Restaurant.com gift certs and the rules and regs with it.

My loving mother gave me a $50 gift certificate from Restaurant.com and I'm trying to figure out where to have a nice dinner for two. It says go to www.theidealmeal.com and find out who's offering what, and where.

There are a tremendous amount of choices, but they've all got different prerequisites. Like only using the cert. for dinner, two entrees, Sunday-Weds when the moon is waning and Jupiter aligns with Mars.

Has anyone ever had any experience/luck with this deal, or am I setting up for a big letdown?

Many LTHers are fans of restaurant.com, myself included.

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=745

I say, pick a restaurant that you'd like to go to and make the rules work for you. Most of them just restrict weekend use, but I have seen some more restrictive ones (size of party, lunch only, etc.).

Either way, I've used these many, many times without disappointment.

Best,
Michael

My first certificate from opentable.com (for $50) is "in the mail." I'm hoping there aren't similar restrictions! Nothing on the website (at least, that I've seen) indicates that there will be.

eatchicago wrote:Many LTHers are fans of restaurant.com, myself included.

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=745

I say, pick a restaurant that you'd like to go to and make the rules work for you. Most of them just restrict weekend use, but I have seen some more restrictive ones (size of party, lunch only, etc.).

Either way, I've used these many, many times without disappointment.

Best,
Michael

I've used these back in the day. There was a time were you can get a $25 GC from ebay for a few $$$. I have noticed that quite a few of the restaurants that I went to using the GC have since gone out of business. If you get one for a specific rest, use it quickly.

I have noticed the restaurant.com certificates have too many stipulations now a days. Some $25 certificates have a minimum purchase of $50, 18% gratuity before discount and not useable on Friday and Saturday. I think these new stipulations kill most of the deals they used to have.

yes, watch for $25 off a minimum of $50 or even $75 AND also restrictions like "food only" portion of bill (minimum/gift certificate often cannot be used to cover drinks -- but sometimes it can).

Also, on a positive note, we have had good luck with getting credit from restaurant.com when businesses close or stop taking the certifcates before we use them.

We use the certificates alot. Yes there are some restrictions, but we can live with them, for a chance to try a new place, without betting the farm on it.

We try to purchase the certs when they are on sale. For example, a $25.00 off cert, normally carries a price of $10.00. During 60% off sale, the cert is $4.00. Go to a place with a $40.00 mimimum.

$40.00 less $25 is $15.00. add the four dollar price of the cert, and you are able to eat $40 worth of food for $19. And since we like to try new places during the week, rather than a busy Friday or Saturday night, the restriction works for us.

My first certificate from opentable.com (for $50) is "in the mail." I'm hoping there aren't similar restrictions! Nothing on the website (at least, that I've seen) indicates that there will be.

Opentable.com certificates don't have any restrictions that I know of. They are accepted at any opentable.com restaurant. I too am waiting for a $50 certificate!

Someone said that they found Restaurant.com's restrictions, which includes "18% gratuity before discount", to be a turnoff.

I would hope that anyone using a discount certificate would always tip on the original price of the meals. The fact that the owners of the restaurant have offered a discount, does not mean the server should make less money.

Agreed about people tipping before any discount is applied.

That said, the rules are not dictated by restaurant.com in almost all cases. They're usually made by the individual restaurants, and usually for their own protection.

My feeling is that most restaurants selling gift certificates on R.com should probably be put in the death pool. Maybe not this year, but within 3 years I bet half will be gone.

A quick scan of Restaurant.com shows some of the "Death Pool" restaurants.

Don Roth's
Don's Fish Market
94th Aero Squadron
Gale Street Inn
Gino's East
Jacky's Bistro
Jimmy's Char House
Allgauer's
Ann Sather
Geja's
Hugo's
MK
Signature Room

Well, yes, I'm sure most of those aren't going anywhere (despite some of our hopes). But I said "most", remember. All I need is 51%, and who's gonna hold me to it in 3 years anyway?

Hi- Somebody on Jill Cataldo's couponing blog just posted that she bought a restaurant.com coupon for a crapes place in Woodstock that was supposed to be worth $25, and she was going to treat her daughter for her birthday. When she finished the meal she handed them the coupon, and they would not honor it, and when she contacted customer service at restaurant.com, she was hoping to get her money back, but all they offered to do was exchange it for another gift certificate. The restaurant is still listed on their website as having a coupon available. I have never dealt with restaurant.com, and know she should have made sure that they accepted the coupon before she ordered the meal, but does she have any recourse other than exchanging it for another restaurant? know when used to purchase the entertainment coupon books, I always let them know when I had a coupon before I ordered, and after a few experiences of the restaurant being out of business, I always made sure the restaurant was open. Thanks for any advice, Nancy

Did that person meet the minimum purchase requirement for the $25 gift certificate? Usually it's $37.50 minimum, sometimes more, with a $25 certificate.

Hi- She spent $52.

Hi- She just posted that she called up the Creperie in Woodstock, and spoke to the owner, and he is going to refund her $25, even though he acknowledged that they no longer accept the coupons. Everything turned out ok. Thanks, Nancy

I recently used one for sushi at Hanabi in Buffalo Grove and the food was great and the process hassle free.

Hi- Apparently she purchased the gift certificate one hour before she arrived at the restaurant. She has a few more restaurant.com gift certificates she has to use, and she is calling the restaurant before she uses them, and then she is never doing business with restaurant.com again.