Birthday dinner ruined - restaurant refused eat free offer!

[Heatherstory]

NC’d for this.

Birthday meal out at a local restaurant - they do an offer where the birthday person eats free as long as 1. It’s their actual birthday date and ID is provided to confirm and 2. There’s a minimum party size of 5.

It’s an all you can eat concept where food is brought to the table rather than you go and get it, a great deal as the food is lovely and the offer saves £30.

When we asked for the bill, we mentioned it was my birthday and I said I’d get my ID out of my bag. Someone came over (not the person we asked for the bill) and explained we were not eligible for the offer as only 4 of us had the all you can eat. My 2 year old DD was with us and obviously had a small meal (which we were to pay for).

My DH asked to speak to the manager - the person who came over said that he is the manager and refused to budge. We reluctantly paid.

We’ve checked the offer wording and it’s clearly stated it’s based on 5 dining (doesn’t specify it has to be the all you can eat) which we fulfilled.

It really soured the evening and we will not be returning which is a real shame as it’s a lovely restaurant, but they have been so underhand with this.

I think YABU as you are not 4 full price paying adults. Only 3 plus a child so therefore you do not qualify.

I mean you couldn’t sound any more snobby and horrendous

First of all, only an imbecile would expect that a £5 kids meal would count the same as a £30 adult meal.
The same type of imbecile that would leave a bad review, without thinking that through.

it wouldn’t be a shock if on reflection, we get a voucher to settle the matter.

So there we have the real reason, grasping for a freebie.

.....and correct!

I would always check before dining if I had a freebie offer.

However had I been the restaurant I would have given you the toddlers meal for free since it was only £5 to compensate the fairness... then if you moaned about that I'd have said 'sorry, is that not the cost of a meal?' Haha

That has to be one of the most ridiculous and irrelevant responses on this thread!

I don’t think anyone is of the impression any special offers that businesses have ‘come from the heart’ 🙄

The OP has the same tone and response style as that one where they met a teacher in a club and he said he thought she was hot when seeing her at Parent's evening and wanted him sacked. The responses rationalising behaviour that posters are saying is unreasonable and keeping the thread going by saying they are going to do even more outrageous actions just seems very familiar. Do people who eat out numerous times a year have their birthday ruined because of this.
I think we are being played, again.

Best way to avoid any confusion is to just clarify when you arrive rather than waiting after the meal. They would have told you at the start what qualifies you for the deal.

What's the name of the restaurant, OP? If you are 100% sure it does not stipulate that the free birthday meal cannot be used alongside any other discount (like a kids' meal) then I would have refused to pay for my meal

Oh my lord. Of course businesses are just out to make money! It’s their job. Do you go to work out of the goodness of your heart? Would you go if you didn’t make money from doing it?

That might be one of the most stupid things I’ve ever read. There are some really dumb people on here.

Four plus child. The deal was five adults.

If Karma doesn’t I think maybe the bluebird of happiness is due a visit !!

OP has made it clear it didn't say that.

But I, like the majority of others on here, wouldn't need it to be stated explicitly. Based on the fact it's a buffet place where each diner pays a set amount, it's pretty obvious the 5 diners need to be partaking in the buffet offer. She hardly would have shown up with 4 kids and expected the adult to enjoy a free buffet.

It's tacky and grabby.

If the birthday deal relates to the all you can eat buffet menu (cost £30) then surely by inference only people eating from that menu will qualify. You don’t need T&C as it would be clear that 5 people need to be eating from that menu.

If you leave a loophole, some people will find it and use it, so businesses need to make sure they close any loopholes. This restaurant didn’t make their Ts & Cs clear enough, imo.

Are you really that unintelligent? It would have taken 1 quick call to clarify. Seriously, its only £30, just stop being a drama queen.

I agree - I don't think the restaurant were unreasonable to refuse the free meal, but I also think they need to make their wording absolutely clear and specific so that there can be no doubt or confusion.

Always assume that someone needs to be specifically told.

@ThatGreatMember

I don't think it's unintelligent. I would have assumed that '5 dining' meant ANY 5 people, not just 5 adults - and it would not have occurred to me to check beforehand if it only applied to adults.

🤣🤣🤣

You can’t actually be serious? Don’t embarrass yourself. It’s common sense

@Lifestooshort71

What's so funny about my post? I'm simply saying that I would have read the policy (as the OP described it was written) as applying to any 5 people. It would not have occurred to me that they only meant 5 adults.

Some people interpret and understand things in very black and white, specific ways. Some people do need things spelling out to them. In this case, if the OP is correct in how it was worded, it WASN'T specifically spelled out that the police only applied to five adults - and some people NEED that spelled out to them in order to be aware.

Seriously? So you think 4 x £5 meals would cover a free £30 meal?

this is absolutely ‘these nuts contain nuts’ territory for me.

@Goldengirl123

Not sure if that post is directed at me, but if so - not everyone understands everything that is widely held to be "common sense."

What is common sense to one person may NOT be common sense to another person.

People's minds work differently and understand and interpret things differently. There are times when I've not understood or been aware of something that many other people think should be obvious, and they tell me I have no common sense.

But that's the issue with the idea of "common sense" - it's not as common as people seem to believe.

@arethereanyleftatall

Yes, I would, unless it was specified that it only applied to adults.

That is why I am saying that specicifity is important, because without it, there will be some people who genuinely will not understand.

I don't think the restaurant is being unreasonable to deny the free meal - the policy only covers adults, fair enough. But I DO think they need to amend their wording to specifically spell out that it only covers adults.