Investigates

11 Investigates: Gift cards being sold for popular restaurant even after it was closed

ROBINSON, Pa. — A popular restaurant and arcade in Robinson closed several weeks ago, but several Channel 11 viewers reported an area store was still selling gift cards.

We told you earlier this month when Main Event on Quinn Drive closed its doors with short notice for customers.

If you’ve got a consumer issue that you’d like Angie to investigate, contact her at amoreschi@wpxi.com.

Anytime a business closes there are questions about what to do with gift cards that have already been purchased, but this time 11 Investigates learned that the gift cards were still being sold after the fact.

One customer who got stuck with a card shared her frustration on social media because no one would take responsibility. Sherri Morrison still has the receipt from Giant Eagle in Kennedy for the gift card she bought. The birthday present for her grandson was useless since Main Event shut down earlier in the month, so she called Giant Eagle expecting a refund.

“They told me because it’s a third-party vendor that the likelihood of me getting my money back was slim-to-none, but I can try their corporate office,” Morrison said.

She followed up with both Giant Eagle corporate and Main Event but wasn’t getting anywhere, so she took to social media.

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After Target 11′s Angie Moreschi went back and forth with multiple calls, Giant Eagle finally issued the following statement:

“Customer care did follow protocol when it comes to gift cards, but under these unique circumstances, it fell through the cracks to remove the gift cards. Giant Eagle is apologizing to Sherri for the mix up and, as a courtesy, will give her a replacement gift card.”

Main Event’s spokesperson Dough Terfehr told 11 Investigates the family entertainment center will “100% do refunds for people who purchased gift cards”-- if you contact the company.

As for their lack of response so far, he attributed that to “a high volume of complaints they are working through.”

One day after Angie’s initial story aired, it happened again. A second Giant Eagle location was still selling gift cards for Main Event. Angie was able to walk into the Camp Horne Road location on Thursday and purchase a card for herself.

She then contacted Giant Eagle a second time.

Corporate Communications Director Dan Donovan told 11 Investigates, "In hindsight, we didn’t do all we could have done with the unique situation. Donovan added that they want “all the viewers in the Pittsburgh area to know that if you have a (Main Event) gift card from Giant Eagle, contact us and we will make sure that refund is made in full.”

Below is Main Event’s full statement:

“We take great pride in the responsibility of making every aspect of the guest experience great. Due to the higher than normal volume of requests for gift card credits in Pittsburgh, we are diligently working through each submission as quickly as possible. We appreciate the support and patience while we work through refunding 100% of the gift card requests.”

If this happened to you and you bought a Main Event gift card at Giant Eagle after the facility closed on Jan. 5, you can call Giant Eagle customer care at 1-800-553-2324. You can also try Main Event’s corporate number in Plano, Texas at 469-661-2695, or email them at giftcards@mainevent.com to ask for a refund. Main Event is a national company and does have other locations around the country, but none in Pennsylvania.