(Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, please feel free to move if appropriate)

I started using TopTable to secure bookings for certain restaurants last year as a result of being able to collect double Amex points via http://www.amextoptreats.co.uk which signs you up to TopTable the first time you place a booking.

I would then also receive 200 TopTable points every time I attended a booking and reviewed the restaurant.

There were lists of restaurants you could redeem your TopTable points to get a free meal at. These ranged from 1,000 points per meal upto 4,000 points for the best restaurants.

I had earned about 4,000 TopTable points and was hoping to use them to get dinner for 2 (2 x 2,000 points) at one of the 2,000 point restaurants which would have been worth in the region of �100.

I made a booking on the site last week and noticed the site had changed considerably. At first I thought it was just an aesthetic change, however on careful inspection it seems they have changed the program entirely.

Now instead of being able to redeem your points for free meals, you are issued with "Dining Cheques". My 4,000 points are now only worth a paltry �27 in dining cheques which is a massive devaluation. Additionally my last booking only earned 100 TopTable points instead of the usual 200, although it was no longer compulsary to provide a review to claim the points.

Searching through my email, I can find no warning that this was going to happen, or even an announcement that it did happen.

I'm really not happy with this as I had been collecting points for quite some time and was really looking forward to claiming my reward.

Is this legal? You may wish to ask Trading Standards if it is.

p.s. Bye-bye Toptable. Good to know you.

I did receive an email about it, but deleted it, since I was relatively new to TopTable so it didn't make a lot of difference. I'll check my trash folder and repost if I still have it.

Honestly, I have a lot better things to do than waste my time over a free �100 meal.

Can anyone suggest a good alternative dining program to switch to?


Thanks Jenbel, I'm sure it will be a good laugh reading whatever kind of positive spin they tried to put on this "enhancement".

Like whinge about it on an internet bulletin board?

Exactly, that's far more satisfying

Whilst I have used it, it was only ever for convenience as a lot of restaurants have it as their only online booking option. Amusingly, when we went to Syon Park last time, we booked the hotel restaurant in advance via TopTable because it was on there!

However, I have never actually collected enough points to redeem for anything before they got deleted!

I believe I received an email from OpenTable (since deleted) that they had merged with TopTable. From the OP, it sounds as if the earnings scheme adopted may have been OpenTable's.

Deleted???

Luckily my points weren't deleted.

I used it to book Plateau, Manhattan Grill and Gauchos in Canary Wharf as well as Gilgamesh in Camden.

Looks like there is room the market for a new dining program now!

I've used OpenTable a few times, and it seems that they have now taken over TopTable, and any requests for UK restaurants get forwarded to TopTable.

My few points have gone, and I'm back to 0...

Time for the UK to adopt iDine/Rewards Network?

How could we make that happen?

So why did you start this thread?

toptable points expired quite aggressively. If they now don't expire, the new scheme may actually work better for me.

Please explain how points can "expire aggressively". Do they punch you on the nose before they pass away?

Strictest expiry regime of any programme I am involved with