Restaurant.com Questions & Answers

They are reviewing restaurant.com company/website. It is as close to being a complete scam as possible. I don't think people realize how this whole "scheme" works. (Optionally) First, you acquire a restaurant.com gift card that you or someone else purchased for you. Typical cost is $4 cash per $25 restaurant.com gift card. You then proceed to the restaurant.com website where you realize, soon enough, that your $25 gift card is no more than a coupon to purchase a $25 coupon from a "participating" restaurant. Without a gift card, their direct (no gift card) website prices are typically, $10 cash per $25 restaurant coupon. If all of this is confusing, I'm sure it's meant to be. Continuing, $25 is not really $25. Typically, the said restaurant will require you to spend double the face value of the redeemed coupon, in REAL, out of pocket cash at the restaurant to pay the balance due. NOTE: The restaurant.com gift card is NOT directly redeemable at the restaurant! So, armed with a $25 coupon/voucher you purchased from the restaurant.com website, you must order $50 worth of food (drinks may or may not be included in the purchase requirement). This will ultimately cost you $4-10 (for the restaurant.com gift card/voucher) + $25 of REAL, out of pocket cash. And, all of the above assumes that the restaurant you want to patronize is even on their "participants" list. Further, even if they are supposedly a "participant", they may not be, as reported by MANY commenters. Many restaurants have never heard of restaurant.com and (respectfully?) decline the presented coupon. If you make it through all that, the restaurant is most likely distressed, financially shaky or overpriced to begin with. BUYER BEWARE, BIG TIME! Also notice all the 1 star reviews. They would probably be 0 stars if that was an option. At least you can now make a more informed decision. Good luck.

restaurant.com really doesn't care. They already got your money. Sorry and good luck.

You could try calling restaurant.com at (800) 979-8985, but good luck with that.

Elaine, your question is really not relevant in the context of restaurant.com, i. E. the company/website. You really should be more concerned about the "participant" restaurant accepting the coupon/voucher that you spend your hard earned money purchasing from their website. If the "participating" restaurant doesn't accept the coupon/voucher, then there is no discounted meal to review and write about.

Wallpaper? restaurant.com has specials/packages i. E. package deals. You could try calling restaurant.com at (800) 979-8985, but ask A LOT of questions. Buyer beware. You will probably end up spending additional REAL money out of your pocket in order to redeem your gift cards, typically, another dollar for every dollar's worth of gift cards!

I'm not a (restaurant) merchant, but my guess is that the "participant" restaurants may actually(?) be solicited by restaurant.com and are, (if they are actually contacted), most likely duped into paying restaurant.com for the "honor" of being listed as a "participant" on their website. Think of it as advertising money paid to restaurant.com by the "participant" restaurant to be listed on their website. So, even if restaurant.com charged the "participant" restaurant $0.00, my guess is that restaurant.com keeps all the money collected from the sale of their own gift cards, and ultimately, the sale of the "participant" restaurant coupons/vouchers. In other words, I don't believe the "participant" restaurant receives any financial remuneration of any kind from restaurant.com. The only possible thing the "participant" restaurant receives is possibly additional traffic from patrons eager to use (almost) 50% off coupons at the "participant" restaurant. "Almost" is in quotes because the consumer or a 3rd party had to purchase a gift card (or use cash) to purchase the (typically) 50% off coupon. And finally, "participant" is in quotes because MANY commenters have written that many "participant" restaurants refuse to accept the coupon/vouchers, indicating they are unwilling participants in this whole convoluted scheme. If restaurant.com is including restaurants they have never contacted, using the restaurant's name/info without their permission, then I would consider that out and out FRAUD. Note, I have no direct experience or proof that that has occurred, however, MANY commenters have written that they have experienced this situation. As with most things, BUYER BEWARE! Notice how many 1-star reviews restaurant.com has received. I suggest reading all the comments and Q&A. I think you will then have a better picture of what is going on with this "business".