My sister came across a group buying website (scoopon.com.au) and saw a deal about All you can eat ribs at Tony Roma’s Sydney. She told me about it and asked if I want to buy. I thought it was a good deal and asked her to buy 4 for me (I do have a scoopon account, of course I could buy them myselves but with my sister already logged in, it’s easier just to ask her to buy). I know the terms and conditions is that one per person per day and I did intend to go there with my family, that’s why I asked her to buy 4.
Today, 08/08/2012 at around 6:45-7pm, when I got there, the manager told me that I could not claim all at once like that because they are all under my sister’s name. That is ridiculous as my sister was the one who bought the deal but she did that on our behalf. He insisted that I can use one and everyone else had to pay $25 each. I said ok, I agree to pay $5 on top of the voucher that we bought even though I know that I don’t have to do that. However, he still refused with the reason that the vouchers are all under my sister’s name. He said we can come back other day and use it. That is ridiculous because who wants to come back after going all the way on the train for 40 minutes, walking for another 10 minutes, preparing to have a good time with family in a thought-to-be-good restaurant, yet being kicked out of it as if we were beggars begging for free food. The fact is that we had pay $80 for being treated like their enemies, like second class citizens just because the voucher would save us only $5 each. If I had known about all this bad, I would have never bought their deal and I am sure that I will never come back to that restaurant again. It is very unprofessional to deal with customers that way by the manager and the staff there. If you treat customers differently because they bought vouchers, you should never promote your restaurant through group buying sites.
For that bad experience that I have been through, I must say it used to be a good restaurant in my memory but now it’s in my black list that I never ever want to set foot on it again. If you don’t want an upset evening, just don’t ever go there. Even the food is not that good to compensate for the crappy customer service.
Update 13/08/2012:
I lodged my complain on scoopon.com.au and here is their response:
Hi ****,
Thank you for your email.
I have spoken to the Manager at Tony Roma’s, who has advised you have printed out one Scoopons multiple times, instead of printing out each Scoopon once.
They all have different numbers to scan into their system, and since you had presented the same one multiple times, he was unable to accept them because they are all the same and only one could be used.
If you print each one out and go back to the restaurant, the Manager is happy to accept them all if they’re under your names as long as the Scoopon numbers look like this:
*****************
*****************
*****************
*****************
*****************
Thank you 
Kind regards,
****
Customer Service Team
That is such a lie. You have “guts” to do wrong but don’t have guts to tell the truth and apologise. Here is my response to scoopon:
That is not true. I printed different ones with different codes and checked them very carefully before we came because I know how the scoopon system works and I’m not new to this. He pointed to sister’s name and said they’re all under the same name, he won’t accept that. I said my sister bought them on my behalf, I tried to make him understand that but he was just too ignorant to accept it. I’m not happy the way he treated me and my family, showed us the door as if we came and begged for free food. More than $30 train ticket cost has been wasted. I’m not happy to come back ever and not willing to eat there or deal with that guy. He’s such a liar when he told you that. You should be there to see how he treated me and my family that day despite how desparated I was trying to convince him I brought the valid coupons, they’re under my sister name but they’re all different. I even offered to pay $5 on top of the coupon but he didn’t accept it, he asked me to pay $25 extra per person.
Take a look at the photos of the prints out I brought there that day. They are still in my bag since then. I want a full refund and I don’t want to be their customer. Not a single cent from me will be spent on them. Do you think I want to come back there after all this. To be honest, he’s such a coward not to accept his fault and apologise us for his mistake? What he told you just made me see more clearly the true colour of this dodgy guy. Just to let you know that I also lodged a complain to his head office that night. Probably his boss is firing his ass now and that’s why he’s trying to get away by lying to you with a hope that I will come back.
There is no other solution that I will accept. I want a full refund. If he wants to reconcile with me personally, he can write me an apology. Otherwise, if you have guts, you can pass on my message to him: “Don’t bullshit. God knows clearly what you are doing, so stop messing around”.
Scoopon:
Thanks for your response.
I have spoken to the Manager, he had advised he was under the impression that they were all the same Scoopon number, however he has also stated to me over the phone that he is more than happy to accept your Scoopons and take your booking.
I am happy ask him to call you to make a re booking due to this misunderstanding.
I hope you enjoy your meal!
Kind regards,
My response:
That’s surely not true. I have pointed to him that the numbers are different. They are all different. Even he knew that because he told me I can come back tomorrow to redeem them as today, my sister (the name) has already redeemed some (he knew they are all different, just under the same name of my sister).
Who will pay for our train tickets? Who will pay for the time we spent to get there? Even if they offered me to eat there 10 times for free, I wouldn’t want to ever get there. I want a refund so that my family and I can spend our experience somewhere else. Ask him what makes him think we can forget so easily the bad memory when we see his restaurant again? How ignorant and arrogant he was that day? Even if I want, my mom and dad wouldn’t want to come back there after a kid (to their age) has treated them like that.
If he writes me an apology, I will accept it (don’t ring me, write it). However, I still want a full refund this time. Whether I want to come back in the future or not, it totally depends on me.
Both of us and even him don’t have time to keep this going on forever like this. So, giving me a full refund is the only solution. He can write me an apology if he wants (note that from the beginning til now, he doesn’t say sorry or admit his fault at all). End of the story. I don’t want to waste our time. If you insist, I have no choice but escalate this to fair trading. Hope that I don’t have to do that and we can sort it here.
Best regards,
Anthony
Scoopon 14/08/2012:
We are sorry you feel this is unfair.
As we have offered a solution, and you are not willing to take it, we apologize but Scoopon’s matter on this decision is final.
Sam at Tony Roma’s is more than happy you have you and your family back and has mentioned it could have just been a misunderstanding, but if you would not like to take this option we will be unable to assist further, as long as availability remains at a restaurant you are not eligible for a refund.
We strongly suggest calling the restaurant and making a booking, explaining that you have several different Scoopons you would like to book at together.
Any further correspondence relating to this matter will be deemed as solved
I am sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Kind regards,
****
My response:
Never mind if that’s what you decide. I will definitely have a word with my friends and everyone I know and will try to publish this story to as many people as possible so they know they should be awared of your service.
I’ve just checked with Fair Trading and I know there are increasing numbers of complaints against you and the alike sites. http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/Consumers/Ways_to_shop/Internet_shopping/Group_buying_and_daily_deals.html
So, that’s probably why one more of my complain doesn’t really matter does it as you have lots of them already?
I have lodged my complain with the Fair Trading. You should hear from them soon.
You can keep in the loop with this http://ilovefood.com.au/wall-of-shame/worst-restaurant-in-sydney-tony-romas-all-you-can-eat-ribs/
Tell you what? If Fair Trading still can’t force you to give me back the money, I’ll take the matter to Current Affair, Today Tonight, Choice to alert other innocent people to avoid being ripped off by you and the dodgy restaurants.
To make it clear, it’s not about the money anymore. It’s a war against bad businesses like you and Tony Roma’s Sydney.
Hope you can sleep well with my $76 and don’t answer me like a senseless machine.
Anthony