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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Lost my deposit-AIBU?

231 replies

Outofpocket2022 · 12/03/2022 12:28

Not sure if AIBU to feel a bit annoyed by all of this….
My family and all live in different parts of the country, and although we all visit each other’s different houses etc at various points we try to get all together once a year for a meal out-generally on Mother’s Day.

We booked a restaurant (not a chain-small family owned type place) midway between all of us for Mother’s Day in 2020 but the pandemic happened and it got cancelled. We’d paid a pretty substantial deposit of £70, and the restaurant got in touch to offer either a full refund or that if we still wanted to visit then they would issue a voucher for the sum of the deposit plus a % extra per person as a thank you.
We accepted the voucher (perhaps foolishly in hindsight) and didn’t think anything more of it. Mother’s day 2021 came around and lockdown was still in place so we didn’t book anything.

Fast forward to 2022 and I booked the same restaurant again for Mother’s Day. They emailed asking for a deposit so we got back in touch to explain about the voucher.

Problem is, the voucher has expired.

I’m really annoyed with myself that I didn’t check in advance and also that I didn’t get back in touch with them perhaps the same time last year. But everything was still shut and it didn’t really cross my mind. The restaurant isn’t somewhere we’d pass so wouldn’t have been on the radar for us to visit earlier. I got back in contact with them via email to explain the circumstances and asked if they would be able to reconsider letting us use our part of the deposit (not the extra % they added on for goodwill) and it was a flat no. The response was from the owner rather than other staff so I’m pretty sure it’s the final answer. They said that everyone else who was issue a voucher has used it and they were a small business who had been impacted by Covid and they hoped we understood.

It’s not their fault that the voucher had expired-that’s 100% on us and we should have checked. But £70 is a lot of money to us and it feels a little bit snakey if I’m honest. Especially as they’d asked for our support in the early part of the pandemic by having a voucher issues rather than taking the refund.

So yeh, feeling a bit peeved but would be good to hear others opinions-AIBU?

OP posts:
YanTanTetheraPetheraPimp · 12/03/2022 13:43

@Wonnle

It's a bit off really given you couldn't use the voucher for most of the 12 months , slag them on (anti) social media that normally does the trick
😳 You’re a delightful individual aren’t you? The OP is 100% at fault ffs! She says It’s not their fault that the voucher had expired-that’s 100% us
Original poster
Outofpocket2022 · 12/03/2022 13:44

@SpiderVersed

OP, did you cancel the 2020 booking or did the restaurant?

Mother's Day 2020 was March 10th. Covid wasn't declared a pandemic by WHO until the next day and lockdown didn't happen for over a week.

If the restaurant cancelled, I can understand you feeling they should have been a little more flexible in their arrangements. If your family chose to cancel it, they restaurant has already been generous in the goodwill gesture on their voucher.

It's irksome, sure, but YABU.

Mothers day 2020 was end of March-22nd? It was that bit before the 'hard' lockdown and hospitality was already shutting down-they cancelled rather than us, although to be fair if they hadn't have cancelled I think we would have done so anyway
OP posts:
I8toys · 12/03/2022 13:48

YANBU - your mistake but poor customer service. It will cost them nothing to honour it and you didn't ask for your money back as you were going again. Its been a shitshow of a couple of years and we forget bookings and what we had planned that had to moved multiple times.

WomanStanleyWoman · 12/03/2022 13:51

@BankingOnChange

and short sighted! You certainly won’t be going back there will you

A customer who's made no effort to visit since March 2020 - I don't think they'll be crying any tears over the loss of custom in this instance tbh.

Even given that for huge chunks of that time, nobody could go to restaurants?

Look at how many restaurants have closed permanently since lockdown - then make glib comments about ‘I’m sure they won’t be crying over the loss of your custom’.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 12/03/2022 13:54

You've had almost two years to use the voucher. It's not their fault you chose not to re-book until now.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 12/03/2022 13:55

Even given that for huge chunks of that time, nobody could go to restaurants?

Restaurants have been able to open longer than they've been closed since March 2020.

HamCob · 12/03/2022 13:56

YANBU
I think they should have shown a bit of flexibility considering the pandemic and that you were clearly planning to return hence asking for a voucher.

For what it's worth I had a voucher given to me as a birthday gift and didn't look at it too closely. The expiry date was 6 months after purchase. I hadn't realised and tried to use it a week after it had expired. They wouldn't budge and I've never returned there despite going there lots before.
I don't ever ask for or buy vouchers now for this reason.

EinsteinaGogo · 12/03/2022 13:57

I think the restaurant is being short sighted, OP.

I can see both sides, but hospitality is hospitality. ,

The voucher is essentially YOUR money.
They got your money by not being able to provide the Mothers Day service they took your money for.

It wasn't their fault, and they've had a bloody tough time, but that's not your fault either.

You want to book again for Mothers Day. They should accept the £70 from the voucher as deposit.

Vitani · 12/03/2022 14:01

I don't really understand the expiry of vouchers and gift cards tbh. If they are willing to offer them, what difference does the date it is used actually make with regards to somehow negatively impacting the restaurant? If you are willing to offer a £70 voucher, why would it being used in 1, 2, or 3 years even matter.

Iratus · 12/03/2022 14:03

YANBU
It’s not your job to keep a small business alive! Regardless of a pandemic they’ve had £70 of your money that they have given you nothing for. Shortsighted given that you would spend way more if you attended. Did you pay the deposit on a CC? I’d be looking for a refund that way. I’d also be putting a calm but fair comment on their social media stating simply the situation.

Unsureaboutit9 · 12/03/2022 14:03

I wouldn’t expect them to honor a voucher that’s a year out of date, especially as theyl have been open for quite a while now and you’ve not even been in contact to ask to extend the voucher, but I think it’s pretty short sighted of them not to offer a 10% discount when you do visit or something. They really should have offered something as a good will gesture as it’s not a small booking and they’ve still had that money, though they arnt obliged to I guess. Their loss OP.

donquixotedelamancha · 12/03/2022 14:07

I don't really understand the expiry of vouchers and gift cards tbh. If they are willing to offer them, what difference does the date it is used actually make with regards to somehow negatively impacting the restaurant?

Because by putting an expiry date in small print very many people will not use them and the company will keep the money.

Companies will sometimes sell off gift cards for less than their cash value because (on average) 50% of the cards will never be used.

Concestor · 12/03/2022 14:07

The discount with expiry date is a red herring.
They cancelled your booking and asked to hold onto your deposit.
They now will not allow you to rebook and use the deposit
Ergo they have spoken your deposit.

They should allow you to book (not necessarily mother's Day though) and to use your deposit towards a meal.

Have you asked them if you can do that on a less busy weekend?

LondonDadToBe · 12/03/2022 14:08

YANBU.

You did a good thing when you accepted the voucher. Accepting vouchers rather than a refund helped businesses during a lockdown. You didn’t have to do that and you helped them out by doing so.

You waiting 2 years to return has not cost them a penny. It’s not like they were holding a table at a specific time and you didn’t show up. That £70 is just sitting in their bank account and it is entirely unreasonable to refuse to honour the voucher.

Unfortunately I don’t think the law will help you massively. The Irish law mentioned above doesn’t apply in the UK (though it absolutely should to stop consumers being ripped off).

However have a look at the voucher - was the expiry date reasonably noticeable and prominent? Or was it buried in terms and conditions on the back? Businesses can set whatever expiry date they like but they must be clear to the consumer at the point of purchase. If the expiry date was not reasonably clear on the voucher you could argue they have not adhered to this requirement.

If I were you and if the date wasn’t reasonably prominent I would write them a formal sounding letter saying you do not consider the date to be binding given their failure to act in good faith in bringing the expiry date to your attention. You may not have much luck but worth a try.

I would certainly leave a bad review. Places like that give small businesses who don’t treat consumers badly a bad name.

drawingpad · 12/03/2022 14:09

Nah, there has been ample opportunity to use this since 2020. Of your family circumstances are that you couldn't meet up as planned then that's just unfortunate, it was possible from the business POV.

LondonDadToBe · 12/03/2022 14:10

@Vitani

I don't really understand the expiry of vouchers and gift cards tbh. If they are willing to offer them, what difference does the date it is used actually make with regards to somehow negatively impacting the restaurant? If you are willing to offer a £70 voucher, why would it being used in 1, 2, or 3 years even matter.
Yep exactly. That’s why the Irish law is sensible - that means vouchers have to last a minimum of (I think) five years.
Ownedbymycats · 12/03/2022 14:10

I'd certainly highlight it on their social media, vouchers are always tricky.I read your post expecting them to have gone out of business.

Fupoffyagrasshole · 12/03/2022 14:13

I’d be angry seeing as You didn’t even know any to cancel in the first time but covid made it so and you already helped them out in a time of need by allowing them keep the deposit

GiftWrappingLikeItsXmasEve · 12/03/2022 14:13

I think hospitality was affected badly by pandemic. If it’s a small business I’d say you really should have checked the date.

Fupoffyagrasshole · 12/03/2022 14:16

I’d push that you now want your 70£ back for your cancelled original booking then and then go somewhere else

RealBecca · 12/03/2022 14:17

I'd do a final beg and leave it at that.

..understand where you are coming from, appreciate that they offered a refund initially however youd opted for a voucher and it's a lot of money for you all and you want to support their business, you would of course be spending money on top of the voucher so if there was any possibility they could reconsider and show some flexibility, even choosing a time that suited them youd be so grateful....

ChaToilLeam · 12/03/2022 14:17

YANBU. You did them a good turn in accepting the voucher, and now they’re unwilling to show a bit of flexibility themselves! They got £70 and you ended up with nothing. I’d never go back and tell them and others why, they clearly don’t care about your good will.

ConsuelaHammock · 12/03/2022 14:17

It’s very unfair of the restaurant. I’d put it all over social media.
Then I’d book a table and not turn up. Not really but I’d really want to get them back.

mam0918 · 12/03/2022 14:21

if it was for mothers day and they were locked down twice on mothers day then it's not your fault it wasn't used and it has to be extended by law because they didn't supply you with what was paid for on their end.

Also, you mention no T&C, so how can it expire there has to term stating its usage limitations for it to expire.

TheSunWillComeOut2moro · 12/03/2022 14:21

If they won't honour it say we'll we'll book elsewhere thanks. We had vouchers for a restaurant and they expired 1st lockdown, we got in touch and they said they'd removed the expiry date and we can use them whenever no problem. They had £80 and we couldn't use them for months and then they'd expired, it's just good customer service.