The GrubHub promo problems

[Yahallo]

I'm not really interested in joining the financial debates happening in this thread. Normally, a refund or chargeback would be a way of holding a company accountable. Many people are having success speaking with grubhub supervisors/managers and having their order refunded, so it does seem like that is an option. I am waiting the full two weeks listed in the promo. I may call and try to have it refunded after that, or I may just give up and move on. (Either way, I don't see myself taking part in a digital crossover campaign again.)

I am hesitant to do a chargeback. Goods were received (although they weren't very good, lol, and one wasn't even from a real restaurant, which is even shadier). The promotion itself does have the legal loophole at the end of it. I did read that before I took part in it. It's a standard legal loophole that you'll find in most campaigns of this nature. This is the first and only time I've seen and experienced someone using that loophole to screw over thousands. Technically, because of that loophole, none of us can sue Grubhub or Square Enix. It also makes the credit card chargeback risky, I think, because they can say to your CC that you took part in the campaign knowing that they could change it at any point during it. This is my personal take on it with my own financial knowledge. I'm not going to enter an ongoing debate about it.

I'm more interested in public accountability than I am about the financial side of things. I don't even want the emote anymore. It just symbolizes all of this now. Really, I just want SE to apologize either for their role in this or on behalf of how GH screwed us all over.

I am considering writing a letter directly to Yoshi P at the Japan SE headquarters via old fashioned mail. He has always seemed like such a genuine, kind guy, who is invested in the game and in the players. I'm curious if he actually knows about this situation unfolding here in the states. I have a feeling that if this had happened in Japan, SE would issue a swift rebuke against GH and work to fix it.

There are more reasons than goods not being received for a chargeback. A service not being performed as expected is another reason for a chargeback. In this case, they essentially committed false/deceptive advertisement, which I am pretty sure would be a legitimate reason, even with that last clause in the terms and conditions. If the only reason in which you could submit a chargeback was when you didn't receive the products, then they could go as far as step on your food before giving it to you and still be protected, but no way that is the case. Proper service is as important as receiving the products you paid for.

However, I would attempt to get a refund first, attempt to get ahold of a manager if an attempt with a lower level rep fails, then failing that say that you are considering a chargeback, then finally if all else fails, submit the chargeback. Generally, you wouldn't even have to go past the threat of a chargeback.

As for how much Yoshi P knows, I honestly think he is more worried and focused on the servers at the moment, which is understandable. He probably has heard of it, but he likely has other issues higher on his priority list and the issue is likely more known within whatever team handles NA marketing.

[Krotoan]

Krotoan, just so you know, I had heard back from SIX different SE reps, all of whom basically told me to pound sand. My first email was on December 17th. Every single one gave me a various version of a canned PR response, telling me to go speak to Grubhub. One simply said I'm sorry you weren't happy with the campaign. Take care. The latest, as of this morning, said that only the first 20,000 people, who got free delivery, qualified to get the emote and no one else (which completely contradicts the lodestone page, by the way).

Disquieting. This doesn't seem to be everyone's experience though. So while that doesn't bode well in your situation.. I have hope.

If SE was honest & transparent, and cared about this at all, I'd think they'd respond with: We're aware of this issue and are working on a solution with Grubhub. Please give us X days. We will be in touch (or: Please contact us again in X days to file your ticket.)

Would be nice, yes. But as they likely have other more important concerns at the moment and are likely swamped with tickets, the pizza emote thing might be not on the top of their to-do list atm. I will say in the past that promo's have been better handled though and mostly by the partnered promotion. Amazons cloud mount and butterfingers "chocolate" mount both had some good damage control afterwards.. this has been a pretty bad one and it feels mostly like it's a GH thing.

If my six emails from Square Enix over the past six five days are any indication, SE isn't going to do anything to fix this. Like I said in my previous post, I would wait the full two weeks mentioned in the original Grubhub promotion before beginning what you're calling a "smear campaign." By definition, a smear campaign is "a plan to discredit a public figure by making false or dubious accusations." No one's trying to discredit either company with false accusations, so technically it would not be a smear campaign.

Your problem with ONE promotion and accusing SE of "screwing over hundreds/thousands of players really has no basis unless you can get hundreds/thousands of signatures. If you can, then more power to you, but in my opinion taking a bad customer experience and turning it into a mud slinging media crusade is ... excessive.

I feel bad for you with your pizza emote. If I was one of the winners of what turned out to be a surprise lottery, and I knew about the hundreds or possibly thousands screwed over by GH & SE, I'd be feeling really, really awkward and hesitant about using it. Honestly, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes.

You really shouldn't. I have been using it nonstop and every reaction, if any, has been positive. I don't know where these vindictive people out there you think will react badly to me are.. but so far they aren't on Aether.


Again, I only wish everyone luck in either recompense or acquisition of the emote when it becomes available later. I just don't wish to brigade an overblown response.

[Mirakumi]

I also got told it was applied to my account but never got the emote from grub hub. Called customer service, was told it was applied and to wait. My fiancé got his from his account. But mine....still nothing.

Edit:

Just spoke to a rep, they said "It's not our job to send the codes to the customer. If you ordered it correctly it would have automatically be sent to you. But since It did not. There is nothing to be done and have a nice day. "

edit 2:

Spoke to supervisor they at least gave me a refund for the order. But I am really disappointed with their "its your fault not ours."

[Dogempire]

I'm more interested in public accountability than I am about the financial side of things. I don't even want the emote anymore. It just symbolizes all of this now. Really, I just want SE to apologize either for their role in this or on behalf of how GH screwed us all over.

I am considering writing a letter directly to Yoshi P at the Japan SE headquarters via old fashioned mail. He has always seemed like such a genuine, kind guy, who is invested in the game and in the players. I'm curious if he actually knows about this situation unfolding here in the states. I have a feeling that if this had happened in Japan, SE would issue a swift rebuke against GH and work to fix it.

I honestly like this idea, and I would consider doing this if other people want to as well

[rance-sama]

Well, I'm certain Grubhub got a good amount of cash with this scam they pulled but at the cost of their reputation.
Never ordered from them and I don't think I ever will.

[Langolier]

I haven't received a code either, despite having an order made within minutes of the promotion opening. The delivery fee was deducted, so I assumed it worked, though I did read some say support said individual locations might have delivery promotions.

Are the support responses at least coalescing, or are they still quite random?

[Nuttymiked]

Well, I'm certain Grubhub got a good amount of cash with this scam they pulled but at the cost of their reputation.
Never ordered from them and I don't think I ever will.

Gig economy based apps are already scams by definition since they circumvent labor laws and often pay their drivers below minimum wage by the time costs are factored as well as time spent idling between deliveries. They have poor reputations by default.

[Shhikasan]

I did pick up after work both times cause delivery wasn't an option. So all i really did was pay for pre ordering food. And my options were subway papa John and thai place.

[Shin96]

I hope that we in the EU can also get a chance to aquire this emote somehow

[ConcernedPerson]

Disquieting. This doesn't seem to be everyone's experience though. So while that doesn't bode well in your situation.. I have hope.



Would be nice, yes. But as they likely have other more important concerns at the moment and are likely swamped with tickets, the pizza emote thing might be not on the top of their to-do list atm. I will say in the past that promo's have been better handled though and mostly by the partnered promotion. Amazons cloud mount and butterfingers "chocolate" mount both had some good damage control afterwards.. this has been a pretty bad one and it feels mostly like it's a GH thing.


Your problem with ONE promotion and accusing SE of "screwing over hundreds/thousands of players really has no basis unless you can get hundreds/thousands of signatures. If you can, then more power to you, but in my opinion taking a bad customer experience and turning it into a mud slinging media crusade is ... excessive.



You really shouldn't. I have been using it nonstop and every reaction, if any, has been positive. I don't know where these vindictive people out there you think will react badly to me are.. but so far they aren't on Aether.


Again, I only wish everyone luck in either recompense or acquisition of the emote when it becomes available later. I just don't wish to brigade an overblown response.

It sounds like you haven't done your research on this matter. If you look across the internet, to other forums, including Reddit, you will see the dozens upon dozens of people lamenting how they were screwed over by the false advertising in this campaign. Those dozens and dozens quickly add up into the hundreds. Don't take my word for it, though. Go see for yourself.

Also, I'd like you to share a link to any one post from any person who got screwed over in this campaign who has since received a positive, solution-oriented response from Square Enix. From what I've seen here, across other forums, and in my own experience, they have told us all to pound sand, to use colloquial terms.

You were not one of the people screwed over. Everything worked out dandy for you as you were one of the lucky, random lotto winners. That's nice. Seriously. Grats. But just because you got lucky at the surprise / secret lottery doesn't mean that the rest of us have to bend backwards and look the other way, ignoring Square Enix's role in this shady campaign and ignoring the fact that we unwittingly took part in a lottery/raffle.