Selling Restaurant Reservations

[BTG]

Have you all seen any of this going on in this market yet?
On one of the silly websites that I visit that is made up of mostly college age and young adults, they stumbled across a craigs list ad in Baton Rouge where someone had made several reservations for Valentines night at the likes of P.F. Changs, Bravo, etc. They are trying to sell the reservations for $50 a piece.
Sounds like a pretty cheesy thing to do.

The poor girl who put this ad on Craig's list is probably not going to like how this turns out. The folks from my website searched her email account in facebook/myspace and got her name. They are going to call the restaurants and cancel the reservations that are in her name. They have also signed her up for various crazy email groups/newsletters/scams, etc.

[jshushan]

I hate to tell you this but this is a growing commercial business in New York.

See: http://nyc.tablexchange.com/ or http://www.primetimetables.com/, ( This one is not only national, but sells reservation slots in London and Paris.)

Also, see a New York Times article about it from last year. I can't figure out how to post a link directly here so if you want, search the nytimes.com for the following article:

"Whose Table Is It, Anyway? "-

Restaurant owners apparently HATE this and are trying to find a way to stop it. So far, they have failed entirely.

Jonathan

[BTG]

I hate to tell you this but this is a growing commercial business in New York.

See: http://nyc.tablexchange.com/ or http://www.primetimetables.com/, ( This one is not only national, but sells reservation slots in London and Paris.)

Also, see a New York Times article about it from last year. I can't figure out how to post a link directly here so if you want, search the nytimes.com for the following article:

"Whose Table Is It, Anyway? "-

Restaurant owners apparently HATE this and are trying to find a way to stop it. So far, they have failed entirely.

Jonathan

Yes, I remember hearing about this sometime ago. I just did not realize that it had started happening down here and was really suprised that someone was trying to make money off of selling reservations at restaurants like the average chains.

[edible complex]

Assuming a restaurant does not get a name, phone # and CC to secure the reservation, then it may be hard to filter these perps out, unless the perps run out of names and phone #'s. And how many restaurants actually follow-up with a phone call to reconfirm the reserve? I've had a few call me, but could probably count them on one hand.
Marketing 101: Supply and Perceived Demand. What will be charged for next?

[bam bam]

The hostess could ask for identification when the party shows up for their reservation.

[JudiB]

Oh CRAP!! That's outrageous. Not all of us can afford that extra cost!