I had a $10 subway gift card. The only subway coupons available where on the subway app and required you to place the order online and then pick up in-store. However if the grand total exceeds the value of the gift card the subway app will not let you use any other form of payment to pay the remaining balance.
In other words I had the choice of not using my gift card and using the coupon online or going in the store and using the gift card but not getting the discount.
I chose the latter. But before placing my order I explained in store my dilemma and I was told they couldn't honor the coupon in store without a scannable coupon, that they couldn't/wouldn't discount the order, but that I could call customer service and they would rectify the issue.
I called customer service after ordering my lunch and customer service they confirmed that the app is not designed to let you add a new payment method to supplement the gift card. Customer service said it's up to the store to resolve the issue.
This practice is not in line with industry standards. It is a deceptive trade practice that makes the gift card largely ineffective.
The store was inflexible and unhelpful. Subway corporate is going to have to deal with a inquiry from the BBB and this location is going to have another 2 star review added to their collection of one and two star reviews.
Petty? Absolutely. If you ask me Subway Corporate and the Subway franchise location have both been short sighted. They might have captured my $4.88 unfairly but at a cost to their reputation, at the cost of requiring their store employee to spend an extra ten minutes with me, their customer service personnel to spend twenty minutes on the phone with me, of responding to a complaint from the BBB, and at the cost of my business.
I may order from subway again but it won't be soon and it won't be from this location. read more