Papa Johns deceptive advertising.......

[bob haller]

My GF and her son ordered a pizza from Papa Johns online.....

Now they are running the double peperoni and bacon pizza for 12 bucks. But the store charged them 16 bucks since the local franchise does not honor sa le prices on anything ordered online. Me I would of walked out.

But they paid for the pizza and brought it home.

The assistant store manager says they get constant complaints but its the f ranchises decision.

I called the number the manager gave me and was offered a coupon for a free pizza. But this was from the regional franchise district manager. I declin ed and called corporate. Told them I wanted to speak to someone from corpor ate. They had the same district manager call me back:( He denies everything . But claimed since thjey have 139 stores they are corporate.

I called corporate back and since they track all sales suggested they check what price their customers are paying for online items on sale.

I havent heard anything back yet, but think the franchise is running a scam of some sort.

Has anyone else run into this?

By the way there was near no bacon on the pizza, just some tiny crumbles...

[trader_4]

Where was the special offer? Online or did you see it somewhere else? What exactly did the offer say? What was the price shown when you ordered it?

It doesn't make a lot of sense to me to offer the deal for walk-ins that take out and not offer it if the order is placed online. But if they only offer it for customers who eat-in, that isn't unusual.

They offered you a free pizza, which is worth more about 3X the $4 discount. What exactly do you want?

Told them I wanted to speak to someone from corporate. They had the same district manager call me back:( He denies everything. But claimed since thjey have 139 stores they are corporate.

I guess that's determined by what the offer said. It's not unusual for the offer to have restrictions.

[Frank]

Never had one of their pizzas but heard comments about pizza's being lousy.

Look at this google result:

[philoÂÂ]

I would never order one of their lousy pizzas.

My wife and I make our own pizzas. It's extremely easy. It's inexpensive and they are much better.

[bob haller]

the 12 buck sale price was on the front door of the store, and while waiting on the complaint line it was repeated 20 times or so, every minute, sale price on the web site too.

the store says they get complaints daily since the franchise doesnt honor any sales price from on line orders

normal price about 16 bucks.

I didnt want the free pizza, I demand they honor their sales price, and will contact the media.

perhaps papa johns charges the franchise for on line orders. so they dont honor the price.....

sounds like a dirty franchisee if you ask me.

[sms]

Papa John's is letting franchises opt out of advertised promotions. Nothing illegal about that. Many Subway stores charge more than $5 for a $5 footlong too.

Some franchisers require their franchisees to honor promotions, i.e. Burger King.

[bob haller]

fine we will never go to papa johns again.

my issue is they honor the sale price for all orders except on line ones.....

so call in order its 12 bucks, walk in and order its 12 bucks, order online its 16 bucks:(

[trader_4]

But the store charged them 16 bucks since the local franchise does not hono r sale prices on anything ordered online. Me I would of walked out.

he franchises decision.

free pizza. But this was from the regional franchise district manager. I de clined and called corporate. Told them I wanted to speak to someone from co rporate. They had the same district manager call me back:( He denies everyt hing. But claimed since thjey have 139 stores they are corporate.

heck what price their customers are paying for online items on sale.

scam of some sort.

From the PJ website with regard to the $12 special:

"Offer and Prices will vary in Alaska, Hawaii and Canada. Offer good for a limited time at participating Papa John's restaurants"

I think it's probably dumb for a national franchise to do that, but as you say, nothing illegal or even unusual about it. I recall seeing many TV ads for example for fast food that say "at participating locations". And I think there offer of a free pizza when he complained was reasonable too. Many restaurants, not just fast food one, don't even have the sense to do that. You complain about the food or something, and they could give you a free desert, something, on a $100 check and they rather have you leave pissed off, by giving you nothing at all.

I'm also still curious about what price they were shown online? If they were told the price was $12 for the particular location they were going to and it took the order at $12, then I agree they have a totally valid beef.

[bob haller]

. But the store charged them 16 bucks since the local franchise does not ho nor sale prices on anything ordered online. Me I would of walked out.

the franchises decision.

a free pizza. But this was from the regional franchise district manager. I declined and called corporate. Told them I wanted to speak to someone from corporate. They had the same district manager call me back:( He denies ever ything. But claimed since thjey have 139 stores they are corporate.

check what price their customers are paying for online items on sale.

a scam of some sort.

a limited time at participating Papa John's restaurants"

12 bucks online price when ordered, 12 buck price on front door banner....

oh you ordered on line that means your paying full price.....

thats pure wrong!!!

[trader_4]

ks. But the store charged them 16 bucks since the local franchise does not honor sale prices on anything ordered online. Me I would of walked out.

ts the franchises decision.

r a free pizza. But this was from the regional franchise district manager. I declined and called corporate. Told them I wanted to speak to someone fro m corporate. They had the same district manager call me back:( He denies ev erything. But claimed since thjey have 139 stores they are corporate.

ey check what price their customers are paying for online items on sale.

g a scam of some sort.

r a limited time at participating Papa John's restaurants"

OK, in that case I agree, you have a very legitimate beef. And I agree, if I was picking it up and that happened, I'd tell them it's either $12 or they can throw it out, their choice.

[bob haller]

ucks. But the store charged them 16 bucks since the local franchise does no t honor sale prices on anything ordered online. Me I would of walked out.

its the franchises decision.

for a free pizza. But this was from the regional franchise district manager . I declined and called corporate. Told them I wanted to speak to someone f rom corporate. They had the same district manager call me back:( He denies everything. But claimed since thjey have 139 stores they are corporate.

they check what price their customers are paying for online items on sale.

ing a scam of some sort.

for a limited time at participating Papa John's restaurants"

I also didnt like the district manager claiming he was corporate.

I think I have uncovered a scam, and want to see corporate knows about it.. ..

What they are doing makes very pappa johns look bad.

[RobertMacy]

not true. at least as of a few years ago, an 'owned' franchise in downtown San Jose, CA near the Unvirsity was constantly charging more than the ad prices, because they could. Plus they weren't always as clean as they should have been. But after I complained and complained to corp. and getting numerous 'free' coupons, the franchise changed owners and cleaned up their act, and attitude.

So unless you complain it is not going to change.

[Moe DeLoughan]

Yes, because franchises are usually independently owned and operated, and thus do not have to honor the corporate specials. Their choice.

By the way, the Papa John's online ordering website featuring this particular deal says,

"Offer good for a limited time at participating Papa John's restaurants."

There's the disclaimer. That particular PJ's didn't participate in the online special. You have no case.

[Moe DeLoughan]

The business gets to set the conditions. If you don't like it, don't do business there.

Almost certainly the online order system is centrally run by corporate, who gets a percentage of each sale in return for hosting the online order system. That's most likely why some franchises opt out - between the special price and corporate getting its cut, there's not enough profit left for the franchise holder.

Next time, phone it in, or go to Pizza Hut. PH has specials that

*require* ordering online to get the special deal.

[Ralph Mowery]

I would think if the web site took the order they would participate.

I would have walked out and not bought the piza.

[Ashton Crusher]

A recent taste test I saw on some Yahoo page ranked Papa Johns lower then Little Caesars. I agree with their ranking. Dominos was number one and Pizza Hut number two (or the reverse)

[Moe DeLoughan]

They're participating in the online order system. They're not necessarily participating in the special.

That was the thing to do.

If the OP wants to enact some sort of change, he should pressure corporate to put a flag in its online order system that would alert a customer ordering a special when their PJ's *won't* honor the special. Thus warned, a customer could opt to abort the order process, or go ahead and pay full price. It would save everyone a lot of aggro.

[Bob S]

Bad decision for franchisee. Bad decision for you're GF to buy her kid double peperoni and bacon pizza at Papa Johns.

[trader_4]

bucks. But the store charged them 16 bucks since the local franchise does not honor sale prices on anything ordered online. Me I would of walked out.

ut its the franchises decision.

n for a free pizza. But this was from the regional franchise district manag er. I declined and called corporate. Told them I wanted to speak to someone from corporate. They had the same district manager call me back:( He denie s everything. But claimed since thjey have 139 stores they are corporate.

d they check what price their customers are paying for online items on sale .

nning a scam of some sort.

d for a limited time at participating Papa John's restaurants"

In my world a distric manager is corporate because he's an employee of the Papa John corporation, isn't he?

[bob haller]

yep and thanks the health department will be visiting this papa johns.

Some years ago I reported a hospital for a very unsafe situation..

Not only did they fix the item I reported but they got fined 15 grand for something very serious.

The PA state health department inspects the entire hospital if they get a detailed complaint...

The way I look at it I may have saved some lives.