Reader Brad keeps trying to get a “specialty” sub from Subway for $5 because the ads say that all subs are included in the deal except “premium” subs. He says his friend has no trouble doing this, but for some reason Brad is cursed to leave the store with no sub.

Brad says:

A week ago, I had the craving for a nice sub after hearing the Subway jingle “5…5 dollar…5 dollar foootttlooooonnngg any any any”. I figured I’d save some money and participate in the $5 “any” foot long promotion. Upon arriving, I notice the Any Footlong $5 banners outside as well as inside. I did notice that at the bottom of each banner and sign was an asterisk stating “excludes Premium Subs” which is the “Big Philly Cheesesteak” and the “The Feast”. This did not bother me, however, as I was getting a Subway Melt which was listed as a “Specialty Sub”. After ordering, I was advised that the Subway Melt was not $5. I politely told the sandwich maker that the commercials and signs all say “any footlong $5 excluding Premium Subs”. She then tried to tell me that it was wrong and signature subs were not $5. This really hit me the wrong way as I am not a big fan of false advertising. I let them know this and left. After telling my friend about it, he immediately started laughing as he was able to get a footlong Subway Melt which is a “specialty sub” at another Subway for $5. This really set me off. Does the owner really think he can pull one over on his customers and false advertise a nationwide promotion?

Today, I heard the same jingle and started to crave Subway again. I was in a different city as the last Subway so I figured I’d give it another shot. I walked in and ordered the Subway Melt. Again, I was told that it is not $5. I then proceeded to make the manager read off the promotion banner and asked where it says “excludes specialty subs”. He said “it doesn’t but Premium Subs and Specialty Subs aren’t $5. I said “you can’t advertise something and go against it once you get customers inside”. He did not seem to care what I thought and again, I walked out with no sub. I called my friend up again and was immediately laughed at. He was holding in his hand a $5 Footlong Subway Club purchased from his local Subway.

This has left a really bad taste in my mouth. The point of the promotion is to provide a good deal on subs that aren’t normally listed as $5 footlongs. This defeats this point and completely kills the definition of “any”. Subways always a trusty, “goto” lunch destination. Now I will avoid them like the plague.

It’s probably been like, 5 years since I had Subway so I have no advice for you. Is it possible your friend is messing with you?

Let’s solve this with a poll.

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