Opentable.com - a caution

Booked a 1,000 point ressie on the opentable.com site and no points appeared . Apparently there was a cookie from when I was looking at the restaurants website and Opentable thought I was booking via a link from that site(no points for that)so clear your cache between such dual site visits.

Is there a program that gives you something for booking via OpenTable like MrRebates? I never acquire enough points to make use of what I get from OpenTable itself, so would be interested if there was a connected promo site that might be of more use for me

I'm sitting on almost 30,000 OpenTable points... I need to get around to redeeming these for gift certificates. I think the key is sitting on the points (which I don't think expire as long as you are regularly booking) until you can get a decent certificate.

10,000 = $100 dining cert.

Definitely redeems those - that's money in your pocket and some nice meals! With me, others seem to make the reservations, so I'm not frequent enough user to keep them alive. It's not a major loss, but you know we all hate to see any type of point expire

I will soon enough... these days someone else is almost always paying for my meals (whether expensed or wined/dined) so I've been saving them for my next vacation.

Wow, been awhile since I've used Open Table, I didn't even know they had a point system. I'm going to make sure i start using them again, starting next week! Thanks for the tip.

I use them even if I'm practically standing right outside the door when I book the reservation. Gotta get those points... I've found with VIP status on Open Table that sometimes I get better treatment from the staff when things go awry. In San Fran last month, for example, we had a booking at a popular yet somewhat casual restaurant. Our table was not ready on time and so the manager brought us four glasses of champagne. (I didn't see others also waiting for tables getting the same, so it definitely seemed like a "perk".)

Most are 100 point reservations. If you're lucky, there will be a good restaurant offering 1000 points. It really adds up fast!

The best part about Opentable is the ability to stack those reservations with RewardNetwork (if the restaurant is in both)to get some additional miles/points and along with my CostCo AMEX to get 3% cash back.

I've had vip status for as long as they've offered it, I believe. And I've never noticed special treatment from it.

But I also frequently use opentable from my blackberry on the way to a restaurant.

OMG, Opentable reservation history doesn't show just a limited amount of your history...

hmmm, I've never had a problem despite doing the exact same thing but I'll make sure to clear cache now.

nice !!

I've had this problem as well. If you start at a restaurant website then there are no points, Opentable is just managing the reservation process.

The restaurant can see it... it's been mentioned to me a couple of times by hostesses checking me in (and some of my owner friends said that they occasionally make note if they see an unfamiliar name with VIP to be certain to stop by and check on the table).

I am only sitting on 16k in points and have VIP status. Sometimes it seems we get better treatment. Like TG, I often book on my way to resto. I love them for the ability to book UK restos from the US.

One of the best uses of Opentable is when you are in unfamiliar territory. I have used it in London, New York and all over the U.S. It gives you leads on good places you can follow up with your own research.

What a good idea. For some reason I never thought of saving them for my vacations. I've always just used them locally.

I have always liked Open Table and I find the website and iPhone app easy to use. But I have second thoughts now; apparently the OT relationship isn't always great for the actual restaurants. That's easy to brush off if you're reserving at a chain... but for a small specialty resto, I have qualms.

There's also the fact that I have never, ever received any perk at all from my membership, which is now 5+ years.

Have you tried to use the point balance from OT? That is where the true value is for the users.

The problem is that I can't use a coupon or a GC if I'm entertaining for work, which is probably 80% of my OT usage. I could get the Dining Cheque and use it on a personal meal, I suppose.

You suppose? Why wouldn't you? and for that matter, so what if you use it for a work check. If appearances matter, give the server the chit and your cc while you're up visiting the lav.

I'm not in an industry where that would be acceptable, unfortunately. But, that brings up another whole matter anyway -- why would I give my company the free meal, from OT points that I earned through using their service? That's like saying that my company deserves the free award travel I earn from weeks and weeks on the road.

That's not something we can really help with, though. It's similar to the merchant fees restaurants face when we use charge or credit cards, or the fees to Rewards Network when we collect miles/points on our dining spend. It may not always be wise for restaurants to work with OT, but if they choose to do so (and especially if they choose to solicit 1,000 point reservations) then my assumption as a consumer has to be that they've factored in the fees.

It can certainly really add up. In the (for the diner) best scenario, a $100 dine can yield $10 worth of OT points, around $8 worth of airline miles and $2 worth of charge card points.

One reason I'd be very, very reluctant to invest in a restaurant business.

See, I clearly need to get fully invested in my OT usage then. I always think of it as a service that saves me a phone call, but doesn't do much else for me. Obviously I am missing out!