To expect a teeny bit better from a big name?

[KizzyBear]

Totally prepared to be told I AIBU and I know it's a first world problem but my DF purchased DP and I a £100 voucher for Marco Pierre whites steakhouse for us to treat ourselves due to me being in and out of hospital since the beginning of December with abnormal cells found on cervix turning out to be CGIN and other issues with my womb.
We finally got around to booking last night to kind of celebrate the end of a shitty few months and I've only just read the small print. It expired on 31st March
I called the restaurant to ask kindly if they would mind extending it due to circumstances the women that answered was kind and said that would be fine if I could send proof of results and hospital appointments (which I was happy to do.)
She's then gone of and spoken to the manager and manager has said point blank said no I should of told them this while it was going on. They now have £100 of my DF money and we have no amazing food
We've been a few times previously and I loved it, that's why he bought it.
So AIBU in thinking they could of extended it for extra 2 weeks? I know it's my fault for not reading the small print.

Did he buy the voucher on credit card by any chance. I think my credit card insures me for “faulty” purchases over £100. Not sure if this would be covered but you haven’t received the product you were expecting in exchange for the money paid.

Terrible service by the way. I have cervix issues at the moment and am pretty stressed. Will make a point of not eating at MPW in solidarity.

Social media is your friend in this!

Don't worry about your twitter followers OP - tweet it to their page. Find them on twitter, follow them, then put @MarcoPierreWhite (or whatever it is) adn write the rest of your tweet. Then it will appear on their page and make them look bad!

Yeah we've seen that also DP has looked into it and he also said 6 months so can't understand why it says 31st March unless it was purchased at some kind of deal? I'm waiting for DF to reply.

Public shame them on social media OP.

I think you should try the social media route; MPW Restaurants
@MPWRestaurants

He most likely did purchase through credit card so might be an option for him to have the money refunded and then repurchased.

I just can't get past the fact that they asked to see copies of your personal medical information as some kind of proof. I find the sheer arrogance of that request quite astounding. Fair enough if they want to be inflexible about the terms and conditions of their vouchers (although to have such a short expiry date and to enforce it so rigidly is poor customer service in my book), but thinking that it's in any way reasonable to ask for that kind of information is just shocking.

Can I tweet the thread to them? Or write a new tweet?

I'd phone again, and this time ask to speak to the manager.

Explain you had bigger things to worry about rather than telling a restaurant about trouble with your cervix.

Would it come under refusal to make reasonable adjustment for a disability (as it's a long term health condition) under the Equality Act 2010? As extending by a few days isn't exactly asking the earth...

OMG - send them your personal medical info? WTAF?

Please shame them on social media - I am appalled!

Tweet them as well, like everyone said - they need publicly shaming for this. Hope you are better now.

That is horrific! Wtf!

That's really awful, I feel really bad for you OP. Sometimes it's little kindnesses that make the big things so much easier and that's pretty poor behaviour.
I'm appalled they asked for proof of hospital treatment - who do they think they are, part of the NHS? Lol
You know , it's just one dinner ...
It reminds me - recently my dh was very ill in hospital some distance away and I was on a coach home for the night to pick up ds after visiting as the trains were off and a young woman sitting next to me overheard me mention on my mobile to my daughter that he was ill in hospital, and I was running out of mobile battery. She started talking to me and leant me her portable mobile charger to use, and we chatted all the way home.

Awful! Especially as the woman had already said yes! Twitter is your friend here!

OP sorry to hear you've been poorly.

Totally understand why you're upset about this but before you follow the advice on here to 'publicly shame' MPW can I suggest you give them an opportunity to resolve the issue first?

I would contact the head office in writing and explain the situation, hopefully they will be more reasonable and sort this for you without the need to sully someone's reputation on the basis of one idiot employee making a bad decision!

Would it come under refusal to make reasonable adjustment for a disability (as it's a long term health condition) under the Equality Act 2010?

Abnormal cells are not a disability. I know you're trying to help, but such a suggestion completely demeans those with disabilities (and I'm sure the OP would not claim to be disabled just to garner sympathy).

Sorry OP, you won't be covered under your credit card/ s. 75 CCA unless the provider is in breach of contract. Unless they have given a voucher with too short a date, they are not in breach.

You don't have any legal recourse in this situation. Hopefully common sense will prevail and they'll allow a small extension.

I can't believe they asked for your medical info! Idiots. Get on social media and shame the hell out of them. They need to explain the 3/6 months discrepancy too.

I know in the grand scheme of things it's only dinner but I was looking forward to it. We'd arranged a babysitter and we booked a hotel in the cube where the restaurant is in Birmingham. I'm just waiting for DF to confirm facts before I go wading in. You've all been so helpful

Looking through their Twitter feed they don't seem to respond very much. Still worth a go and I'll keep an eye out and retweet. But I would definitely email their Head Office and explain.
Good luck, you deserve the treat dinner.

No I'm totally am not trying to garner sympathy, as I know my experience isn't one compared to a cancer survivor. But a pretty scary experience and as I said it just wasn't at the front of my mind to inform a restaurant of my medical issues.

It really sucks OP. Gift vouchers that cost the full value of the voucher with an expiry date are an absolute scam. The government should regulate them better.

If your DF wasn't aware it was a 3 month limit, he may be able to get his money back. See: Which's explanation of his rights.

Good luck OP.
It's bloody appalling that vouchers expire anyway, as money doesn't!