Wow, Quizno's really screwed that one up! I didn't print out a coupon because I hate them anyway--guess It just confirms what I've always thought.

I redeemed a coupon today at quiznos without problem. The lady looked at me kind of funny, and was kind of hesitant on giving me stuff completely for free, but all in all I walked out of there, with the sandwich of my choice (as specified by the limits on the coupon) without paying a penny.

I love quizno's sandwiches (unhealthy as they are), it's a shame they aren't honoring the coupons everywhere.

"...the Million Quiznos' small subway offer..."

"...and there'd be no 'free' subway without a purchase of a drink and chips."

"...I decided to forget about this supposed 'free' subway deal."

I've encountered many names for this type of sandwhich, but "subway" isn't one of them. Is that an actual regionalism? (I'm aware that there is a competing chain called "Subway.")

A free sub could not possibly be worth this much hassle...I'm not even going to bother trying to use the one I printed.

This was pretty much predicted in the original thread: Quiznos corporate loves to give out coupons, but hates to support their franchise owners with them. I didn't bother getting a coupon because I know all my local Quiznos, delicious as they may be, would have done something like what is in the OP.

Also, I know we're supposed to lay off the posters, but does Evan B. really think all submarine sandwiches are called "subways?" I didn't think they'd reached Band-Aid or Popsicle level yet.

@David Levy: I think it's just someone misunderstanding that "sub sandwich" stands for "submarine sandwich" and not "subway sandwich."

Honestly, what La Quinta store manager looked at that sign and went "Perfect....print"

Why even bother paying for the sandwich, and giving them your hard earned money? If they can't honor their end of the deal, why bother honoring your end as a consumer? Walk out and go somewhere else.

I think people often forget that when they eat out, they not only pay for the food, but they're paying for the service. I can make a sandwich at home for a fraction of the price. If I'm going to Quiznos or a competitor to have them make me one, I'm paying for someone else to do it for me. If they're not going to deliver the service you're paying for, why pay for it?

@David Levy:

Saw that one too...Subway has apparently done well at advertising...just like asking for a Kleenex instead of a tissue or a Q-tip instead of a cotton swab I guess.

My coupon was "declined" today, apparently by the machine they enter it into and not by the store. She held up a stack of the coupons they had received that day, so I know they were accepting them & showed me the "declined" receipt that it printed out, so I know she tried in good faith. But that still leaves me with the question of WHY it was declined... (along with the cost of a sub I wasn't expecting to have to pay for.)

@David Levy: maybe this person took the coupon to a Subway and that's why they wouldn't accept it...

only one Quizno's close by here.. they at least had the sign on the door, I didn't go in..

I still have not gotten my coupon even though I applied twice (second application one day after first application), so in essence they got my information for free.
As for writing down my license# - I'm sorry but that would just not happen. I am giving you a coupon, not cashing a check.
On the fun side of things, ask them if they "except" competitors coupons or if resource management is the same thing as force multiplier.
Wait for blank stare - enjoy.

@zegota: I wouldn't eat anything out of a subway. You ever see a bathroom down there? Yeah, neither does the popcorn vendor packing your box of popcorn with his bare urine covered hand.

The "we do not except coupon in this store" cracks me up. My 6th grade teacher spent a year hammering the difference between 'accept' and 'except' into our heads, and seeing the huge failure of this makes me lol.

The Quiznos near my office wouldn't take and offered me $2 off instead (uh, no, Quiznos is nasty and not worth shelling out for even after the discount). I called another one a few blocks away and they said the same thing. A friend in LA had the same experience.

Me: Hi, I'd like to use this coupon please.
Cashier: We don't take this coupon anymore. The owner says he lost over a thousand dollars with these fake coupons.
Me: Fake coupons?
Cashier: You need to pay the full price now.

What is the point of releasing said coupons if they're not going to be accepted. If Quiznos really cared, they'd keep their franchisees on a leash.

Quiznos and their franchisees have always had a tenuous relationship. Scratch that, from what I've seen in the past, franchisees hate corporate, particularly in this relationship, and it doesn't seem to be undeserved.

Here's one example: [www.franchisepick.com]

The Quiznos near me (in Goleta CA) accepted my coupon without any question at all. They had a huge pile of coupons (and mentioned that it had been a pretty busy day with lots of people coming in for free subs). A friend also had no problem at all with the other franchise in town.

We're right next to a university, so perhaps they were ready for lots of people appreciating free food.

@PoleMan14: I'm guessing that whoever wrote that sign doesn't speak English as their first language. My manager's first language is Mandarin. Sometimes I want to take a big red pen and correct his grammar.

Now I'm paranoid that someone will point out a grammatical error in my post.

@Patrick Henry:

I take it back. I'm going to go to a local one with my friend. If they don't accept it, can I stand outside their store and tell people not to eat there because their service sucks, they don't accept coupons, etc? What are the laws regarding that?

@PoleMan14:

I'd say, so you don't have an exception to coupons? Perfect, means you can take it. Then I'd make him change the sign. Then I'd make fun of the whole store for their poor English. Then I'd throw it a politically incorrect comment about their countries of origin and walk out of the store laughing like a customer from hell.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!

I used mine today and the store even let me upgrade to a premium sandwich by paying the difference although they said I couldn't after today since the menu is going to change.

I redeemed mine today without a problem. They didn't require the photo id. They had a pretty big pile of coupons behind the counter.

My quiznos is pretty new to my town and is in competition with 4 subways.

I don't usually wade in over here (I'm a Deadspinner by day and night, mostly), but I wanted to mention that the Quiznos in Gainesville, FL, where I and twelve other college kids redeemed coupons one after the other and just two employees (one working the lettuce and sandwich wrapping, and the register, the other doing the pre-oven prep work) handled it beautifully.

They were nice, told the people in line (who all brandished coupons) to just sit tight, as they were happy to make our sandwiches, and had no problem redeeming the coupons. You don't see it too often, here, but I'd like to commend that franchise.

I don't have the franchise number, but any Gainesville residents will know it as the one across from the HH Gregg on 34th.

@Patrick Henry: Freedom of speech, check. Right to peaceful assembly, check.
Have at it!

(BTW ignore posters who will say "the Constitution only applies to gov't!")

had no problem redeeming mine at the emeryville, ca quiznos. did have to show id - she just verified it matched my name on the coupon - no biggie. i'll happily show my id for a free lunch :)

@god_forbids: Although they can boot you from private property, they have no such right on municipal, state or federal rights of way or thoroughfares (roads and sidewalks, in general).

I had the same problem, I drove around my town, went to 3 locations and got denied at each one, and they all gave me that look like the thought they were about to get robbed...maybe I'll try without waving the gun around

My wife and I redeemed our coupons at the Biloxi, MS store today, i almost actually expected some sort of gimmick or hassle but the "Franchise owner" rang us up free of charge and was happy to do so. Given the fact that i wasn't hassled ill probably return.

I too had this same experience, but the Quizno's closest to my house had a sign on the door saying they didn't accept coupons. I asked the only worker (also the only one in the entire restaurant) "Why no coupons?"

His response: "This location doesn't make enough money to honor them"

I say: "... aren't these coupons handed out by the corporate office? Don't you get reimbursed for them?"

You'd think I had just asked him a question about astrophysics. All I got was a blank stare.

I said: "Well, maybe you'd have more business if you didn't go about denying people the use of coupons. That tends to piss people off. Me, specifically."

I went to the next closest Quizno's and had no problem using the coupon. I don't think i'll be back though, which sort of defeats the purpose of the promotion.

Quiznos Headquarters
1475 Lawrence St., Ste. 400
Denver, CO 80202
United States

Phone: 720-359-3300
Fax: 720-359-3399
Toll Free: 866-486-2783

Executive Chairman - Gregory D. Brenneman

CEO - Richard F. Schaden

EVP Franchise Owner Assistance - Michael M. Elliott

I wonder how the reimbursement from corporate is happening, if at all? Possibly the issue here (likely the issue here - although if they only have to turn over redeemed coupons and not transaction receipts, there is the potential for scamming a little extra profit..)

Got rejected two for two here in Irvine, CA. The first one I tried in the District told me he reached the limit on the number of coupons he would accept and that he wouldn't be taking any more. And the one on Bison simply posted on their door that they would not be accepting any coupons, which is kind of a bummer as that store was always really nice to me back in the college days. It's kind of sad, I was looking forward to a free sub after getting free tacos and pancakes this week :).

the real problem here is that in most of those examples, the people involved still pay (something).

if all of these people, when presented with these extraneous or nonapplicable charges/purchases simple walked out, paid NOTHING, and called corporate instead, it would make a much bigger difference.

Personally, if I have a coupon, and and a surly teenager jerks me around, I'm not going to hand them any money at all. It's not like an equivalent Subway or whatever is ever far away.

@Geblah187:

If there is any bullshit from corporate regarding the reimbursement, he may be right. They've been accused of not reimbursing coupons, among many other things bordering on VILE.

That's why I don't eat at Quiznos. Business practices.

[franchisepundit.com]

I'm a former Quiznos Franchisee that was sued by Quiznos. We counter sued them and we won. Our verdict, along with some other fun info about them is available here [sqworl.com] If you have the time and want to read an amazing story read the Judge's 36 page ruling on that link. In his ruling, Judge Hoffman used such words as "charade" to describe what they did to us. I guarantee you will never come across a Judge's order like this, about any other company anywhere! It really does tell the story of what this company is all about.

Being I am the only franchisee that beat them in court, I am the only franchisee that can publicly criticize them and what they do. What they do to Franchisees is as close to a scam as is possible. They stay on the line of just what is legal, using the law to protect them from what would otherwise be common law fraud. (how they do that is they hide behind the protection that the FTC gives them, to not reveal information).

The reason so many Franchisees are not honoring this coupon is that the company delayed this promo TWICE, as many of the Franchisees said they would not go along unless Quiznos Corporate (which makes about a hundred million a year selling food to its franchisees, and prohibits them from buying food from anyone else) paid for the food in this promotion. Late last week, Quiznos decided to roll it out anyhow saying no, franchisees would have to pay the entire cost. Every other system (such as Denny's Arby's etc) the cost of the promo was shared by both parties. In addition, most of those system sell food at cost to Franchisees. Like those other systems, Quiznos makes money by collecting a 7% royalty and 4% from franchisees which they say is for advertising. Unlike those other system however, on top of those fees, Quiznos makes that hundred million IN ADDITION by selling food to them. And you wonder why Franchisees are not honoring the coupon?

Oh, and before someone asks, yes, we are in the process of writing a book about them as we are the only ones that can.

@Patrick Henry: The side walks and parking lots of plazas, strip malls, etc, are private property. When it snows, you don't think it's the government that comes and clears off their parking lot, and salts the side walks, do you?

What's the point of this "protest" anyway? So you can be a nuisance and have some "funny" stories to tell? You said yourself that you don't eat at Quiznos so you didn't lose out in any way. If you just have this burning desire to stand up for something, why don't you go out and fight some real injustice?

Quizno's franchises in Canada are notoriously worse for accepting coupons. Often there are "Buy any sub and receive a 2nd sub of equal or lesser value free!" coupons issued in Canada... sometimes they require the purchase of beverages and sometimes they do not.

Regardless, Quizno's franchises refuse to accept them and you only realize this after you walk into the restaurant and are preparing to order. In the rare circumstance they do accept the coupon, they place stipulations on the promotion that are not stated anywhere on the coupon.

For example, in the case of "buy any sub and get a 2nd sub of equal or lesser value free," one store actually had a sign posted that you must buy a large sub at full price and you would only get a small sub for free... you could not get a 2nd large sub.

Terribly deceitful advertising and part of the reason why I refuse to eat at Quizno's.

@Rich Piotrowski:

Good! But its too bad--the only people its going to hurt is the company and the franchises. Customers don't want to be bullshitted with bad promotions.

I see this as a failure on Quizno's corporate, in the form of them not getting their franchisees on board with this promotion.

That being said, a coupon for any free sub at Quizno's should work at any Quizno's with no questions asked. I have my coupon, but have not yet redeemed it. I just may have to ask if my local Quizno's will take it....but only AFTER they make my sub. (If they take it, with no restrictions, great - I get a free sub. If they don't take it, they just wasted a sub! I walk out.)

Power to the people!

Yeesh. We don't have a Quizno's around here, but this is pretty ridiculous. Contrast the above experiences with what I saw at my local Denny's on Free Grand Slam Day- the place was a complete madhouse, but the staff were friendly, courteous *and* handing out rainchecks to anyone who wasn't willing to wait half an hour to be seated. The insanity of having all of those free meals being served on the same day couldn't have been especially fun for the poor waitstaff and kitchen crew, but they seemed to be handling it well, and they certainly weren't being rude or turning people away. Quizno's could take a lesson or two on this one.

I can understand the franchise owners being angry with corporate for undercutting their business, et cetera, but taking that out on your customers doesn't seem an ideal way to stay profitable, either. Personally, I'd probably rather honor the coupons and lose money than gain a reputation for being a business that treats its customers like dirt, whether they're paying or not. I must have heard twenty people saying, "You know, I haven't been to a Denny's in years, but this is really good- I'll have to come back!" during that free breakfast thing. Quizno's is obviously going for something similar, but you have to, y'know, actually deliver on the freebies your promising for it to work.

@Shmonkmonk:

Real injustice is difficult to come by. Plus, I'm lacking a spandex costume, superpowers, and an origin story. Think of this "protest" as a cheaper alternative to going to the movies. Besides, who's to say they're going to be jerks?

@Blueskylaw: Did you check your email and/or spam folder?

Quiznos does not reimburse for the coupons that they cavalierly give away on line or in newspapers. They gave away subs in January (BOGOS) subs in February (BOGOS) and free chips & drinks. Now a million free subs. The hard truth is the sub is not "free" it costs the owners of each location the cost of the food. Plus, they have to pay rent, electric, insurance and labor. They literally cannot afford to keep giving food away. Stores are closing all over the country because Quiznos does not care about their owners. All they care about is them making money. Giving away food doesn't cost them anything, but it makes Quiznos a ton of money. Because, you see, Quiznos owns the food company that sells the food to the stores and they make a HUGE profit. So, who loses? You do, as a consumer and the ownerof the franchised stores, because "free" food will drive him out of business. But Quiznos is laughing, laughing, laughing....all the way to the bank. Someone listed the phone numbers. Call and complain about their greed.

@Raindrip: Sadly, I've seen better grammar from a lot of the people I've worked with who learned English as a second language, as opposed to native speakers. Mainly because the people who learned it as a second language had teachers in the classroom tell them when they were wrong.

Add store #910,
12222 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles
To the list of not accepting the coupons!

I tried redeeming my coupon and I was treated like a criminal--they accused me of using a fake coupon.

I know I ain't giving Quiznos any more of my money.

Between Subway's $5 footlong deal and this snafu, Quiznos is FUCKED!

Cedar Hill store in Texas is accepting coupons! The employees said they were even printing coupons for themselves, as I'm sure this beats their regular discount.

I'm not a big fan of Quizno's though. About the only time I regularly visited one was in college when I knew the franchise owner and he had great deals for college students. Too expensive normally though.