Ripped Off at Wildwood Restaurant

[janseman]

I've heard of Gift Certificates being nulled and void if not used within a given period but has anyone heard of Gift certificates that depreciate in value???

Went down to Wildwood Restaurant down in Mission because we had gift certificate from Christmas. We get the bill and it's well under $100. So we give the server the gift certificates to cover the bill, she returns to the table and reads us the fine print on the certificate that says that after February XX each gift certificate is only worth $37.50!!!! so now instead of being worth 100 bucks it's only 75 bucks. 25% depreciation in 3 months, it's a gift certificate not a cavalier!!

I can deal with it being in the fine print and it's my fault for not reading it before hand but WTF?? You buy gift certificates because they are like cash...cash doesn't depreciate if you don't use it within a couple months...

[natejj]

[quote[]..cash doesn't depreciate if you don't use it within a couple months...[quote]

Well its not cash.

Read the fine print.

[kaput]

That is bullshit. Mental note not to go there.

[shakalaka]

Well yea man they shouldn't generally. But if the fine print specifies it then it obviously is your own fault.

[janseman]

I know it's my own fault for not reading it before hand, it never crossed my mind because we had just gotten them at Christmas and I never would have guessed that they would depreciate. So lesson learned, I will not buy Gift Certificates from there or if I ever receive them as a gift I will use them right away and defineatly read the fine print first.

[Akagi Redsuns]

I would be pissed if I gave a Gift Certificate that lost 25% of it's value in 3 months as gift to any of my friends. I gave them $100 to spend not $75. What a ripoff.

The place got $100 in cash only to give $75 back to people when they use it? WTF? I never heard of that one before and would never support a business with that kind of Gift Certificates policy.

[rith]

Wow, those are some pretty shitty gift certificates.

[RSeXy]

Something similar happened to me last week. I had a $50 GC to go to SantaFe Grill. My dad got it at a Christmas Party. Anyways I went in and asked if I could use it and they said I couldn't?! The reason being was they changed the design onf the GC...umm ok. So someone paid for the GC, but I could no longer use it. WHAT A RIP! My friend and I didn't end up eating there and went elsewhere...I will never buy a GC for any place from now on! :guns:

[wildkarrde]

We just redesigned the Wildwood GCs, that problem won't be around anymore.

[ninjak84]

Originally posted by janseman
25% depreciation in 3 months, it's a gift certificate not a cavalier!!

Haha :rofl:

I think depreciating or timed validity gift certificates are retarded. It defeats the convenience purpose. Businesses should work towards making GC's easier to work with, instead of adding restrictions.

Wildwood Grill and SantaFe Grill have been noted for their crappy rules.

[moe007]

wow that is bs

[heavyD]

That's pretty weak even if they have it in print. Car dealerships can fuck people over with fine print because they don't care about repeat business but restaurants?

I would have said; "Oh the fine print. Minor oversite by myself. I will make a mental note to remember the fine print so I never buy a depreciating gift certificate for someone else & never come back here also. BTW: Can you please let me know what the depreciation precentage is so I can apply it to the server's tip?".

[topmade]

Reminds me, I have 2 $50 GC's to shanghai palace given to me at December that will EXPIRE June 1. I will give them the credit that it displays the expiry date bold and clear on the face of the GC.

I personally don't see any logic in this, $100 in December is still $100 now. Even if prices did go up, you would just get less food, but the money would still be the same. Anyways it's their business and that's how they want to run it.

[Zero102]

So if you don't pay the bill by a certain date does it depreciate too?

[janseman]

Alright everyone,

I got a confirmation from the restaurant about what had happened.

The restaurant has promo's around Christmas where the Gift Certificates are sold at a discounted price (in this case 37.50) but if used within the allotted time (2 months) you get the face value of $50, if not then the Gift Certificates are only worth what you paid for it.

haha so it makes the person who gave the gift certificates look good.

I didn't start this thread to bash the restaurant, the food itself was great!! I was just disappointed when the bill came and our gift certificates weren't worth the amount we thought it was, it would have made the situation better if we had someone explain this to us at the table instead of just saying the gift certificates are only worth 37.50, you still owe on the bill.

But i'm glad to have gotten this cleared up :clap:

if someone could close this thread that would be great!!