Good for you......that kind of BS happens all the time. Try to screw me once and I’ll never grace your door with my presence. About a mere 50 years ago while in the Navy, a Firestone Tire Dealership tried to convince me my brakes were about to fail and I was in danger. I said ‘show me’. Of course the car was put back together by then. I went home and jacked up a couple of wheels and pulled a couple of tires. The brakes were just fine.

I drove back and confronted the asshat who lied to me. He naturally had some lame excuse. I told him I would never, ever have anything to do with Firestone for the rest of my life. . . . Along with telling all my friends.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mcrimm,

well, the store manager just called me back,
and
after discussing the matter with the regional manager,
the decided that an $80.00 cash refund was not going to happen.

but

The store manager is sending me an $80.00 Olive Garden credit to use in the future.

quote:

The store manager is sending me an $80.00 Olive Garden credit to use in the future.

You gotta push it further. The money has been stolen. They are making money off of this trying to placate you with the gift certificate. Pasta is the cheapest thing a Restaurant can serve. It has the highest margins except for liquor.

I would tell them that the money was being used for heat or electric bill or whatever, you're going to not have Christmas gifts for the grandkids, you are going to blast them on every social media platform available, and a gift card for overpriced, microwaved slop is not acceptable.

I like the idea of elderly ladies picketing. ELM {elder lives matter}. Then you call the TV station.

I would tell the OG manager to repay in cash, or that you'll take the $80 gift certificate to the nearest group of homeless people and give it away.

Let her imagine several homeless bums walking into an Olive Garden for lunch.

I have a call in too her daughter , re: the situation.

I will not be involved in further actions.

As stated above she is SO embarrassed and ashamed , I don't want to get her any more upset.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
GF is Italian and considers Olive Garden so called Italian food as overpriced crap.

Hell, you don't need to be Italian or of Italian ancestry to know that.

Last time my wife and I went to an OG we were literally appalled by the quality of the food we were served. It was perhaps the worst "Italian" food we've ever had the misfortune to experience.

Thing is: OG, while never Italian haute cuisine, at least used to be passably good. Not anymore.

They've been off our list ever since.

If I was pissed enough about this, I might invest $100 or at least the cost of a meal, it a little sting.

Get another old person to cooperate, give them a hundo. Maybe get a pen that will leave an UV mark on the hundo. Set up a small discrete video camera in the car to record the transaction (cheap and easy off of Amazon), and replay the transaction.

Assuming the same thing happens again, you have all the evidence to hang the thief out to dry.

Olive Garden serves microwaved TV dinners, but sometimes they forget to heat them up and you get a cold/frozen one. They have destroyed Italian cuisine and turn it into "All-You-Can-Stand Soup Salad and Breaksticks". Ask real Italian restaurants how many stupid people come in and ask for that after they can't read a real menu.

Buy Buitoni fresh pasta and sauce at the store and cook it yourself. It will be better.

Or go to almost any mom and pop Italian place. No Olive Garden, no Johnny Carino's (with Jalepenos on half the food WTF?)

For chains, Maggiano's based in Chicago is outstanding, and Buca di Beppo is campy and fun in a long island basement sort of way.

As for Elder abuse, I've had to protect my mom over the past decade. The amount of direct mail they get saying they will lose soc sec if they don't give money to some bullshit charity, the sweepstakes that imply you are more likely to win if you give them money, and all the other scam charities are just disgusting.

And the worst of all is Publishers Clearinghouse. I think their entire operation is based on getting elderly to buy overpriced junk so they can "win". The use of "rewards" vs. "awards" to make them think they won something by getting 10% off to buy more useless junk.

You have to take the checkbook, the bank card, cancel all credit cards, and put them on a cash allowance. Otherwise, they will be bilked by someone.

Before she moved out of her house and into an ssisten living there was Empire Carpets trying to get $5000 for a $1500 job (I made them rescind the contract within 3 days), then there was the small capacity water softener that was sold as a "purification system" for $100/month for 48 months that was worth less than 1/5 the total. I made her walk away from that, the finance company sued her, and a lawyer friend hooked us up with another lawyer that was filing a class action. Cased was dropped.

Something about the generation that grew up in the 50's. They trust too easily already, and as they get old they just believe everything. You tell them, no Donald Trump is not cutting Soc Sec. "But he is!". No he's not. "But..." No, just because a shyster company that is asking you for money says it's so doesn't make it so. Sadly they believe liars instead of their own family that is actually looking out for them.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
well, the store manager just called me back,
and
after discussing the matter with the regional manager,
the decided that an $80.00 cash refund was not going to happen.

but

The store manager is sending me an $80.00 Olive Garden credit to use in the future.

Don't let them slide, their food cost is at most 30% so the credit issued should be at a minimum $104.

quote:

Something about the generation that grew up in the 50's. They trust too easily already, and as they get old they just believe everything. You tell them, no Donald Trump is not cutting Soc Sec. "But he is!". No he's not. "But..." No, just because a shyster company that is asking you for money says it's so doesn't make it so. Sadly they believe liars instead of their own family that is actually looking out for them.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It is not the 1950s. Your parents and whether you grew up in an urban vs. rural environment is more important. I know plenty of assertive hypervigilant elders.

This is one reason why whenever I hand someone a $50 or $100 I say out loud, “That’s a fifty/hundred. Look at it.”
Not that this would have likely helped much in this case if the management is defending thieves.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
I would tell the OG manager to repay in cash, or that you'll take the $80 gift certificate to the nearest group of homeless people and give it away.

Let her imagine several homeless bums walking into an Olive Garden for lunch.

Diabolical. I like this guy.

The food at OG isn't fit for my dog.

"Let her imagine several homeless bums walking into an Olive Garden for lunch"

The reason the scammer got away with it is because The O.G. is currently take out only ,
Per the covid.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bendable,

Bendable
Your elderly friend should not feel embarrassed...she was robbed. And a gift certificate is a bribe.

You have done a lot to help this lady, very commendable. $80 is not $10,000 , but not an amount to just give up on. Write to OG main office raising hell. Have your friend sign it.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
"Let her imagine several homeless bums walking into an Olive Garden for lunch"

The reason the scammer got away with it is because The O.G. is currently take out only ,
Per the covid.

I didn't know OG is takeout only as I haven't been to one in a few years.

Contact a local TV news expose' type reporter. Sick 'em on these managers and OG corporate.

If you have such an animal around, I'd bet OG comes up with a refund tout de suite.

I'd make certain they knew exactly who the employee is.