What would you do?

[41sunnydays]

We went out for a family member's birthday lunch, I organised it and everyone paid me for the set lunch and I organised the paying the place and sorting out food options, sending details to the restaurant etc. Lunch was £25 each.

The service was not great and quite a faults etc. No one complained on the day as we are all very polite etc however I decided to send an email complaining of the service etc and they were wonderful and responded with a big apology and offered £100 gift voucher.

The question is what do I do with the vouchers. No one knew I was making a compliant, and no one else bothered. We can't organise another lunch as we don't all live in the same city.

It would be difficult to share out the £100, but is it bad if I just keep it ...

How many people were there?

Keep it and keep quiet.

If it was a money refund I would split it, but vouchers I would keep.

You could donate it to charity as a raffle prize if you felt bad about keeping it?

Use the vouchers towards the next family meal

I would not feel good about keeping those vouchers go myself,it would be very mean

I would tell them and see if anyone wants to go again. If you were my family member, I’d reply for you to keen it.

Take it as compensation for doing all the organising in the first place. You can't share out a voucher anyway so just keep it and remember not to mention it to anyone.

@RandomMess

You could donate it to charity as a raffle prize if you felt bad about keeping it?

That's a great idea. I'm sure there will be lots of charities, schools, local organisations who would really appreciate it as a donation to a Christmas raffle.

I think the other people who paid deserve to know. Once you’ve told them, they may even say keep it until they come next time and then use it together. They may say you could have it as a thank you for organising. Technically each person who paid is entitled to a % of the refund.

Invite them to another lunch after Christmas?

cant you use it for another meal out?

Give it to the person(s) whose birthday you were celebrating.

Not much you can do if they can't all go back to that same place for lunch. Just keep it.

I think it is cheeky to keep it when you didn’t pay for the meal. I would donate it, give it to the birthday person or give the others the cash or a voucher equal to their share.

Meh. Bonus for doing the mental load of organising (and complaining!)

Give it to charity

Yes you organised it - but that doesn’t sound like it was a lot of organising. I think it’d be a bit over egging the pudding to decide that you were “owed” it for that.

I think I’d give it to the birthday person as an extra present.

Or message everyone as a group and ask if they’d be interested to do another family event there in future. I know they’re not all in the same area, but they travelled to it before.

@RandomMess

You could donate it to charity as a raffle prize if you felt bad about keeping it?

Actually I vote for this option - unless it's specific to you I'd donate it.

I don't think anyone else would want to go back as it was very overpriced for what it was, and I as mentioned many people don't live near enough.

It was hard work organising it, finding the date, finding a restaurant with a suitable menu for everyone, taking / chasing everyone for money then orders!

@41sunnydays

We went out for a family member's birthday lunch, I organised it and everyone paid me for the set lunch and I organised the paying the place and sorting out food options, sending details to the restaurant etc. Lunch was £25 each.

The service was not great and quite a faults etc. No one complained on the day as we are all very polite etc however I decided to send an email complaining of the service etc and they were wonderful and responded with a big apology and offered £100 gift voucher.

The question is what do I do with the vouchers. No one knew I was making a compliant, and no one else bothered. We can't organise another lunch as we don't all live in the same city.

It would be difficult to share out the £100, but is it bad if I just keep it ...

22 people

@41sunnydays

I don't think anyone else would want to go back as it was very overpriced for what it was, and I as mentioned many people don't live near enough.

It was hard work organising it, finding the date, finding a restaurant with a suitable menu for everyone, taking / chasing everyone for money then orders!

It seems like you're trying to talk other posters into agreeing with you so you don't feel guilty. If you want to keep the voucher and use it yourself then do so. If you'd feel to guilty using it and keeping it a secret from your family then donate it to a raffle.

If 22 people are involved I really wouldn't bother informing them all and finding out what everyone wants to do. It is basically a fiver each. Just keep it.

Lotto tickets and put them in their Xmas cards...

Enjoy it yourself x

Charity Raffle prize.

No point trying to divide between 22 people - I would let them all know though.

Does the voucher have to be used within a certain amount of time? If you’re likely to be able to go back there, I’d use it for yourself and whoever you want to treat. You can always put more money towards the next family occasion meal, or put it towards a couple of rounds of drinks or something. The voucher only represents £100, you don’t have to use the exact voucher for your family, you can use it and then treat them in an equivalent manner.