International dining credit – restaurant removed from list after booking
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So I’m dining this evening at a restaurant I picked because of the dining credit, it was on the list up until a few weeks ago and I booked it a couple of months ago and paid a €180 deposit (which didn’t trigger the offer at the time as assume it was a prepayment).
I’ve just double checked the list and seen the restaurant is no longer listed but can see it was removed 4 weeks ago thanks to this list https://platinumdining.caffeinesoftware.com
I still plan on dining this evening but feeling a bit miffed that I’ve booked and paid a non refundable deposit but wont benefit from the offer.
Worth contacting Amex they might make a goodwill gesture or even decide the deposit is qualifying.
That’s rotten luck OP.
Hopefully Amex will be nice to you 🤞
The terms are very clear that restaurants join and leave the list so the cardholder needs to check before dining. Those terms are also explicit that “You’ll not receive a statement credit for the following charges or transactions: booking fees, deposits paid towards your meal, any upfront charges made by the restaurant, non-sterling transaction fees,cancellation fees, no-show charges made by the restaurant…”
It’s not a question of luck as suggested above, but a matter of complying with the terms of what is an admittedly ridiculous and sometimes burdensome ‘benefit’. The suggestion re goodwill or hoping Amex will be nice is quite optimistic as that is in short supply at Amex.
@JDB as a consumer you have the see the problem where restaurants which has long waiting lists are on the dining credit website then removed with no notice.
Personally I’m a last min booker / eater as frankly my life is busy enough without knowing where I’m going to eat in 3 months but I can absolutely see why this would cause issues.
@JDB as a consumer you have the see the problem where restaurants which has long waiting lists are on the dining credit website then removed with no notice.
Personally I’m a last min booker / eater as frankly my life is busy enough without knowing where I’m going to eat in 3 months but I can absolutely see why this would cause issues.
I can perfectly well see the issue as a consumer, but the consumer now complaining has spent £650 to sign up to a programme that has clear rules that appear to have caught them by surprise. The idea of giving you back your own money with these conditions is daft anyway and I certainly wouldn’t be booking restaurants I wouldn’t be happy to pay for if removed from the list or credit fails, leaving another six months to spend the £150. I also don’t think Amex should be expected to bale cardholders out of every error the customer makes; where does this entitlement to ‘compensation’ end.
On a different note, in my experience, those restaurants with long waiting lists are likely to disappoint relative to the expectations created.
Surely a fair situation would be that if a diner has paid a deposit prior to the restaurant being removed from the list then they should be entitled to cancel for a full refund of the deposit. Rather poor of Amex not to include this in the Ts&Cs between them and the restaurants who sign up.
The deposit charged by the restaurant has nothing to do with Amex though.
Surely a fair situation would be that if a diner has paid a deposit prior to the restaurant being removed from the list then they should be entitled to cancel for a full refund of the deposit. Rather poor of Amex not to include this in the Ts&Cs between them and the restaurants who sign up.
I’m sure the customer could have received a full refund of the deposit if the booking had been cancelled with the required notice. As @CJD says, the deposit is an entirely separate transaction that Amex can’t regulate by contract. The term in the Amex dining credit T&Cs re deposits is there for a good reason.
Yes, to be fair I would have received a refund of the deposit if I had cancelled 24 hours before the booking. However I only consulted the list at the time of booking and on the day of the booking so missed it dropping off the list before.
It’s happened to me before, fortunately the restaurant were kind enough to cancel without charge. I now set a reminder to check 48 hours before and won’t use one that charges a non-refundable deposit.
Quick update
Started a chat with Amex to ask about the credit, with me just mentioning a dining credit that didn’t post they very quickly said they could see it was pending and would release it, credit received the next day.
Credit where it’s due, very impressed with Amex as technically I wouldn’t be eligible under the terms but happy without any argument they provided the credit.
This is happening more and more but in the two examples I have experienced both then triggered. As it happened the 2nd was absolutely dire resulting in me removing a ludicrous service change and then a strongly worded letter of complaint that got me £100 in vouchers. Had a nice enough lunch a few weeks later and will never darken their gaudy door again.
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