Define "Everything on the menu"

CuteChocobo on 29/06/2011 - 12:28
Last edited 30/06/2011 - 14:37 by 1 other user

Hey guys, just want to hear your opinion on that particular phrase.

My partner and I went to a chinese restaurant with a voucher. We made sure we read the terms and conditions carefully since we got scammed and dishonoured due to the T&C change.

Anyway, the first time I asked the front cashier as I walked in is, what am I entitled to select from the menu. She said "everything on the menu". At that moment I was content, since it is also written in the T&C that you can select up to $60 of everything in the menu!

All is good, and the food and environment was excellent.

Comes to paying the bill, she told us that the drink was not included in the voucher. A WTF moment hits me.
She said that "Everything on the menu" doesn't include drinks… ok!
But the drinks menu IS ON THE MENU!!?
So unless my poor English had lead me to believe the term "Everything on the menu" means everything we can see on the menu… then I have no rebuttal for it.

In the end, I paid for the $18 drinks and left a bit sour!
On the positive side, luckily my missus didn't want to order the desserts since it is not part of the "Everything on the menu" clause too!

So now! What is your take on that definition?

Mod: Moved to Group Buy Discussion

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  • llama on 29/06/2011 - 12:37

    Personally I wouldn't define drinks as being "on the menu".

    But then again, I'd never use a voucher so I have zero experience with how to trick the shop owners, and how the shop owners trick customers.

    • djones145 on 29/06/2011 - 13:09
      +1

      i would agree

      i would have thought dessert would be on the menu though

      • wartortle on 29/06/2011 - 13:26
        +5

        Agreed, I would probably expect it not to include drinks.

        That being said they still should have been much clearer.

        • StewBalls on 29/06/2011 - 13:47
          +2

          Yep, they should've really been explicit in stating any exceptions; otherwise a reasonable person could be forgiven for the assumption that "everything on the menu" actually meant "everything on the menu"!

          I would've argued it out, even asked for the cops to be called if the manager thought I was ripping them off…but that's just me! ;)

        • CuteChocobo on 29/06/2011 - 16:20
          +1

          I agree so too! I mean I seriously dont mind paying for the drink, but to be hit by the bill where we don't expect it sure does turn a wonderful nightout into a bitter nightout!

  • neil on 29/06/2011 - 13:00

    Was this a group buy voucher or just a coupon?

    • CuteChocobo on 29/06/2011 - 16:17

      It was Cudo voucher for Chi Restaurant in Vic Park, Perth.

      • neil on 29/06/2011 - 16:27
        +4

        Just $25 for $60 of anything off the food menu at Chi Restaurant!
        http://cudo.com.au/perth/get-60-worth-of-authentic-cantonese…

        Terms and conditions:

        Voucher is valid for any food items on the menu. It does not include any beverages whatsoever

        • llama on 29/06/2011 - 16:37

          DOH :-D

        • CuteChocobo on 30/06/2011 - 11:04
          +2

          Cheers Neil for the clear up! =)
          When I first learn English 'food' means anything that we consume, so drink is part of our definition as well!
          However if thats how majority views it, then i guess I will take it as a lesson for today~

          I guess this is also why I didn't make it a big deal and just want to clear up the definition!

        • joannatan on 30/06/2011 - 11:12
          +1

          thats correct based on http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/food
          "any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc."

          but then the term and condition make an exception "It does not include any beverages whatsoever"
          http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/beverage
          –noun
          any potable liquid, especially one other than water, as tea, coffee, beer, or milk:

          at least you learn new word "beverage" that cost you $18 :)

          mastercard said "priceless"

        • finance on 30/06/2011 - 16:18
          +1

          if its in the T&C then there's no arguement. I always read the T&C carefully to see if it's included, that's where they make their money. Hence if there's no drinks i usually just get free water!

        • arcticmonkey on 01/07/2011 - 18:31

          Cudos to Cudo for being up front about this. Nice work.

  • CuteChocobo on 29/06/2011 - 16:19

    I guess it's a mis-interpretation on the fine prints then?
    I never knew the universal definition can vary from people to people.
    Guess with my background and where I've learnt English, food + drink == food and 'everything on the menu' means everything we can see on the menu!

    • llama on 29/06/2011 - 16:37

      Not mis-interpretation… it's called poor reading skills

      LOL at the post above here by neil…

      It's $25 for $60 of anything off the FOOD MENU at Chi Restaurant!

      http://cudo.com.au/perth/get-60-worth-of-authentic-cantonese…

      • Jabba the Hutt on 29/06/2011 - 18:10

        Hard to know if the page had been edited at some stage, if there are offline versions of these coupons with different text, etc.

        I tend to keep a record with this little browser addon when entering into a transction involving T&Cs on a webpage:

        https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/screengrab/

        • shump on 29/06/2011 - 20:18

          You don't necessarily need an addon. Just Save As, or print to PDF, or Alt-PrintScreen to copy an image of your browser window.

        • neil on 29/06/2011 - 21:28

          If you Google it, you will find aggregators that would have picked up the original description.

          http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=cudo+chi+restaurant

          DealZoo states food menu

          Dealya Cache

          You could always try the Cudo Guarantee although it would be pretty tough to make a case.

        • finance on 30/06/2011 - 16:19

          that's cool, cause sometime it's doesn't print right!
          oh you can't quite fit the whole page in the screen.

      • CuteChocobo on 30/06/2011 - 11:08
        +1

        Haha wouldn't say poor reading skills, but rather different mind-set when it comes to interpreting words.

        For us the word 'food'
        http://www.chacha.com/question/is-a-drink-considered-food

        or from Wiki
        Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, and/or stimulate growth.

        I ordered lemon tea, so vitamin C, herbal tea leafs from trees.. all seems to fit the description of 'food' don't you think?

        • joannatan on 30/06/2011 - 11:14
          +2

          thats correct but remember, you missed the term and condition that make an exception for liquid part of the food.

        • CuteChocobo on 30/06/2011 - 11:18
          +1

          Noted =D
          Cheers!!

        • clandestino on 01/07/2011 - 16:44

          not really. food is food, drink is drink.

  • wisc on 30/06/2011 - 11:45

    sounds like it should have said any main/entree… deserts i would expect to be included as it doesnt explicitly exclude it like it does drinks.

  • voteoften on 30/06/2011 - 14:33

    I think this should have been in the group buys discussion.

    OP - Does the $10 voucher have any conditions on it or is it like a gift voucher?

    Thanks

    • CuteChocobo on 01/07/2011 - 11:32

      That I didn't ask! Maybe I should =D
      Anyway going back for more of the 'Pepper Squid', one of my favourite dishes!
      Gonna take my family there, and will use that $10 voucher.
      I will post back and see what conditions were imposed on that voucher! I do expect it to have the same condition thou~ ah wells, that's 1 free entree =D

  • voteoften on 01/07/2011 - 16:27

    I think that when these group buy companies include the value of a voucher in the deal, they should put on the deal page any restrictions that are going to be on that voucher, unless it is a 100% gift card valid on any new orders with the company promoted.

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