Do you punish restaurants that defect?
#1
Original Poster




Join Date: Nov 1999
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Do you punish restaurants that defect?
There are countless restaurants that I am happy to eat at sans miles. But, I boycott any place that leaves Idine. Call me peevish.
Last edited by Jailer; Dec 26, 2006 at 8:29 am Reason: typo
#2


Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Not if I really like the place, but I can count many places that are OK if I am getting the miles but not good enough or convenient enough to go to otherwise.
#4
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There is one joint here which joined last month - very convenient to me, and I had been going there regularly anyway. Otherwise, none of the rest are either convenient, or remarkable, enough to dine at without miles.
#5
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 287
If they are local...
(within 15 miles of home or work), I dine there above others just for the points. If they leave, I no longer dine there. Punsihment? No. They just no longer have incented me to come to their establishment Just call me a point junkie!
#6
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me too!
Stay loyal to the program and I'll stay loyal to you!
#7


Join Date: Jul 2006
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Funny thing is, I had this nice pizza joint less than a mile from where I live, in which I frequented to get an easy 80 miles every two or three days.
One day, that pizza store stopped being an rewardsnetwork member, so I stopped going.
Several weeks later, that store closed down!
One day, that pizza store stopped being an rewardsnetwork member, so I stopped going.
Several weeks later, that store closed down!
#8

Join Date: May 2006
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I've even emailed the restaurants' web sites and encouraged them to return to the program. I told them I dined frequently in the past and would return if they got back with idine.
Not one of the four or five I wrote to bothered the courtesy of a reply.
Not one of the four or five I wrote to bothered the courtesy of a reply.
#10
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York City
Programs: AA Platunum
Posts: 498
If I like a restaurant, I dine there, whether I get points or not. Points are nice icing on the cake, but good food and good service are the most important things for me.
However, if there's a place I've never tried that I've been curious about or looks tempting and I see them on the rewards network list, it will push me a little over the edge to give them a try.
However, if there's a place I've never tried that I've been curious about or looks tempting and I see them on the rewards network list, it will push me a little over the edge to give them a try.
#11


Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Greater Chicagoland Area
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This pizza joint near me left Idine early last year. Before I started eating better, I was still heading there every week for the 50% off pizza deal.
The only other Idine place I'd go to is this Maza place in Chicago. The restaurant was a 20 mile place for awhile and then left. I still haven't returned, but I would return. It just that the 25,000 UA bonus has made me focus my $'s on Idine places.
The only other Idine place I'd go to is this Maza place in Chicago. The restaurant was a 20 mile place for awhile and then left. I still haven't returned, but I would return. It just that the 25,000 UA bonus has made me focus my $'s on Idine places.
#12
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 568
We've had a huge drop off of iDiine choices in my neighborhood and I've never gone back to them. Probably due more to the fact very few of them were excellent restaurants. When I started the UA MP bonus plan this fall there were 9 restaurants within 5 miles - now there are only 2.
#13
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: New Berlin, WI, USA
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#14
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Well, I'd probably go back if they dropped their prices accordingly. If I'm either getting a discount (via iDine prime) or buying a product bundle that includes both pizza and FF miles, and the restaurant changes that equation (usually with no notice whatsoever to me), then I'm probably not going back unless they lower their prices.
Of course, they don't lower their prices, and I generally don't go back.
I agree with you guys: it's a peeve.
Imagine if your local grocery store sold bananas for 45 cents. You always had to pay 50 cents when you took possession of the banana, but the store gave you 5 cents back a week later. If other stores simply sell bananas for 50 cents, you patronize the place with the 45-cent bananas.
Now, out of the blue, with no courtesy notice to you, your nickel stops showing up. They just decided to keep it.
You'd go elsewhere for sure. Even if the playing field is now 50 cents per banana everywhere, you'd go somewhere that was always charging 50 cents - and you'd avoid the former 45-cent place.
With iDine it's even easier, because iDine restaurants generally aren't very good. So "boycotting" them is not too difficult. I still play the game because there are a couple of our common lunch spots on the list - delis that are neither good nor bad - just there... I no longer seek out iDine restaurants - they just in general aren't worth it.
Of course, they don't lower their prices, and I generally don't go back.
I agree with you guys: it's a peeve.
Imagine if your local grocery store sold bananas for 45 cents. You always had to pay 50 cents when you took possession of the banana, but the store gave you 5 cents back a week later. If other stores simply sell bananas for 50 cents, you patronize the place with the 45-cent bananas.
Now, out of the blue, with no courtesy notice to you, your nickel stops showing up. They just decided to keep it.

You'd go elsewhere for sure. Even if the playing field is now 50 cents per banana everywhere, you'd go somewhere that was always charging 50 cents - and you'd avoid the former 45-cent place.
With iDine it's even easier, because iDine restaurants generally aren't very good. So "boycotting" them is not too difficult. I still play the game because there are a couple of our common lunch spots on the list - delis that are neither good nor bad - just there... I no longer seek out iDine restaurants - they just in general aren't worth it.
#15


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