Restaurant refused to accept entertainment book although Easter Saturday is not on the exclusions list.

charzy on 15/04/2017 - 22:15
Last edited 16/04/2017 - 10:04 by 1 other user

Just tried to use my entertainment book today at a Ribs and Rumps that has an entertainment book voucher under it.

They wouldn't honour it despite the exclusion date not being today. Terms and conditions for that are here

They claimed that since they were closed on Friday, the exclusion date carried over from Friday to Saturday.
Spent 10 minutes arguing with the manager that today wasn't on the exclusion day, and that if they choose to close on Friday that's THEIR choice, it shouldn't be related to today.

Anyone else have been in the same situation?

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • Olokun on 15/04/2017 - 22:24
    +18

    Sounds like they are trying to make up the rules as they go. The exclusions list is clear and absolute, I hope you didn't falter and pay full price?

    • charzy on 15/04/2017 - 22:26

      Manager wouldn't budge. I was going to contact head office and entertainment to see if this is standard practice as he said they were 'internal rules'.

      • Olokun on 15/04/2017 - 22:28
        +19

        There are no internal rules. The entertainment book vouchers allow you to only tell the restaurant you are using the voucher at time of paying the bill, therefore logically only the entertainment book rules can apply.

      • [Deactivated] on 16/04/2017 - 11:19
        +24

        Internal Rules
        What a crock of sh!t
        I have friends who work there and agree this store / manager is a toss
        They will do anything to not honour vouchers or discounts though
        They have gone down hill big time in the last few years since I have been there
        definately not as good as the old days

      • Love a bargain on 16/04/2017 - 12:25
        +5

        That's total BS. Internal rules can only be binding for staff, not for customers, by the mere fact that the customers are not aware of them and, therefore, cannot possibly have consented to them.

  • Mad Max on 15/04/2017 - 22:26
    +69

    Report them to the entertainment book and also give them a bad review
    Edit. and for good measure if this ruined your day also give them a bad review on google, TripAdvisor and wherever else you can think.

    • charzy on 16/04/2017 - 09:36
      +35

      Unfortunately I can't give a review on the entertainment book until I use it. The irony.

      • Love a bargain on 16/04/2017 - 12:23
        +14

        You can still leave bad reviews on other forums (e.g. google, TripAdvisor, Zomato)

        • anastasiastarz on 25/04/2017 - 00:57

          Don't forget yelp and to post it on all their social media pages.

  • djones145 on 15/04/2017 - 22:32
    +24

    Report them to entertainment book, i did it once when they refused to accept 3 vouchers for 6 guest, they gave me a voucher

    • [Deactivated] on 16/04/2017 - 02:57
      +52

      Was that one refused as well? ;)

      • Maxdax on 17/04/2017 - 19:47
        +5

        this is the sort of thing i come here for!

  • retiredfeline on 15/04/2017 - 22:33

    Strictly speaking there isn't an Easter Saturday holiday so they are in the wrong. A car park that offers 3 hours free on normal Saturdays once tried to charge me the holiday rate a year ago. A bit of persuasion on the intercom fixed that.

    So report them.

    • charzy on 15/04/2017 - 22:37

      Well I did my due diligence to see if today was a public holiday which it is, as I wanted to know if the 10% public surcharge was applicable. So I guess we got to be a bit careful now.

    • [Deactivated] on 16/04/2017 - 03:04
      +13

      It's certainly a NSW Public Holiday, as is Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

      Public holiday dates for 2017 and 2018.

      Holiday 2017 2018
      Good Friday Friday, 14 April Friday, 30 March
      Easter Saturday (the Saturday following Good Friday) Saturday, 15 April Saturday, 31 March
      Easter Sunday Sunday, 16 April Sunday, 1 April
      Easter Monday Monday, 17 April Monday, 2 April

      • charzy on 16/04/2017 - 07:32

        A few years ago it was only Friday and Monday. I hope the manager is paying proper penalty rates.

        • foxmulder on 16/04/2017 - 08:39
          -4

          I confuse. What was the rule in the entertainment book that you think you are allowed to use it?

        • tomsco on 16/04/2017 - 08:49
          +2

          @foxmulder: by the fact it is not excluded as per the Entertainment Book T&C's. It's specifies Good Friday/Easter Sunday. It doesn't exclude public holidays.

        • charzy on 16/04/2017 - 08:56

          @foxmulder:
          I'm confused. Where does it say that I'm not allowed to use it?

        • foxmulder on 16/04/2017 - 16:56

          @tomsco: Thanks. Thus in the book it only excludes good Friday and Sunday. OP wants to use on Sat.

        • foxmulder on 16/04/2017 - 16:57
          -1

          @charzy: was genuine question. No need to answer a question with another question.

    • PVA on 18/04/2017 - 09:08

      Saturday was also a public holiday.
      I never thought it was but it is according to FairWork and staff should be paid penalty rates that day too.

  • try2bhelpful on 15/04/2017 - 22:34
    +32

    I had a corker of an experience with a restaurant with my entertainment card many years ago. It was patently obvious from the start that the guy wasn't happy we were using the card; this was just topped off at payment time when he excitedly came back to us and declared that the card had already been used at this restaurant and he wasn't going to honour it. I took one look at the card, said it wasn't mine, and told him to come back with my card. He found my card, scratched off the square for his place, and, with very bad grace, gave us the discount. I'm not sure why some of these restaurants get involved with this sort of promotion.

    • charzy on 15/04/2017 - 22:39
      +22

      That's why I like using the entertainment book rather than groupon; you don't get exposed to second class service because you're paying less.

      • spackbace on 16/04/2017 - 01:29
        +24

        Yeah that's it, you don't have to show it till you pay at the end :) then you see their grumpy faces (sometimes!)

        • dbun1 on 16/04/2017 - 21:22
          +30

          I never understood this. They are the ones that opted in to the Entertainment Book in the first place!! Why act like a piss pot now that someone wants to redeem the voucher!?!?

        • freakatronic on 17/04/2017 - 01:54

          @dbun1: Exactly. Or is a gun to their heads to opt in?

        • hibijibis on 17/04/2017 - 18:56
          +5

          @freakatronic: too true. they should adopt the attitude of hungry jacks. half the time cant even be bothered to check if you have a voucher!

        • freakatronic on 17/04/2017 - 23:04
          +11

          @hibijibis: <3 Hungry Jacks voucher procedure.

          "Oh you mentioned a voucher? It must exist."

        • Meconium on 18/04/2017 - 13:55

          @freakatronic: Phone is fine.

        • jlogic on 18/04/2017 - 17:01

          @hibijibis: I just order everything on a voucher regardless if one exists or not. Haven't been pulled up on it yet.

          My friend couldn't believe it hahaha. Sucks to be paying full price for half decent burgers.

          If they do ask I have a copy of the voucher sheet in case, it's expired but plead ignorance.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 19/04/2017 - 15:24

          @dbun1:

          I never understood this. They are the ones that opted in to the Entertainment Book in the first place!! Why act like a piss pot now that someone wants to redeem the voucher!?!?

          1. The person you deal with probably wasn't the one who opted in to the Entertainment Book.

          2. They mightn't rationally connect that you mightn't be there if it weren't for the discount — some people are stupid.

          3. They want to have their cake and eat it too.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 19/04/2017 - 15:25

          @hibijibis:

          too true. they should adopt the attitude of hungry jacks. half the time cant even be bothered to check if you have a voucher!

          "Ummm, I have a voucher for 100 % off…"

        • bobbified on 20/04/2017 - 11:42

          @Scrooge McDuck:

          "Ummm, I have a voucher for 100 % off…"

          umm.. that's correct sir - 100% off the second burger! haha

      • anastasiastarz on 25/04/2017 - 00:58

        I'm with groupon/dimmi rather than the entertainment book, most of the time it's pretty good.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/04/2017 - 12:48

      He was keeping the change.

    • ruddiger7 on 20/04/2017 - 15:55

      Same for me, it was a very sizable discount, I think like a $50 reduction in the bill. If they aren't happy to do it they shouldn't be in the book.

  • hamza23 on 16/04/2017 - 01:55
    +5

    I've had a bit of fun trying to use the Entertainment Book, usually gets sorted out in the end but no without a quite a bit of discussion and can leave you a bit sour.

    (1) Most recently. $180 bill between 6 of us, gave them 2 vouchers (25% off, up to $25 value). Should have been $45 off = $135. Got told they could only give us $25 off total - as we would have to spend the full $100 maximum to be able to use the second voucher (as in $200 total spend). Got the website out and showed them terms, still no good, took a lot to get them to accept it.

    The restaurant will deduct 25% off the total bill for the table, up to the maximum value indicated on the offer. If multiple Cards, Vouchers or Digital Memberships are used, the deduction is still 25% off the total bill, up to the maximum combined value of the Cards, Vouchers or Digital Memberships.

    (2) Got told we can't use the entertainment book as we are paying by gift card (the person purchased gift card from restaurant at full price and were told they can't use entertainment book for gift card, only the diners can at the time - which is correct but we then got told we couldn't use it).

    (3) Got told that 3% credit card surcharge applies, strange as we hadn't seen it mentioned anywhere. When questioned it eventually became obvious that it was due to entertainment book voucher usage and they ended up 'letting us off'.

    Of course they are rare situations and 95% of the time it's no hassle.

    • charzy on 16/04/2017 - 07:35
      +1

      It definitely left me sour.
      Amazing why some businesses do this. Was all three conflicts with the same restaurant at the same time?

      • hamza23 on 16/04/2017 - 12:02

        Oh no they were separate restaurants at different times over the past couple of years.

    • ronnknee on 16/04/2017 - 19:09
      +1

      Name and shame!

      • Scrooge McDuck on 19/04/2017 - 15:27
        +1

        Yeah! Who do you know that pays full price 😷 for a gift card!?

        • Scrooge McDuck on 19/04/2017 - 15:30
          +1

          Rule #4 of OzBargaining:

          Never pay full price for a gift card. Better to give cash with a note instead.

        • blehgg on 20/04/2017 - 08:29

          @Scrooge McDuck:

          is there a page with all these rules? I need to etcha-sketch it out.

        • mavis30551 on 20/04/2017 - 17:13

          @blehgg:
          Unfortunately not, thats under
          Rule #137 of Ozbargaining

          We do not talk about OzBargain.
          Also Rule number 1,2, and 260.

        • blehgg on 21/04/2017 - 07:33

          @mavis30551:

          ahhh first rule of <strike>fight</strike> ozBClub.

  • Findo on 16/04/2017 - 03:43
    +8

    Which ribs and rumps was it? Name and shame so we can stay away or if feeling adventurous, use a voucher there.

    • charzy on 16/04/2017 - 07:45
      +19

      Ribs and Rumps at Macquarie Park/North Ryde (Google search reveals it as North Ryde, but it's near Macquarie shopping centre).

      • Findo on 16/04/2017 - 13:04
        +19

        Holy moly. My friend used to work there as a bartender and he told me the boss was a stingy (profanity) who got angry when they wasted ice cubes and soft drinks. He swore he wouldn't ever eat there himself.

        • Butterfly Gocha on 16/04/2017 - 17:12
          +2

          North Ryde ribs and rumps has been very so so.
          The ribs we ordered were cold and took ages to serve us.

          Not surprised by the managers customer service

        • Kranbone on 16/04/2017 - 23:20
          +2

          I've ordered from there. I ordered a full rack but only got half. Complained but was told I had no proof (was a takeaway order). Really disappointing as I had to wait 30 mins for the meal.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 19/04/2017 - 15:31

          @Kranbone:

          Rule #5 of OzBargaining:

          Always ask for an itemised receipt.

        • Kranbone on 19/04/2017 - 16:40

          @Scrooge McDuck:

          I did have a receipt? The issue was I would be unable to prove I did not get a full rack (they could've said I had eaten half?)

        • Scrooge McDuck on 19/04/2017 - 16:46

          @Kranbone:

          Rule #6 of OzBargaining:

          Always check your goods/services against your receipt before exiting the premises.

    • nobro25 on 16/04/2017 - 15:51
      +1

      That's Strange. I went there in 2012 to eat some ribs with my Colleges, coz one of my co-workers was leaving. I ordered a full rack of pork ribs but instead got half a rack. Later they gave me a full rack of ribs ontop of what I already have free of charge.

      Customer service was decent, I had a great time there. But yea it really sucks that they didn't acknowledge your coupon.

      • KLoNe on 17/04/2017 - 10:56
        +1

        Back in the day RnR were excellent, agreed. Now…

  • tomsco on 16/04/2017 - 08:52
    +2

    Would've just left exact change (as per the discount amount) and leave.

    • charzy on 16/04/2017 - 09:36

      I would've but I took the manager's word initially (he said that the entertainment book excluded Easter Saturday and he had the website printout but didn't show it to me.) so we paid full price. On the way back to the car I checked the T&Cs and nowhere was it stated Easter Saturday. I went back in to confront the manager but since he already has the money in the efptos machine he just kept saying its excluded because they were closed Good Friday, and the reason then was that the exclusion day carried over.
      As soon as he said he was a 'director' of the company I should've taken that as warning bells that I wouldn't get anywhere as I assumed he would have a financial interest moreso than a manager, so I just got his name and was going to contact the Entertainment book and headoffice later.

      • [Deactivated] on 16/04/2017 - 11:22
        +4

        Director of the company
        Unliking to be on the floor of a store acting like a toss
        sounds like this clown needs to be talked to
        Lodge a formal complaint with both Ribs and Rumps H.O and also to Entertainment

        • cmdwedge on 20/04/2017 - 06:19

          Burma Shave.

      • tomsco on 16/04/2017 - 12:48
        +5

        OK. Fair enough.

        I'd doubt the guy is a director. To get to that sort of position, you'd expect them to have some idea of customer retention and the effect of a experience could have on the business, especially when spewing crap out of his mouth.

        I've experienced it before at Maccas. Shift managers that act as if any discount comes out of their own pocket.

        • smpantsonfire on 16/04/2017 - 22:03
          +3

          hehe no way, I was a shift manager at Maccas. Discount Discount Discount. Forgot your cheeseburger? Sorry, have 2 haha. It was like my bonus, for not getting bonuses.

        • tomsco on 16/04/2017 - 22:52

          @smpantsonfire:

          Haha, same. I leaned toward your attitude, but a shifty I worked with acted as above.

        • berry580 on 17/04/2017 - 02:09
          +1

          Director just means he's in charge of the company. If he's the owner, he can make himself the 'director'. No rocket science involved, i trust he didn't invent the concept of 'stingy boss' either.

        • tomsco on 17/04/2017 - 07:10

          @berry580:

          I did think of that point, but considering that this is a chain, even if it is a franchise model, the owner is probably too dumb to think of calling himself a director. I mean, unless it's Maccas or something, why send $x every month to some coroporation when you could do just as well without a franchise with some good business planning.

        • T1OOO on 18/04/2017 - 10:07
          +1

          Director isnt much, im a director of a company…. its like $500 to register a company and be the sole director.
          but im sure there was a clause some where about acting lawfully that he would have put his name too…..

        • tomsco on 18/04/2017 - 11:21

          @T1OOO:

          Read my next comment

    • SaberX on 19/04/2017 - 00:57

      This brings up a fair point - we had this once: Can you legally just pay the discounted difference (when they deny it) and just walk off, and get arrested or in trouble if they called the cops?

      Who would be in the technical right or wrong? Could you then show the cops your technical right to discount, and as you're obviously in the right could they force the business to honour it? Or it is beyond legal law powers?

      Just curious.. would love to put exact change and walk out and see if that is legally ok, but i guess the next hardest thing is how many people carry the exact change?!

      • Scrooge McDuck on 19/04/2017 - 15:39

        My guess is the Police would regard it as a civil dispute.

        • SaberX on 19/04/2017 - 23:20

          So they wouldn't give a toss?

        • Scrooge McDuck on 19/04/2017 - 23:43
          -1

          @SaberX:

          Aye.

        • SaberX on 20/04/2017 - 02:41

          @Scrooge McDuck:

          i still reckon the owners would call the cops on you… would love to dish out the exact amount less discount and walk away.. see if they stop you…

  • CCDee on 16/04/2017 - 09:11
    +17

    When a restaurant signs up to have their vouchers on entertainment book they agree to abide by entertainment book's rules of use.

    If the restaurant doesn't like that customers can use vouchers on easter saturday then don't list on the book.

    simple stuff.

    if you speak to entertainment book they should hopefully refund you the difference and give a stern word to that store. If enough people complain, entertainment book might put out a notice to all stores reminding them of the rules of use that "those" stores signed up to.

      • charzy on 16/04/2017 - 11:34
        +1

        I don't see the relevance of your link to this topic. That link shows which stores accept the entertainment book on Friday and Sunday (which are the two exclusion days).

        • ensanguined on 17/04/2017 - 23:13

          Never used one of these vouchers but some serious conflicting messages here. Rules don't say Easter Monday is excluded but why would certain restaurants expressly state that Easter Monday is acceptable if by default it was always acceptable? Examples are all of the Brisbane listings.

      • ronnknee on 16/04/2017 - 19:06
        +3

        Did you even read the page yourself?

  • [Deactivated] on 16/04/2017 - 11:16
    +10

    Ribs and Rumps of today is crap
    overpriced drinks and sub par meals
    Leave plenty of negative feedback

  • l005e on 16/04/2017 - 15:51
    +1

    eww why would you go there anyway?

  • CI on 16/04/2017 - 16:11
    +1

    If that was me - either you give discount or im not paying anything at all. In such cases that works perfectly (given you are in the right ! )

  • Donaldhump on 16/04/2017 - 16:11
    +11

    drop ur own rib and rump on the toilet seat, and consider it pay back

    • Scrooge McDuck on 19/04/2017 - 15:41

      drop ur own rib and rump on the toilet seat,

      Or in the cistern; it's the gift that keeps on giving!

  • ronnknee on 16/04/2017 - 18:29
    +1

    Contact the Entertainment Book company. Last time I had an issue with a restaurant (Torque at Concord in 2015/2016), Entertainment Book offered me some gift voucher for another restaurant. Not the most ideal resolution but there's only so much they can do.

    I went to Neptune yesterday at Brighton and they accepted my voucher.

    • [Deactivated] on 16/04/2017 - 18:40

      They can organise a refund of the meal, as what was supposed to happen

      • ronnknee on 16/04/2017 - 18:47
        +1

        They can only act as a mediator. If the merchant is unwilling cooperate (like what happened in my case), what can they really do?

        • Matt P on 16/04/2017 - 23:42

          Well they could no longer deal with them… but thats unlikely…. entertainment book wants as many vouchers in their book as possible

        • ronnknee on 16/04/2017 - 23:51

          @Matt P: They could, but how is that going to benefit you? You will still not get a refund from the merchant if the merchant refuses.

        • Matt P on 16/04/2017 - 23:52

          @ronnknee: yeah agreed, if the merchant really wants to dig their heels in, there is nothing that EntBook can do except pull their agreement, which they will def not do.

  • nikey2k27 on 16/04/2017 - 20:13
    +5

    Ribs and Rumps is shit anyway.

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