Lunch Basket

Review: I work in the same building as The Lunch Basket, referred to as "the deli". I frequent it almost daily for lunch. For a co-workers birthday I purchased two (2) $5 gift certificates so he could buy lunch at The Lunch Basket. Today, 7/23/13, my co-worker approached me asking how to use the certificates. Upon examination I noticed that each had ten (10) stamps on the back. The certificates said, "buy 10 get 1 free". Shocked, I walked with my co-worker into the deli to talk to the owner about the certificate. I mentioned that for the 8 years I have worked across the hall from him, and purchased my lunch almost daily, he never offered me a certificate. He claimed that it was not up to him to offer but for me to have asked for one. I questioned him as to how I should know he offered them unless he made it apparent and conspicuous. I also mentioned how I have gone into numerous eateries and the norm is that when you make the first purchase, they stamp the card, hand it to you and say, "come back and purchase X more and you will receive a free ____ " In front of my co-worker and I he proceeded to rip up all the certificates stating that at that moment they were all expired. No more promotions for another month. When my co-worker went to use one of his 2 certificates, I mentioned to the owner that since the certificates were purchased before his announced expiration, he should be entitled to purchase the 10 sandwiches and get the free one; after all his were still valid. The owner then proceeded to PLUCK the 2 certificates out of my co-workers hands, rip them up, open the register and hand him back $10. He said, "we're even" I said, that I felt since I know he knows I bought enough sandwiches to qualify for a free one, he should offer me a free sandwich. He should also replace the certificates he ripped up which I purchased for my co-worker.Desired Settlement: I not only want him to replace the certificates I purchased for my co-worker, which he ripped up, I want him to offer me a store credit for a free sandwich which I should have received 10 times over if he presented and made the certificates KNOWN. The truth is he had a promotion that he did not really want to promote for he knew people would have taken advantage of it.