of gift certificates for $85 and that is what I received. I told her the e-mail said gift certificate, singular, not gift certificates plural. I further mentioned that when I called the restaurant and asked about the offer I was told there were “no restrictions whatsoever”. The Manager would not budge. So now instead of going to one rather expensive dinner I will be going to four rather expensive dinners.

I can just see this place going out of business before I can even redeem one of the four gift certificates.

Do you have a trading standards type body you could report it to, who would investigate & potentially bring a case against the restaurant? Or a small claims legal process? I think it IS a scam and IMO worth trying to get the scam exposed. Maybe even worth seeing if the local newspaper wants a free story?

regards

Ian

Dave,
Did you save their email? If so, forward it, along with your story, to the local Better Business Bureau. That is classic bait and switch, pure and simple, and no amount of posturing will change that fact.

IANAL
Mark Lipton

Another avenue. Might be worth pursuing via the credit card company.

Dave, all those suggestions good and bad PR will work...eventually, but.
First thing I'd do, is call the fraud department of your credit card and tell them the scam and you won't pay as it was fraud and let them handle it.
Hope you let us know how it turns out.

Agreed with all that this is indeed a form of a scam and that action with both your credit card company and the better business bureau is in order. A fine way for a restaurant to lose good will!!!!!

Best
Rogov

All great advice! I was dealing with the Manager so I am going to try and contact the owner and see what they have to say. If they won't correct the problem then I will contact my credit card company. I had good luck with them the time someone fraudulently charged a dozen Metallica tickets to my account.

Thanks

Dave,
Did you save their email? If so, forward it, along with your story, to the local Better Business Bureau. That is classic bait and switch, pure and simple, and no amount of posturing will change that fact.

IANAL
Mark Lipton

"I ANAL"? Aren't most chemists, Mark?

Dave, I'd be bloody annoyed as well. Hope you manage to get your money back!

IANAOC,

Celia

Another avenue. Might be worth pursuing via the credit card company.

Yes - Dispute the charge ASAP - you did not get what you were lead to believe you'd get; that's fraud. And I'd like to know the name of the restaurant.

And if nothing else works, reserve four tables, invite three friends and spend a max of twenty five bucks each, of course wandering back and forth between tables to chat, to share dishes, etc. Nasty deserves nasty!!!!!

Best
Rogov (who can be very nasty at times)

Also try your state's atty general.

Also, some cities' tv news programs have someone to whom abused shoppers can turn for some high-visibility pressure to the merchant to "make it right or it leads at 6:00". I've seen that work in Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Tulsa.

Agree with Jon. Call your credit card company ASAP. It will be the fastest fix. Even if the manager makes good the sour taste lingers and will likely spoil the return visit.

[Jenise]

I'd go the credit card route too. I've put many items in dispute and have always been pleased with how things turned out. So much so that telling someone who won't deal with me, as your manager-person did, "then I'll dispute it with the credit card company and you can deal with them instead of me. You're NOT going to get away with this." has been quite effective, too.

Depends on how much they've pissed you off. If you just want to get this taken care of with minimal hassle, then the credit card route is the way to go. Rogov's idea would inflict maximum pain on them, though, and is the kind of thing I'd do if I were really mad about the situation.

In the manner of the Inquisition, before doing anything, you might show them this thread.

Depending on the level of your ire, David, do all of the above, up to and including Jeff's fine suggestion.

But definitely give the restaurant one more shot at making things right and refunding your money. Then go through the credit card. I've found them sympathetic in the past myself... and in one case where I could not have done anything about getting scammed (another country, far away) the malefactors caved without hesitation the moment the credit card bureau said they'd blackball them if they didn't cough up. I got a full refund, when I wasn't even asking for that.

Do NOT settle for talking to the manager. His/her incentive is to stop it at her level and not let anyone above know there was even a problem.

And make sure you badmouth them every chance you get.

Also, some cities' tv news programs have someone to whom abused shoppers can turn for some high-visibility pressure to the merchant to "make it right or it leads at 6:00". I've seen that work in Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Tulsa.

This was my first thought.

Pretty sleazy. I'd agree with several of posters above. I'd just dispute the charge with credit card. I guess you could call restaurant - if they'll just reverse charges, it's slightly less hassle than contesting charge. But I personally wouldn't take a $100 gc at this point, I wouldn't want to eat there.

And I'd post your experience on Chowhound, yelp, or whatever is popular in your area.

Story reminds me of a deal where I got short end of stick. A guy posted on another wine board that he had a $50 gift card to Picholine, couldn't use, year before expiration, did anyone want to trade for wine? Betsy works half of year at Lincoln Center (Picholine is across B'way) - we had always talked about one night when I attended going to Picholine for cheese and wine after performance. I figured we could order $30 food, couple glasses of wine, with tax and tip and GC I could be out for $25-30 cash. So I offered him choice of several wines worth $25-45 that I had extra of. He chose the 01 Monbousquet, which at $45 had highest winesearcher. He came by, we traded. Good deal. Except the "gift card" turned out to be a promo card, to be used only at dinner (and not for the $58 prix fixe, only for the $92 regular menu or $135 tasting menu). If I ordered cheapest bottle on list, using the "gift card" I'd still spend $250 with tax (8.375%) and 20% tip (not waiter's fault!). I could have pursued, but frankly I don't sit around wishing I had more Monbousquet.

Story reminds me of a deal where I got short end of stick. A guy posted on another wine board that he had a $50 gift card to Picholine, couldn't use, year before expiration, did anyone want to trade for wine? Betsy works half of year at Lincoln Center (Picholine is across B'way) - we had always talked about one night when I attended going to Picholine for cheese and wine after performance. I figured we could order $30 food, couple glasses of wine, with tax and tip and GC I could be out for $25-30 cash. So I offered him choice of several wines worth $25-45 that I had extra of. He chose the 01 Monbousquet, which at $45 had highest winesearcher. He came by, we traded. Good deal. Except the "gift card" turned out to be a promo card, to be used only at dinner (and not for the $58 prix fixe, only for the $92 regular menu or $135 tasting menu). If I ordered cheapest bottle on list, using the "gift card" I'd still spend $250 with tax (8.375%) and 20% tip (not waiter's fault!). I could have pursued, but frankly I don't sit around wishing I had more Monbousquet.

Here's hoping that the Monbousquet was corked.

Mark Lipton

He came by, we traded. Good deal. Except the "gift card" turned out to be a promo card, to be used only at dinner (and not for the $58 prix fixe, only for the $92 regular menu or $135 tasting menu). If I ordered cheapest bottle on list, using the "gift card" I'd still spend $250 with tax (8.375%) and 20% tip (not waiter's fault!). I could have pursued, but frankly I don't sit around wishing I had more Monbousquet.

Above truncated.

Dale, I can't help but wonder if you reported this transaction on the other board. If not, you probably should have, but OTOH, if not, you probably negated a lot of grief on that board. Not sure which scenario is the better.

Bob, don;t think the guy was intentionally scamming me, actually, so best to just shrug it off.

Bob, don;t think the guy was intentionally scamming me, actually, so best to just shrug it off.

Traveling the highroad, there will be far less potholes!