A worthless gift certificate!

[Tuffcookie]

One of my Christmas gifts from oldest DS and DDIL was a gift certificate to a local dinner theatre (The Carousel in Akron, OH).

In today's newspaper there is a story about they are closing their door!

The date on my gift certificate is Dec. 23rd. How in the world could they continue to issue gift certificates when they knew they were closing?

I'm hoping that because DS paid with his credit card he can dispute the charges with his cc company.


TC

 

[binny]

yikes!
If they did it with knowledge of closing that seems a lot like fraud to me.

I would be calling and demanding my money back!

 

[freepixie]

That is sad to hear they are closing!! We used to take bus trips over there when I was younger, but they stopped taking the busses over last year or so when the gas prices were so high! We saw some great plays there - I will truly miss that place!!

And I wonder if you contacted them before the officially shut the door if you could get a refund on the gift cert.

 

[kpm76]

I would call them and see if they are issuing refunds. If not, call your Attorney General's office and ask to speak to someone in the Consumer Protection Unit. Good Luck!

 

[CF'er]

There are stores that did the same thing.... issued gc's knowing they were going under. Now the cards are just pretty plastic.

Sorry this happened to you. Maybe they will give you a refund. It's worth a phone call.

 

[disneymyway]

Oh that's sad that they are closing! They were pretty well respected for years, so maybe they will make it right.

Let us know, will you?

 

[Northstar]

The employees who sold you the gift certificate probably had no idea they were closing. The people in charge probably kept it pretty quiet that there was a risk of closing while they tried to keep it afloat.

It's annoying, but you are now a creditor of a bankrupt business. Happens a lot.

A friend of mine had a birthday party booked at a local indoor playground for the day they closed their doors. She, all the birthday guests, AND the employees scheduled to work that day were all huddled outside the locked doors, reading the "Closed till further notice" sign on the door in disbelief.

 

[happygirl]

I hope they will make it right with you

 

[Ohiodislover]

OP that stinks.

I agree that the employee might not have known. Many times that is the case, and businesses close with NO warning. Customers, and employees find out when they show up.

A few years ago, I purchased a gym membership, less than a mile from my house. 2 weeks later they closed that location, and refused to cancel my membership because there was a location within 30 miles. That was crap-no one wants to drive 23 miles to the gym.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

I've been hearing a lot more of this lately. Once these places announce that they are declaring bankruptcy, it seems they don't even have to honor the gift cards while they are STILL OPEN! I think it really stinks.

As far as selling the gift cert in the first place, it's possible that they thought if they sold enough, they could catch up on bills. A local daycare/after school program around here that was very popular, but just family owned did something similar. Their summer session/camp was a separate contract from the school year contract. They started taking applications for camp, agressively making sure everyone was getting them in on time by giving a strict deadline, and making people believe that camp would be "sold out." Well, they wen't under anyway, and everyone was out their deposit and had to find somewhere else that could take their kids for the summer!