Spar "Meal Deal" - 6" Hoagie + 12oz Insomnia hot drink €2.99. but not a Mocha!

I went into a Spar to get a sambo for lunch from their Insomnia bit. But Insomnia had no sambos so I wandered off to the rear of the store where they make up sandwiches.

There was a large poster saying Hoagie Meal Deals - 6" Hoagie + 12oz Insomnia hot drink €2.99.

Excellent value I thought so got a 6" Hoagie (turns out to be a soft roll) made up, and off to Insomnia for the drink. .............BUT when I ordered a Mocha, I was told that I could only have either a tea or a coffee.

I insisted that I'm entitled to aforementioned hot drink, and that a mocha was a hot drink. The woman goes off to get the manager (Irish) who says to me that "Sure you know yourself, there's always terms and conditions". There's no mention of any terms and conditions says me, showing him the mini-poster which was conveniently next to the till. "If you'd bought the 12 inch, you'd see it's clearly marked - Tea or Latte, Cappucino, or Americano coffee" says himself. "But I bought the 6 inch, which says 'Chicken Hoagie Plus Coffee 6 €2.99'" I reply.

The long and the short of it was that I ended up with the Hoagie and a Latte, went back to the office and added chocolate powder to it.

But I still think it's false advertising! Have complained to the Advertising Standards Authority but can supply no documentary evidence, unless I go back to the shop for the poster. Do you think they'd give it to me? (And was I right or wrong?)

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

Gordanus said:

But I still think it's false advertising! Have complained to the Advertising Standards Authority but can supply no documentary evidence, unless I go back to the shop for the poster. Do you think they'd give it to me? (And was I right or wrong?)

Click to expand...

Go back with a camera and take a photo. I had the same problem in McD's when when they did not consider a milkshake to be included as a special offer meal drink. Again there were big signs up, not listing exceptions. Even got the manager, who was at first not there and uncontactable out, to refund my few cents!

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

Just get a photo and e-mail it off, i had the same problem in Halfords a few yrs ago, but when I went back with the camera a few hrs after the confrontation poster had disappeared!

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

I would have left the hoagie on the counter and gone else where. Vote with your feet . I have started to do this. I know one customer is not a lot but if we all do it they add up. my local centra just put on an extension and have subsequently put up there prices.

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

Thanks! Now to find out how to transfer mobile photos to computer.....

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

I had a similar issue in a spar recently - if even more silly.

Advertised a deal like Coffee and Breakfast roll €4.

So i go to the hot counter - ask for a Breakfast roll, the server asked me to hand over a roll from the Cusine de France stand behind me. There were two sizes - half baguette and 1/3 baguette size. Not being that hungry i picked the smaller size. Roll was made up - Got a coffee from machine and went to pay. "That will be €5"

I point out the sign - and say its €4.

They say - that the offer was for the BIGGER roll - and cos i took the smaller one I had to pay more. It took me ages to point out this logic to them - that it made no sense - and in the end - i dragged the sign over - stated that it never mentioned the size - Handed over the €4 and said "Take it - We're done here."

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

Gordanus said:

Thanks! Now to find out how to transfer mobile photos to computer.....

Click to expand...

You can get cables that can hook up from your phone to the computer. But thats all to complicated for me.

Email it from your phone to your email address then you can save the picture and add it as an attachment if you wish to send it to anyone else. Or print it.

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

They should not get away with advertising like that.

Last year Abrakebabra in city centre advertised 2 quarter pounders for the price of one- The catch was you had to buy them with cheese (higher charge), no mention on poster.

Also spar try to get away with 3 fruits for 2 euro- Must be same fruit eg go up to counter with 2 apples and one orange they charge more than €2, more false adv on poster.

Supermac's westmoreland street are doing a 3 for €3 promotion- At least they are providing what they advertise

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

I got the Tea and a roll for €2.99 yesterday thought it was good value, I would never have assumed I should be entitled to the more expensive Mocha, Cappucino, or Americano. Is going to the Advertising Standards Authority taking it a bit far, maybe I should have been annoyed they didnt include a hot whiskey.

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

GMD said:

Is going to the Advertising Standards Authority taking it a bit far, maybe I should have been annoyed they didnt include a hot whiskey.

Click to expand...

I didn't expect a whiskey - it not being a licensed premises.

I do think that unless companies are kept on their toes about saying what they mean, and meaning what they say in ads, they will keep on producing misleading ads, and being 'economical with the truth'.

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

Not only are they clearly wrong but also have dealt with you in an incredibly customer unfriendly way. In this day and age nobody can afford to turn away customers. Clearly even if there was ambiguity they should have erred on your side and given you the mocha. They should also have done so with good grace and an apology, this would have ensured your continued custom.

Where I work the local centra is incredibly busy which is due entirely, IMO, to the attitude of the owner and staff. Nothing is too much trouble. The owner regularly carries out the bags of elderly and frail customers to their cars, he personally delivers shopping in his own car, he is genial and remembers everyones name. The staff take their lead from him and are exceptional to deal with. No wonder they are always busy.

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

jez where is this centra? I'd travel out of my to shop there. I count myself lucky to even get a hi once in a blue moon, totally out of the question to get a smile, not sure they know how to smile in my local.

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

good to see that the country isn't going down the tubes after all. here was me thinking that everyone was worried about job cuts, salaries, abuse victims, healthcare, mortgages etc. but no, thank god some people still see fit to fight the good battle so we can have our latte or mocha with our sambo instead of tea or coffee. well done!

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

seantheman said:

good to see that the country isn't going down the tubes after all. here was me thinking that everyone was worried about job cuts, salaries, abuse victims, healthcare, mortgages etc. but no, thank god some people still see fit to fight the good battle so we can have our latte or mocha with our sambo instead of tea or coffee. well done!

Click to expand...

I dont think thats the issue here. A thing was advertised and they didnt want to sell it. Thats the problem.

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

seantheman said:

good to see that the country isn't going down the tubes after all. here was me thinking that everyone was worried about job cuts, salaries, abuse victims, healthcare, mortgages etc. but no, thank god some people still see fit to fight the good battle so we can have our latte or mocha with our sambo instead of tea or coffee. well done!

Click to expand...

False Advertising is false advertising. If we ignore the little things in favor of other larger issues we will all just be scr**wed a little more for the little things as people will not complain.

I would have asked for the "hot drink" sold at shop (not asking for a hot toddy as some other poster mentioned) and left the made up roll with the manager to dispose of if they would not give it to me.

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

Yeah I agree, I would have left the stuff there, they would have been more ragin...my husband works in dublin and went into the new shop open in the area and they are selling off packets of stuff (like king's 6 pack chrisps or 6 pack of coke) as singles, they keep one can for scanning at the til! Also the same shop tried to charge him €6 for a sambo with cheese, onion, chicken and sweetcorn!!!! Like €6.00, so stupid, he told the deli girl to keep it and make hima cheese and onion sambo and it cost €2. Still a rip off but suppose he was hungry!

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

what gets me is in centra/spar/londis etc that have the double pack of 2 ltr coke saying special offer for €3.35 on the label and then they try to charge more!

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

I had that hogie meal deal last week. avoid. its just a soft roll with sparse filling. worst sandwich in yonks.

munchies had posters up for a special of a coffe for 3 euro, I thought it wasnt very special so commented on it to the manager, he went out had a look, said the poster was wrong it should have included a pastry, so he gave me a coffee and pastry FOC.

munchies +1.

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

Gordanus said:

Thanks! Now to find out how to transfer mobile photos to computer.....

Click to expand...

Move the pic to your memory card , remove memory card from phone and insert in slot on computer , should automatically upload.

Re: Spar "Meal Deal" - not!

Gordanus said:

But I still think it's false advertising! Have complained to the Advertising Standards Authority but can supply no documentary evidence, unless I go back to the shop for the poster. Do you think they'd give it to me? (And was I right or wrong?)

Click to expand...

The ASAI aren't much use. They are just an industry group who's only power is to name and shame. The relevant regulatory body is the National Consumer Authority.