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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To insist on a free meal?

37 replies

clairecymru · 10/12/2016 15:39

I have received an email from my favourite restaurant. It says as birthdays only come around once a year have a free meal on us.

My birthday is next week and the voucher sent yesterday is valid for two weeks.

We were planning on going here for my birthday anyway. We tried to ring up and book a table a few days ago and they said that there were not taking any pre bookings at the moment but there will be tables if we are willing to wait or go early.

On looking at the T&Cs it says voucher is only valid for online bookings - but there are no tables to prebook for the next two weeks that the voucher is valid. It also says offer excluded in the month of December - which contradicts the must be used in two weeks.

AIBU to print out the voucher and take it with me and insist on a free meal?

OP posts:

MrsDustyBusty · 10/12/2016 15:41

Could you just give them a ring and see what they can do for you?

cheekyfunkymonkey · 10/12/2016 15:43

Absolutely within your rights to point this out to them, complain away!

SnatchedPencil · 10/12/2016 15:43

You can give it a go but they will be under no obligation to accept the voucher. You can't force them to give you a free meal because you won't have met the terms and conditions. (Even though you couldn't meet them.)

To cover yourself I would suggest you tell them that you will be using the voucher before you eat. If they refuse, make a scene or just take your business elsewhere.

It sounds like they are being pretty sneaky so I don't think you should feel any qualms about causing a scene there. But, legally, they don't have to honour the voucher.

DollyPlastic · 10/12/2016 15:54

UABU to insist.

You could try asking nicely.

pinkieandperkie · 10/12/2016 15:59

They don't have to honour the voucher. Causing a scene just makes you look like a dick desperate for a free meal and makes it awkward for other people. You were going to eat there anyway so why not call them and nicely explain and they will probably help you. Insisting won't get you anywhere.

NaughtyLittlePassport · 10/12/2016 16:10

I'd ask publicly before hand. Facebook or Twitter!

Bluntness100 · 10/12/2016 16:14

I think it's unreasonable yes. No tables to pre book could mean they are fairly full.

However it seems pointless to give a voucher to be used in December that's not valid in December. I'd just ignore it and pay for uour meal.

brasty · 10/12/2016 16:19

YABU to insist.
Just explain the situation and ask nicely.

Katy07 · 10/12/2016 16:21

The voucher is probably sent out automatically by their computer system because they've got your birthday in it - the fact that it falls in this busy time of year for them is unfortunate. Ring them and check or ask when you arrive. If they won't then they won't. You were going to pay originally so worse case nothing's changed, best case they do you a free meal

Yamadori · 10/12/2016 16:21

Trading Standards might be interested to learn that they are sending out vouchers with stringent terms and conditions attached, which mean that they can't actually be used during the period for which they are supposedly valid.

Katy07 · 10/12/2016 16:21

And don't ask on Facebook or Twitter - that's grabby and entitled. Do the decent thing & they might too.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 10/12/2016 16:22

Well I'd certainly take it with me and point out the incongruity in them sending you a free meal voucher for your birthday that you can't use because of when your birthday IS - but I wouldn't expect them to honour it. I might hope that they'd realise how ridiculous the situation is, and, being your birthday, give you the free meal they offered - but I'd definitely not expect it. (cynical with good reason).

dingdongthewitchishere · 10/12/2016 16:29

Before anything else, just give them a friendly call and ask them nicely. They might just offer to extend the voucher for January, when it's more quiet. I wouldn't get annoyed with a business without even communicating with them.

ShowMePotatoSalad · 10/12/2016 16:31

If it says "offer excluded in the month of December" then the offer is excluded in the month of December. It's shitty but I don't think you would be able to insist on the free meal.

ComputerUserNumptyTwit · 10/12/2016 16:31

I'm sure it's just an oversight on their part. Ask them - they might decide to allow you to use the voucher after Christmas.

expatinscotland · 10/12/2016 16:31

Dear god! All this insist, report them to Trading Standards, tweet them. No wonder places don't want to do promos like this. It's says it's good for two weeks, it says only online bookings, they're full up. But hey, be grabby and insist on a free meal.

Trifleorbust · 10/12/2016 16:33

God, how embarrassingly tight

expatinscotland · 10/12/2016 16:38

Isn't it, Trifle? I should have this for free, give me this free because I go there a lot . . .

7SunshineSeven7 · 10/12/2016 16:54

Ask nicely. Don't be an arsehole. Don't ''insist''. Don't mention the voucher problem AFTER you've eaten and are expecting it.

If they say no - deal with it. If they say they'll change it, then great!

baconandeggies · 10/12/2016 17:08

As your custom is worth a lot to them, email the company and ask nicely - pointing out that you felt disappointed to be ineligible to their free birthday meal offer as it's Dec and you can't pre-book online.

melj1213 · 10/12/2016 18:47

Why do people want to go nuclear - tweet/FB/demand/insist- straight away instead of allowing the company to sort the problem out?!

Currently the company have no idea that there is a problem, the least you can do is give them a chance to rectify it before you escalate.

If it was me I would call or email them first and explain the situatuion and ask them if there is anything they can do about it. Only if they refused to do anything or were rude about it would I even think about escalating the issue further.

I work in customer services and if someone comes to me demanding I do something and being entitled before I've eevn had a chance to sort things out, then I will do exactly what I am required to do as per our company policy/laws and nothing more ... come to me explaining the issue and ask if I can do something and I'm more likely to go out of my way to help or at the very least offer some other form of goodwill if I can't do what you want.

BeaveredBadgered · 10/12/2016 18:50

If you go there regularly you'll probably want to hang onto your reputation as not being a nob (unless you've been a nob in the past). So I'd say ask politely but don't push it.

RichardBucket · 10/12/2016 19:02

YABU

Ask nicely and you might get, but be gracious if you don't.

To use an MN favourite, you do sound very grabby.

GinAndTeaForMe · 10/12/2016 19:05

You are not being unreasonable.

talksensetome · 10/12/2016 19:10

I am baffled as to why you wouldn't just ring them up, explain the situation and ask if there is anything they can do?

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