Abrupt Lindsey’s Restaurant Closing Creates Gift Card Questions

With the sudden closing of Lindsey's Family Restaurant in Wareham, some customers are wondering what happens to any gift cards that bought at the restaurant over the years.

You might remember earlier this year that quite the stir was made surrounding gift cards and Yia Yia's Pizza Cafe in Fairhaven.  In that case, a new owner took over the business and felt overwhelmed when customers started to redeem the cards quicker than he would have liked.

New ownership stopped honoring gift cards from the previous owner, then adjusted the policy after an outcry on social media, opting to accept old gift cards for a month. That decision seemed to satisfy everyone.

The Lindsey's situation is more complicated.

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It is unclear to anyone, including outgoing ownership, when, who and if someone will be buy the business. In fact, it's not even clear if a prospective buyer would keep the site a restaurant.

We asked owner Cheri Lindsey if there was a plan for Lindsey's to offer refunds, but as of publication, she hadn't responded.

What to do With Gift Cards For Closed Restaurants

One tip from Massachusetts Consumer Affairs is to contact your credit card company if that is the payment method that was used to buy the gift card. "You may be able to convince them to reverse the charge," the agency says.

If the business has filed for bankruptcy, you may need to file yourself as a creditor, but it doesn't seem like Lindsey's will file for bankruptcy in this case.

Another tip is to hold onto the gift card just in case things turn brighter and the business makes a comeback. They may honor the gift card.

Finally, the Attorney General’s Office may also bring a legal action seeking recovery of the value of unredeemed gift certificates or gift cards in select instances where they receive a large number of complaints from consumers who allege unfair and deceptive acts or practices by businesses.

Contact the AGO’s Consumer Advocacy & Response Division (CARD) for assistance or to file a complaint.