Restaurant.com

[edible complex]

I was wrong about the savings - with the 18% mandatory tip, the $35 meal actually costs $44.84, with your out of pocket expense being $19.84 + the $2 the coupon cost you, or $21.84. REAL total savings (23/44.84) = 51%.

So it IS basically buy one get one free! But you'd never know that from the way it is presented.

in my math world, 44.84 - 35 = 9.84.

[BTG]

Paz, I have two $25 gift cards at home. One from La Parvanu and one from Restaurant Cypress. If I am not mistakened, I got about 80% off for these $50 in gift cards.
Here is how it will go down. I am going to go eat at both of these places. The bill will be around $100. I am going to give them a $25 gift card to take off of the total.

$50 off for only paying around $8. Good deal every time.

[paz5559]

in my math world, 44.84 - 35 = 9.84.

In my math world, total cost ($44.84) less out of pocket cost ($21.84) = savings ($23). Savings ($23)/total cost ($44.84) = discount (51%). $9.84 is the tip.

---------- Post added at 09:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:47 AM ----------

All I am saying is that this is a typically slick advertising gimmick, designed to drive traffic to a particular establishment. The ADVERTISED savings is 80%. The ACTUAL savings is 51%. I prefer transparency.

This is not isolated to Restaurant.com. Orbitz (and its competitors) advertises airline fares before taxes and fees. Buy one get one free sales are another example. Low cal items only have X calories (till you check the label, and discover a container represents 2.5 servings).

It is designed to entice you. I get it. I just don't like the lack of transparency, or the need for me to have to figure out how they are gaming the system. 51% IS a big discount. It just ISN'T 80%.

[Leo in B.R.]

Think I'll just stick to "dollar" menus.....

[sore_bluto]

As usual with math problems expressed in words, it is the semantics and not the arithmetic that are failing. Any way you slice it, something that normally cost $10 that sells for $2 is being sold at a reduction of 80%. So the cost of the coupon is categorically 80% off. The savings you receive is also fixed at $23. That's the $25 discount less the $2 you pay for the coupon. So no matter what you spend, you get $23 off. The minimum bill of $35 plus the 18% gratuity is $41.30 (not $44.84, I'm assuming you are adding a tax rate). $23 off a $41.30 bill is a 55.7% discount. But $23 off a $75 bill is a 30.7% discount. The discount of the coupon is a constant 80% and the discount off the meal is a constant $23. As to it's value, that is relative to whether or not you feel that $23 is money well spent, which is totally subjective. Most people would consider saving $25 by spending $2 when they would certainly have spent the $25 anyway to be a good deal. And since the site spells out the terms in plain English, it isn't deceptive unless you aren't perceptive.

[BTG]

You gots it bluto. It is 80% off of the coupon. End of discussion.

[paz5559]

As to it's value, that is relative to whether or not you feel that $23 is money well spent, which is totally subjective. Most people would consider saving $25 by spending $2 when they would certainly have spent the $25 anyway to be a good deal.

You can't save 23 dollars by spending 2. You have to spend a minimum of $18.30 before tax or $19.84 after tax to receive the $23 savings.

[sore_bluto]

You can't save 23 dollars by spending 2. You have to spend a minimum of $18.30 before tax or $19.84 after tax to receive the $23 savings.

Once again, semantics. You didn't account for "would have certainly spent". Perhaps I should have said "would have certainly spent $35" instead of "would have certainly spent $25". If one of the terms of the coupon were to bow three times to the server and proclaim "I am a walrus!", by your reasoning, the cost of the coupon includes being humiliated. But if I love making a fool of myself, then there is no additional cost. It's subjective. The 2 bucks gets you a $25 coupon. If you don't ever use it, you lose 2 bucks. You can't associate the cost of the coupon with the discount of the meal. You have apples and you have oranges. If you are going to spend at least $35 anyway, then absolutely $2 saves you $25.

[NoNoNanette]

My head be full.

[Jesse]

Mine too. I've bought many restaurant.com coupons at the 80% off rate and have had no problems. Really good deals in fact.