Santa

Is there any way to get our money back from a gift card for a business that changed management?

My husband and I just got a $30 gift card to a local eatery for Christmas. We went to get takeout tonight and called and the person that answered the phone said that the restaurant management changed hands and they are not taking the gift cards. Every other business that has changed hands has always accepted the old business's gift card up to a certain time. Do we just have to suck up the loss of $30 or is there something we can do?

Public Comments

1. I would talk to management. If the name of the store is the name on the giftcard...then I'm pretty sure they HAVE to accept it. Go in, talk to a manager and make a big stink about it...they'll probably make an effort to accommodate you.
2. I know in my state (Illinois) they have laws against that. I'd google "gift card laws -your state-" & see what they are & who governs over them. I'd also give them a huge bad review on citysearch, travel advisor, ect if they didn't honor it. Though, if they do then I wouldn't give a bad review unless the food was so bad that you would have gladly sucked up the $30 loss in order to get the bad taste out of your mouth ...haha.
3. If all that happened was a change of management, it seems unethical to me that they should not recognize your gift card. After all, somebody paid 30 dollars to that business and the business got the liability. That doesn't go away just because they change management. I'd complain to the Better Business Bureau if they won't accept it after you go in and have a talk with a manager. That's wrong of them.
4. No, that's why they sell them....
5. Contact the Better Business Bureau to let them know what has happened. There is absolutely no excuse for this when a business has simply changed management, if there has not been a change in ownership. If there has been a change in ownership, although the new owner may not be obligated to recognize the gift cards for the restaurant, some accomodation should have been made by either the new or previous owner so that gift-card holders were not "left in the lurch" after having paid for services not received. The Better Business Bureau should be able to serve as an intermediary in this situation and help you and any others who may be in a similar position.