Warning ! AVOID The House of Thai restaurant, Redfern (NSW)
They advertise a large range of dishes on the voucher seen here
http://i.imgur.com/d2iUiU6.jpg
But they cross of the expensive dishes so you can't order it.
http://i.imgur.com/F5RXckm.jpg
I have reported them to ACCC for False and Misleading Claims.
https://www.accc.gov.au/business/advertising-promoting-your-…
It would be great if you could respond to Waters' questions above Lakers, to provide a bit of clarity. I wrote my post assuming (based on some of the things you said in your initial submission) that you were given a different menu to other peeps currently in the place; i.e. that you were treated differently because you'd booked to dine under a voucher system of some sort. If that is not actually the case, then your post is misleading; all restaurants run out of things.
Assuming that a different menu was supplied to Lakers though Waters, I don't think your summation about the relative cost of duck/chook/prawns/(etc.) is counter-intuitive to Lakers' (implied) claims… a tiny amount of shredded duck can be tossed through a salad at minimal cost, which will not compare (financially) with a large chicken-satay main-course… What I'm saying is the vendor could easily manipulate amounts of certain ingredients, to make any one dish as expensive as another for them to produce (within reason, of course).
So Lakers, the ball's in your court. Did you get a different menu to everyone else in the place, or not?
Your poll has thrown up an interesting result, albeit with minimal responses. It suggests that so many peeps have had bad experiences with these types of deals, that the majority on here have decided to not even go there. And that's saying something, in this crowd! It's pretty telling that the number of peeps who've have bad experiences outstrips the number who've had good ones…
If your claims are true, you may get more of a 'result' by passing on the details of your experience to 'Scoopon', rather than the ACCC. I doubt the ACCC will take a serious interest in it; there's too many variables/blurred lines in cases involving vouchers etc. Scoopon may offer you a replacement voucher for a different place, and even if they don't, at least they will be 'on notice' that this joint is not living up to the terms of the deal it has made with Scoopon.
There's nothing worse than when something like this happens though; it can completely ruin the night out. I've never tried any of these type of 'discount booking' things, but I've heard a few similar stories to yours. One thing I can 'vouch' for is the 'Entertainment Book'/participating places therein, at least the 15 or so I've tried this year. I've always had the voucher honoured 'with a smile' at all of those.
Just out of curiosity was it an 'All U can Eat' deal?
I went to a Thai restaurant on a voucher and the king prawn dish had 2 prawns on it. They were big prawns, but 2? It is hard to know if that is their normal dish size serving.
It sounds like your Thai restaurant might not have put a lot of thought into T & C's for their voucher deal, and decided to add them, surreptitiously, later!
OR - Restaurants can run out of ingredients too, especially if they try to provide fresh ingredients. Is it possible that they just happened to run out?
Restaurants can run out of ingredients too, especially if they try to provide fresh ingredients. Is it possible that they just happened to run out?
Agreed, especially if you go on a weekend, and this deal was popular with 691 scoopons sold!
What is the item that is directly below the traditional pad thai? Chicken satay is on the menu as an entree, so I dont get your point.
Both are charcoal items. Maybe the charcoal bbq is broken? Yes I know there are charcoal lamb cutlets on the menu. Maybe they had to improvise and cook the cutlets on a gas grill instead? (purely speculating here) :S
Lamb cutlets are way more expensive than chicken. If anything they should have removed that instead as Turnip pointed out.
Restaurant scoopon are a hit or miss. Is it worthy of complaining to the ACCC? No
Given that the restaurant seems new (Only two urbanspoon reviews - one of which is yours), maybe they're still trying to cope with the sudden demand?
$29 for 2 ppl all u can eat seems like a very reasonable deal, even if chicken satay and prawns isnt on the menu. I assume there will be T&C's stating subject to availability. You'll be lucky to get 2 mains and rice for that price in Perth.
Each resto I've been has a separate menu for people using vouchers. But in your case, it's written in the deals page, so it should be honored. Maybe it's out of stock/ no ingredients? As suggested by GK, you should contact Scoopon first. Best case scenario you get a refund or a credit.
I don't think Chicken Satay is really that expensive… looks like an honest mistake, to be honest.
Chicken satay is listed at the top of the menu - first item. Perhaps that was just a duplicate on their menu?
As for the prawns, no idea… perhaps revisit the restaurant without the voucher to see if you get a different menu?
Wow. You've seriously taken the time to complain your $14.50 per head meal had one item missing off its menu and have reported it to the ACCC?!
That's insane.
I can understand you being peeved. I would really like to know though if it was an 'All U can Eat' deal. If it was, then this could be one explanation, as you never really know when a big group will blitz the prawns and you will run out!
I would have made alternative choices and eaten a meal anyway (like you probably did), however if you had just left the restaurant without eating, then you should have been entitled to a refund of the coupon cost.
Hey peck, it was an all u can eat in 90minutes deal. Checkout the scoopon link.
Okay I went to this restaurant @ Redfern via Scoopon and realised the same thing.
After about 6-8 emails to Scoopon I got a refund for half of the amount - mind you it was 4 people but I thought this was an okay outcome.
The food was average at best FYI..
Expect this restaurant to close by the end of the year (optimistic)
I avoid any type of group buy deals after seeing so much horror stories on OZbargain, especially if you trying to organize a night out and having to argue with the restaurant is the last thing you want to start the evening. @GnarlyKnuckles said above, Entertainment Book vouchers are the best ones to use, you use them at the end of the meal so the restaurant does not get to discriminate against you for it, plus you can nominate a charity at time of purchasing the book so it's kind of a good cause too. :)
This does not surprise me at all, I went to a Greek restaurant in Mosman (Zorba's) and the voucher said two entrees, two mains and etc. We got a 'set menu' which consisted of utter rubbish. It was awful and not worth the $30 it cost me (good advertisement for the restaurant, though, the other tables food looked amazing).
Night out with the wife, was shit.
Restaurants keep getting away with it. I suggest you don't tell the restaurant you have a voucher and order exactly what the voucher entitles you to.
Only reveal the voucher after you get the bill
I would do that with a mate, but not the wife. You gotta choose carefully when you may end up in a bit of a fight. I'm just gonna avoid from here, tons of these vouchers are too good to be true and worth avoiding.
quite often the terms are that youadvise them when booking that you have a voucher
Did you actually hear the staff members talking to each other and saying "this couple booked using a voucher, so give them the menu where we have removed all the expensive dishes"?
Or is that your assumption of what they did?
I can see how the king prawns could have been removed to save them costs (if that's what they've even done), but removing the chicken dish while still leaving on another chicken dish doesn't align with what you're claiming, does it? And aren't lamb and duck pricier than chicken?
Still sucks when you've paid for a voucher with certain expectations based on the info they've given, though.