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Ultimate Dining Card - $175 Bonus Expired

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Feb 9th, 2018 4:53 pm
razzledani [OP]
Newbie
Nov 1, 2008
35 posts
93 upvotes

Feb 9th, 2018 4:53 pm

Ultimate Dining Card - $175 Bonus Expired

Hi Everyone,
I am looking for opinions on this promotion. I received a $50 Cara (Ultimate Dining) gift card with the bonus $175 in coupons for Christmas. Last week I logged onto the website to see what coupons were available and they were all expired. I called customer service and they said that all the coupons expire 90 days after the card is PURCHASED.

It does not say that anywhere on the card. It directs people to the website to see the list of coupons.
I believe my gift card was purchased at a Shopper's Drug Mart in November during a promotion that gave bonus points if a certain value of gift cards was purchased.

My opinion is that this is false advertising and I think Cara should stop this promotion and offer some sort of compensation for those that purchased this.

Should a customer be expected to visit the website before purchasing to see the rules? Imagine an older person who doesn't use the internet seeing the offer and thinking they are buying a great gift. Isn't it assumed that the coupons will not expire or have an expiration date from when the card is ACTIVATED on their website?

It may sound trivial but I am thinking that a class-action could be a possibility. I have definitely seen cases where the advertising was much less misleading.

I have had many customer service issues with Cara and have never received a satisfactory response. When I called the number on the Ultimate Dining Card website, even they would not take my complaint and gave me another number to call.

Of course I can stop using this chain of restaurants but they own most of the cheaper restaurants in the city. Having a $50 gift card kind of forces me to use them at least once more unless I want to lose the value that someone generously gave me.

Please don't troll or call me names, if you disagree, that is totally fine.
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32 replies
Feb 10th, 2018 6:06 pm
muscleflex
Member
User avatar
Jun 10, 2016
355 posts
243 upvotes
Brampton

Feb 10th, 2018 6:06 pm

I noticed the same thing - went to use the card the first time the other day and found that most of the deals were only eligible for use in January, February and March - luckily we can still use the Feb and March deals but out of luck for the January ones. Had we not used it when we did we would have had no idea until it was probably too late.
Feb 10th, 2018 7:28 pm
razzledani [OP]
Newbie
Nov 1, 2008
35 posts
93 upvotes

Feb 10th, 2018 7:28 pm

Thanks for the response. My issue isn't so much that they expire, it's that it doesn't say anything about an expiry on the card. Isn't that misleading? They expire 90 days after purchase so what if a person buys it in October or November to give at Christmas and by the time the recipient uses it, all the coupons are expired?
Feb 10th, 2018 7:30 pm
razzledani [OP]
Newbie
Nov 1, 2008
35 posts
93 upvotes

Feb 10th, 2018 7:30 pm

Thanks for the response. Mine must have been different because all of mine expired 90 days after the card was purchased.
Does your say anything about an expiry on the card? My issue is that no expiry is even mentioned and certainly not a particular date or number of days after purchase.
Feb 11th, 2018 1:43 am
PointsHubby
Deal Expert
Feb 7, 2017
16541 posts
13868 upvotes
Eastern Ontario

Feb 11th, 2018 1:43 am

They are 2 Different things...

One is the item Purchased ... GC
and
One is the Gift with Purchase ... the Coupons

2 Different items = 2 Different expiry Conditions / Dates

The GC doesn’t expire, the Coupons do
And although they can be used together, they can also be used individually
(No need to have a GC to use the Coupons... in fact they were advertised this way IIRC ... give the GC, keep the Coupons for yourself)

This info was all laid out at the time of purchase...
in advertising, on the website (still there)... and evidently on a Coupon Card that came with the Original Packaging (see Website)
https://www.theultimatediningcard.ca

Honestly, you are barking up the wrong tree here
Feb 11th, 2018 9:17 am
Jonric
Deal Addict
Oct 14, 2017
1055 posts
844 upvotes
GTA

Feb 11th, 2018 9:17 am

Agree with PointsHubby. The info about the coupons having expiry dates was available to the purchaser of the gift card, who obviously didn't pass it on to you. It seems like a stretch to say that Cara was obligated to make sure this info would subsequently be available to anyone to whom the GC was gifted.

Also, you got it for Xmas but took over a month to check the specifics, something that took what, a minute? Bonus offers typically expire, so it's important to be aware of when. Consider this a saving lesson learned, and at least there was just an opportunity cost, not OOP.
Feb 11th, 2018 10:48 am
razzledani [OP]
Newbie
Nov 1, 2008
35 posts
93 upvotes

Feb 11th, 2018 10:48 am

PointsHubby wrote: ↑ They are 2 Different things...

One is the item Purchased ... GC
and
One is the Gift with Purchase ... the Coupons

2 Different items = 2 Different expiry Conditions / Dates

The GC doesn’t expire, the Coupons do
And although they can be used together, they can also be used individually
(No need to have a GC to use the Coupons... in fact they were advertised this way IIRC ... give the GC, keep the Coupons for yourself)

This info was all laid out at the time of purchase...
in advertising, on the website (still there)... and evidently on a Coupon Card that came with the Original Packaging (see Website)
https://www.theultimatediningcard.ca

Honestly, you are barking up the wrong tree here
Thanks for your opinion.
It was not advertised that way. They were for sale on a rack at SDM. There is no booklet. I don't think someone should have to visit a website to see that there is an expiry date. They should write on the back of the bonus card "COUPONS EXPIRE 90 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE OF CARD". Do you think that is too much to ask?
Feb 11th, 2018 10:49 am
razzledani [OP]
Newbie
Nov 1, 2008
35 posts
93 upvotes

Feb 11th, 2018 10:49 am

Jonric wrote: ↑ Agree with PointsHubby. The info about the coupons having expiry dates was available to the purchaser of the gift card, who obviously didn't pass it on to you. It seems like a stretch to say that Cara was obligated to make sure this info would subsequently be available to anyone to whom the GC was gifted.

Also, you got it for Xmas but took over a month to check the specifics, something that took what, a minute? Bonus offers typically expire, so it's important to be aware of when. Consider this a saving lesson learned, and at least there was just an opportunity cost, not OOP.
Thanks for your input. I checked the first time I went to eat at a Cara restaurant. I don't eat there every week.
Feb 11th, 2018 12:28 pm
Jonric
Deal Addict
Oct 14, 2017
1055 posts
844 upvotes
GTA

Feb 11th, 2018 12:28 pm

razzledani wrote: ↑Thanks for your input. I checked the first time I went to eat at a Cara restaurant. I don't eat there every week.
Whoever gave you the card could have told you, and you could easily have looked earlier. I can see an argument for putting some of the blame on Cara, but not all of it. And as I said, consider it a lesson learned at no OOP cost.
Feb 11th, 2018 2:26 pm
razzledani [OP]
Newbie
Nov 1, 2008
35 posts
93 upvotes

Feb 11th, 2018 2:26 pm

Jonric wrote: ↑ Whoever gave you the card could have told you, and you could easily have looked earlier. I can see an argument for putting some of the blame on Cara, but not all of it. And as I said, consider it a lesson learned at no OOP cost.
The person who bought it didn't know either because it is not on the card. Neither of us should have to look on a website to be told.
Yes, you are right that a lesson was learned and it's to stop being a customer at Cara restaurants.
+1
Feb 11th, 2018 4:10 pm
PointsHubby
Deal Expert
Feb 7, 2017
16541 posts
13868 upvotes
Eastern Ontario

Feb 11th, 2018 4:10 pm

razzledani wrote: ↑ Thanks for your opinion.
It was not advertised that way. They were for sale on a rack at SDM. There is no booklet. I don't think someone should have to visit a website to see that there is an expiry date. They should write on the back of the bonus card "COUPONS EXPIRE 90 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE OF CARD". Do you think that is too much to ask?
Yes, I actually think it is too much to ask

Because the Coupons were a Gift with Purchase Promotion... a one off if you will

While the Ultimate Dining Cards are their constant item...

So the cards they printed up a long while ago (tons of them I assume) will last for years

What would it mean if the GC was printed on it Coupons Expire on March 31, 2018 if the Card was bought / recieved by someone in December 2018, 2019, or 2020 ?

Or if they want to hold another such promotion this Christmas with similar Coupons ? Where exactly would that Expiry Date go if not WITH THE COUPONS themselves ?

I think your beef is with the wrong party... you are blaming Cara Foods

This promotion IMO was well marketed and advertised as GIFT WITH PURCHASE / COUPONS (and Coupons do expire)

When if as you say the GC was recently bought at Shoppers, and the Coupon Info was missing then
(A) Shopper’s removed the packaging (Christmas Packaging)
(B) Or someone else did / Customer

If you feel slighted / cheated out of that info / this promotion

Ya need to take this up with the SDM where the GC was purchased... cause it was them that dropped the ball in telling YOU the purchaser what exactly you were buying
Feb 11th, 2018 4:25 pm
Kiraly
Deal Guru
User avatar
Jan 9, 2011
11053 posts
13546 upvotes
Vancouver

Feb 11th, 2018 4:25 pm

Buying a $50 gift card and getting $125 worth of bonus coupons that never expire was never in the cards. That kind of deal doesn't exist, it's too good to be true. Of course your bonus coupons will expire. Now you're left with a $50 gift card that originally cost $50. Really is that so bad?
+1
Feb 11th, 2018 4:46 pm
razzledani [OP]
Newbie
Nov 1, 2008
35 posts
93 upvotes

Feb 11th, 2018 4:46 pm

PointsHubby wrote: ↑ Yes, I actually think it is too much to ask

Because the Coupons were a Gift with Purchase Promotion... a one off if you will

While the Ultimate Dining Cards are their constant item...

So the cards they printed up a long while ago (tons of them I assume) will last for years

What would it mean if the GC was printed on it Coupons Expire on March 31, 2018 if the Card was bought / recieved by someone in December 2018, 2019, or 2020 ?

Or if they want to hold another such promotion this Christmas with similar Coupons ? Where exactly would that Expiry Date go if not WITH THE COUPONS themselves ?

I think your beef is with the wrong party... you are blaming Cara Foods

This promotion IMO was well marketed and advertised as GIFT WITH PURCHASE / COUPONS (and Coupons do expire)

When if as you say the GC was recently bought at Shoppers, and the Coupon Info was missing then
(A) Shopper’s removed the packaging (Christmas Packaging)
(B) Or someone else did / Customer

If you feel slighted / cheated out of that info / this promotion

Ya need to take this up with the SDM where the GC was purchased... cause it was them that dropped the ball in telling YOU the purchaser what exactly you were buying
There was no booklet, the cards just come attached to the gift card. I can't believe that no one agrees with me that they should've printed on the card "COUPONS EXPIRE 90 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE" but I see that that is the case.
Thanks again for the feedback.
Images
  • cara gift1.jpg
  • cara giftback.jpg
+1
Feb 11th, 2018 5:40 pm
Dreamrider
Deal Addict
Jan 12, 2017
2141 posts
2107 upvotes
Langley

Feb 11th, 2018 5:40 pm

Looking at the picture of giftcard...
1. They should have indicated expiry date on the back. Whether it's common sense these coupons expire or not, is irrelevant. If there is no indication of expiry date, one has right to assume there is no expiry date.
2. Nothing to do with SDM, take it up with UltimateDining
Feb 11th, 2018 5:47 pm
razzledani [OP]
Newbie
Nov 1, 2008
35 posts
93 upvotes

Feb 11th, 2018 5:47 pm

Dreamrider wrote: ↑ Looking at the picture of giftcard...
1. They should have indicated expiry date on the back. Whether it's common sense these coupons expire or not, is irrelevant. If there is no indication of expiry date, one has right to assume there is no expiry date.
2. Nothing to do with SDM, take it up with UltimateDining
Thank you! It makes me feel better that someone else sees it the way I do :)
Feb 12th, 2018 12:19 am
PointsHubby
Deal Expert
Feb 7, 2017
16541 posts
13868 upvotes
Eastern Ontario

Feb 12th, 2018 12:19 am

razzledani wrote: ↑
There was no booklet, the cards just come attached to the gift card. I can't believe that no one agrees with me that they should've printed on the card "COUPONS EXPIRE 90 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE" but I see that that is the case.
Thanks again for the feedback.
Dreamrider wrote: ↑ Looking at the picture of giftcard...
1. They should have indicated expiry date on the back. Whether it's common sense these coupons expire or not, is irrelevant. If there is no indication of expiry date, one has right to assume there is no expiry date.
2. Nothing to do with SDM, take it up with UltimateDining
Finally, some photo proof

As I said before, this was a Gift with Purchase Promotion... Gift Cards were printed up the mega thousands... what was not used this Past Christmas could very easily be used next year... hence the no printed expiry dates on the cards / Packaging etc

Looks to me like you are at fault for not reading the fine print which clearly says:
View all coupons at UltimateDiningCard.ca
And
$ 175 Bonus Card
Receive $ 175 in coupon savings at 10+ Restaurant brands. Potential savings are based on maximum discounts from regular menu prices. Conditions & limitations apply, and vary by coupon, including but not limited to spending minimum and meal selection limitations. Valid at participating locations only. Full Terms & Conditions available in store and at www.theultimatediningcard.ca
That last statement... that is the really important one... you enter into a contract to abide by the T&Cs when you buy the item... you should have read up BEFORE you bought

Like I said originally, it is a promotional item... a Gift with Purchase

I don’t see the problem the fine print clearly tells you what is expected of you as the consumer and them / Cara Foods as the provider
Feb 13th, 2018 12:06 pm
ottawa_guy
Sr. Member
Aug 22, 2009
554 posts
498 upvotes
Ottawa

Feb 13th, 2018 12:06 pm

I got this booklet when going out for a dinner around Christmas time. figured i'd just buy the $50 before dinner, use it, and then get the free book.
There are some good coupons, but most of them are crap. Some chains have three of the same coupon (Jan/Feb/March) and some of them can be used until March 31.

Cara never did a promotion where the coupons didn't expire, so I totally got the hint when getting the book. Hey, if you can save a few bucks and get the full face value of the GC, anything else is bonus imo.
+1

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