Sign's fine print makes pizza purchase a real problem

Irecently noticed several roadside signs in Jackson. They read: Limited Time Only. 2 Large Pizzas, $15.95. Unlimited Toppings, $1 Each. I was able to read all of that very clearly from my car. Also on that sign was a large picture of a cute Italian cartoon guy with a pizza in his hand. Unbeknownst to me, there was also writing underneath.

I know times are tough for everybody, so like probably everyone, I'm always on the lookout for a good deal. I am a small business owner too.

One trend I cannot agree with is making a consumer practically jump through hoops to get a better deal. And both of those happened in one short trip for pizza.

Pizza has gotten very frustrating to me lately. All my family's favorite places have this printout of a newspaper article about how bakers are getting hit with higher prices for flour and other items. And their prices have gone up an average of $4 per pie.

We used to eat pizza once a week as a special treat for the kids and a break for me (mom). Our favorite pizza place only accepted cash, so we brought cash. No big deal. They closed. Now we have been looking for someone new.

In one short year my family has gone from preparing to buy our little rental house next spring to considering bankruptcy. So in a rare but much-needed lapse of fiscal responsibility, I decided to treat my kids to pizza and a red box DVD. After all, they had been really good that day. I'm talking really good. And they're little, 2, 4 and 6, so that in itself is pretty amazing.

So I called my husband and asked him to pick up a couple of pies on the way home. I told him I had seen the signs and we agreed it was a good deal. We had ordered from them before and even eaten in their restaurant a few times in the past, and we knew we liked it. I called in the order and he picked them up.

I could see as soon as he walked in the door with those pies there was a problem. He showed me the receipt and said, "Well, we can never go in there again." He showed me a receipt of $23.43.

Then I heard the story of how he found out what those tiny words on the bottom of the sign read: "Pick up only. Monday- Thursday only. Must mention coupon when ordering. No credit cards. Some restrictions apply. Not valid with any other offers or on holidays."

OK, apparently while driving on County Line Road at 50 mph I was supposed to be able to read this and follow all those directions so I could afford to give my kids pizza?

The thing is, if I had known all of this, I would have mentioned the coupon when calling and my husband would have brought cash with him. But the obvious intention of that teeny tiny print was so that people don't know this and can be charged more when they come in and pick up their pizza.

Oh and by the way, how I found out exactly what the sign read was I went over to one in my car and took a picture of it. I could not even read that small print from my car while parked next to it. I had to take my camera and zoom in on it when I got the picture home.

My husband went out of the restaurant and read the sign after paying. Then he went back in to try to resolve the dispute. He was treated so rudely that when I think about it I am still in amazement. But the guy would only defend his position. He was not going to let anyone get away with avoiding his rip-off plan.

Since when has buying a pizza become as complicated and frustrating as buying a used car? Why are there disclaimers and fine print and complicated instructions just to get what you see offered?

When I think about how I agonized over raising my clients' prices during this financial crisis, worrying about losing any of the people I care about as clients, and then think about the flip way we were treated over a $6 difference in price at a pizza parlor that can afford to work with me, I can hardly stand it. Heck, how much did those signs cost? Is losing a customer really worth it?

There are times when our pet-sitting clients let us know they can't afford our services as outlined. And do you know what we do? Even though we are in a desperate financial hardship, even though a couple of pizza pies have become a rare and barely affordable treat, even though we aren't sure if or when that next paycheck will come in, we work with them. We find a middle ground. We care.
Melissa Parra
Jackson