Tastecard blocking negative reviews

london_kitchen

Just had an interesting encounter with the team over at Tastecard.

After a visit to the Landseer restaurant in the basement of the Bloomsbury hotel in London we were disappointed by the lack of certain items from the menu and also the portion sizes (although the waiting staff were excellent)

We were left wondering if this happened because we are Tastecard users.

After our review of our experience did not appear on the Tastecard website we contacted Tastecard who've informed us that they are not going to be publishing our review but will 'discuss' the matter with the restaurant.

We just want to make other Tastecard users aware that they may not be viewing all customer reviews when visiting the Tastecard website to find restaurants, so may be in for a bit of a shock regarding portion sizes, food availability or in fact anything else that's negative when they visit.

It's a big disappointment ( and slightly sinister) and we certainly won't be bothering with Tastecard again.

Just thought you should be made aware if you are thinking of getting a Tastecard.

DUTR

In fairness that has nothing to do with tastecard , it's to do with the restaurant, massive portions do not lead to a great meal, after all quality not quantity. Even so, when I have used my card, you simply announce that you wish to use the tastecard at the time the bill is to be produced so that they can apply the discounts.

MercilessKiller

I've had similar problems - in 2 cases, restaruants who are part of the tastecard website wouldn't allow me to use it!

1) A sushi place informed me they don't accept tastecards when their business is doing well and busy, thus we couldn't go there

2) A popular american diner in London told me they wouldnt let me book a table after 8pm with a tastecard because they get a bit busier than

None of these stipulations were on the website when I paid money for the tastecard. I complained to tastecard who never even had the decency to reply to my email so was pretty annoyed.

I've used it at enough places to get my moneys worth, but I treat it like Ryanair now. I don't expect it to work properly all the time, and don't expect good customer service if itdoesn't.

I also feel at many places where I've used it, that I'm a bad customer.

Meh

G_M

I think that apart from the comment about portion sies, the OP's main complaint was that Tastecard effectively censored him by not publishing his review.

If Tastecard only publish positive reviews, the reviews become meaningless, and of no benefit to members when deciding where to eat.

NickandAngie

Tastecard is definitely blocking bad reviews and failing to act where restaurants act dishonestly.


I recently both wrote a review and reported Robertos restaurant in Rickmansworth to Tastecard for dishonestly adding entirely unadvertised "supplements" to the bill at the end of the meal. Tastecard followed up and established that the restaurant had broken the rules - there was no question of that - but took no action. The initial reason was that the restaurant had told them there was some "confusion" and our menu choices were not "a la carte" but "specials" (not that that should have made a difference anyway). I was then able to send a weblink to Tastecard straight to the restaurant menu to show that the restaurant was lying.


Despite this clearest, proven dishonesty and breach of the rules - and the restaurant retaining an extra £20 or so of our money, Tastecard has both allowed the restaurant to continue in the scheme and blocked our balanced, objective review. It makes a farce of the idea that the scheme is policed and that reviews have any meaning or credibility.


It's also not the first time we've had problems using the card, despite meticulously following the conditions. It's not clear to me why restaurants in fact sign up for the scheme when they so often resent accepting the card in practice - spoiling their customers meal out and probably losing future custom. I certainly won't be renewing!

EmmasWorld

A few sites do this surprisingly, I think a lot would with their own site too if they had the option!