Curious what your meal is. Where I’m at, you can get a large fry and drink for $1.50 altogether, then after that it’s just the cost of the sandwich. If you order 15min ahead of time, you can immediately place another order after you pick up the first for another deal for the sandwich also, so you can get away with a double quarter pounder with cheese, large fry, large drink for $6.50.
Sorry I havent been on lemmy as often so delayed reply.
My standard order is 2 bacon mcdoubles(currently $4.89 a piece), a large fry($4.99) and a lemonade($2.49) or a Mcafe($4.99), so it ends up being $17.29 for my food or 18.64 after tax, or if I wanted a cafe it would be 19.76 or 21.34 after tax.
Just 5 years ago I could get 2 bacon mcdoubles, 2 large fries, a 20 piece nugget and a lemonade for about 18$ (granted that was with a deal).
Back in 2016 I could get that same bacon burger meal above for a little over 12. I can’t warrent the price anymore.
I use that coupon every once and awhile(when my family decides they want McD), but that still makes it 3$ more than what it used to be, and requires me to use a coupon when I could redeem for points or use something else. And thats also forcing me to use their app.
Which the app itself is actual trash now. They removed the search bar for items, they added point expiration(ok this was awhile ago) they now charge you immediately upon placing the order, despite not actually starting the order until your GPS detects you are at the establishment. Theres no ability to cancel and order once placed, regardless if its started being made. Their FAQ page intentionally lies to you telling you that every purchase is final, despite the fact that if they haven’t started making the order, it will eventually refund the purchase. They added a waiver for class actions to the apps TOS meaning if you want to sue you must use third party attribution. It massively harvests data. All for the benefit of paying more for something that I used to be able to spend 12$ not even 10 years ago on.
For context on why the no ability to cancel and lying annoys me: I worked closing shift for years, but it was a 50/50 chance that if I went to mcdonalds (which was the only food joint open when I got out cause everywhere else closed at like 10/1030) it would be packed. What I would do is place the order when I got out, and then look at the establishment on the way through and if it was packed I would cancel the order in the app and just not go there. Due to this change in mechanics, I’m now charged immediately when i place, and not given the ability to cancel. Which would be fine if they actually made the food when they took my money, but they still don’t start making the food until you are there, so the only thing it did was force me to go to a slammed fast food joint, wait 40 minutes instead of my normal 15 for my food(mcdonalds takes forever to cook late at night cause nothing is prepped), and overall make the entire experience less enjoyable from a consumer POV. The screwed up part is, they didn’t tell anyone they were switching to that system. I placed my order like I always did, skipped the restaurant because it was slammed like I sometimes did, and then found I no longer had a cancel button when I got home. So I had to find the FAQ section that moreorless said “all purchases final no refunds”. To which I called the restaurant and they said “oh just wait like 3 or 4 days it’ll refund” and it did.
The end result was the same though regardless. since then they opened a dominos that is open until like 2 AM, and as long as your order is placed by like 8 or 9 PM you can schedule in advance for when i got out. Which made my nightly cost 10$ for a large pizza, or 20 for 2 pizzas and a thing of sticks, which was significantly less than I was paying mcdonalds for a meal that only lasted me that one meal. It’s not worth the money regardless of their deal program anymore.
100% I know the app is cheaper. I refuse to download the app and accept binding arbitration for if their food kills me somehow. Fuck your app, I’m just not eating there.
? A deal for a drink and fry for $1.50 if you’re using the app anyway isn’t elaborate, you can order your regular sandwich with that and still only pay $8. So exactly what is going on with the $22 order, I want to know. Just tell me what the order is. Should be simple enough.
Being given virtual coupons daily so you can afford a large double QP with cheese meal for $6.50, which is like 2005 prices, is not gamification. I agree that all of their prices should be less, fuck, I’d have free food offices like the post office where anyone can pick up pre-made hot or cold meals.
But you sound like a boomer or child who can’t take two seconds to think and order, $22 is some nonsense
Having to use an app to order from a drive through restaurant to get the food down to semi-affordable is bullshit and you know it. What about people (for whatever reason) don’t have access to a smartphone with the McDonald’s app?
You’re making a completely different argument, please fuck off. You’re fighting just to fight. Read what I write and if you have beef with corporate McDonald’s, go email them.
The OP said originally:
Just for the chuckle I put that same meal into the app, it’s now 22$ after tax
THIS is what sounds like nonsense to me, if they actually used the app then I wanna know their order and why they didn’t use any deals. It is disingenuous at best, and sounds genuinely stupid to anyone who uses the app.
In no place ever did I argue that the app itself is a good thing or fair. It just isn’t gamification to distribute coupons digitally though. That isn’t what gamification is. The rewards points on the app can be argued as gamification, sure, but we were never discussing those (so see my first sentence). But not the virtual coupons, unless you want to argue that all coupons are gamification, however I don’t think anyone else sees coupons as such. Especially using (1) coupon, there’s no way their order was $22. This is likely a lie. I’m tired of lies. Aren’t you?
It just isn’t gamification to distribute coupons digitally though. That isn’t what gamification is.
I’m not trying to suggest that distributing the coupons digitally is the gamification, I’m arguing that the shift to app only coupons and ‘rewards’ and ‘app exclusive deals’ overall is a form of gamification.
You’re boasting about how you min-maxxed their system, you’re gonna tell me that they didn’t find a way to lure you in with a bit of dopamine when you think you’ve found a hack?
I remember a couple years back the limit to app coupons was once per day and they’ve changed it to 15 minutes. All of these coupon restrictions are arbitrary, they control the whole system.
20% off $20
Free X after Y team won
Tuesday only deal, free fries friday
A set of rules that can be applied. takes advantage of human desire to optimize. sounds like gamification to me
“Boasting” Jesus, you all cannot argue in good faith.
All of these coupon restrictions are arbitrary, they control the whole system.
Lemmy user discovers what a coupon is, more at 7
Again, none of this is my original argument. Go email McDonalds. My point is that I want to know OP’s order, because no way is a normal order $22 especially with their coupons. All of your weird other arguments and stories are you barking at the wind, because you certainly aren’t discussing the original topic or anything I have said. Ya fucking weirdo
No change in cost? It’s $6.50 altogether - $1.50 for drink and fries, and about $5 for the double QP (40% off deal). The app limits you to one deal per order every 15 minutes. The 15 minute timer starts when the order is placed, however, and they may make your food early but not usually for fries and a drink. So you place the 2nd order after you pick up the first so you can use another deal to order the sandwich, once the timer expires.
On first reading that, I thought it was a bit fiddly or sort of defeating the point of “fast”, but actually the more I think about it… Fair enough lol, that’s cheap for that much food
The price per calorie (.004 cents per cal) is pretty good, and you can place the first order while you drive over so you don’t have to wait long. 15min timer starts when order is placed on phone.
Curious what your meal is. Where I’m at, you can get a large fry and drink for $1.50 altogether, then after that it’s just the cost of the sandwich. If you order 15min ahead of time, you can immediately place another order after you pick up the first for another deal for the sandwich also, so you can get away with a double quarter pounder with cheese, large fry, large drink for $6.50.
Sorry I havent been on lemmy as often so delayed reply.
My standard order is 2 bacon mcdoubles(currently $4.89 a piece), a large fry($4.99) and a lemonade($2.49) or a Mcafe($4.99), so it ends up being $17.29 for my food or 18.64 after tax, or if I wanted a cafe it would be 19.76 or 21.34 after tax.
Just 5 years ago I could get 2 bacon mcdoubles, 2 large fries, a 20 piece nugget and a lemonade for about 18$ (granted that was with a deal).
Back in 2016 I could get that same bacon burger meal above for a little over 12. I can’t warrent the price anymore.
There’s a 20% off orders over $15 deal you qualify for. Making it $15.08 before tax
I use that coupon every once and awhile(when my family decides they want McD), but that still makes it 3$ more than what it used to be, and requires me to use a coupon when I could redeem for points or use something else. And thats also forcing me to use their app. Which the app itself is actual trash now. They removed the search bar for items, they added point expiration(ok this was awhile ago) they now charge you immediately upon placing the order, despite not actually starting the order until your GPS detects you are at the establishment. Theres no ability to cancel and order once placed, regardless if its started being made. Their FAQ page intentionally lies to you telling you that every purchase is final, despite the fact that if they haven’t started making the order, it will eventually refund the purchase. They added a waiver for class actions to the apps TOS meaning if you want to sue you must use third party attribution. It massively harvests data. All for the benefit of paying more for something that I used to be able to spend 12$ not even 10 years ago on.
For context on why the no ability to cancel and lying annoys me: I worked closing shift for years, but it was a 50/50 chance that if I went to mcdonalds (which was the only food joint open when I got out cause everywhere else closed at like 10/1030) it would be packed. What I would do is place the order when I got out, and then look at the establishment on the way through and if it was packed I would cancel the order in the app and just not go there. Due to this change in mechanics, I’m now charged immediately when i place, and not given the ability to cancel. Which would be fine if they actually made the food when they took my money, but they still don’t start making the food until you are there, so the only thing it did was force me to go to a slammed fast food joint, wait 40 minutes instead of my normal 15 for my food(mcdonalds takes forever to cook late at night cause nothing is prepped), and overall make the entire experience less enjoyable from a consumer POV. The screwed up part is, they didn’t tell anyone they were switching to that system. I placed my order like I always did, skipped the restaurant because it was slammed like I sometimes did, and then found I no longer had a cancel button when I got home. So I had to find the FAQ section that moreorless said “all purchases final no refunds”. To which I called the restaurant and they said “oh just wait like 3 or 4 days it’ll refund” and it did.
The end result was the same though regardless. since then they opened a dominos that is open until like 2 AM, and as long as your order is placed by like 8 or 9 PM you can schedule in advance for when i got out. Which made my nightly cost 10$ for a large pizza, or 20 for 2 pizzas and a thing of sticks, which was significantly less than I was paying mcdonalds for a meal that only lasted me that one meal. It’s not worth the money regardless of their deal program anymore.
You’re describing an elaborate maneuver to get a meal at the price it used to be without “app exclusive deals” etc. The turn to app-ification is shit.
McDonald’s has traded “cheap” and “convenient” for gamification. They’re not the only ones, either
100% I know the app is cheaper. I refuse to download the app and accept binding arbitration for if their food kills me somehow. Fuck your app, I’m just not eating there.
? A deal for a drink and fry for $1.50 if you’re using the app anyway isn’t elaborate, you can order your regular sandwich with that and still only pay $8. So exactly what is going on with the $22 order, I want to know. Just tell me what the order is. Should be simple enough.
Being given virtual coupons daily so you can afford a large double QP with cheese meal for $6.50, which is like 2005 prices, is not gamification. I agree that all of their prices should be less, fuck, I’d have free food offices like the post office where anyone can pick up pre-made hot or cold meals.
But you sound like a boomer or child who can’t take two seconds to think and order, $22 is some nonsense
Having to use an app to order from a drive through restaurant to get the food down to semi-affordable is bullshit and you know it. What about people (for whatever reason) don’t have access to a smartphone with the McDonald’s app?
You’re making a completely different argument, please fuck off. You’re fighting just to fight. Read what I write and if you have beef with corporate McDonald’s, go email them.
The OP said originally:
THIS is what sounds like nonsense to me, if they actually used the app then I wanna know their order and why they didn’t use any deals. It is disingenuous at best, and sounds genuinely stupid to anyone who uses the app.
In no place ever did I argue that the app itself is a good thing or fair. It just isn’t gamification to distribute coupons digitally though. That isn’t what gamification is. The rewards points on the app can be argued as gamification, sure, but we were never discussing those (so see my first sentence). But not the virtual coupons, unless you want to argue that all coupons are gamification, however I don’t think anyone else sees coupons as such. Especially using (1) coupon, there’s no way their order was $22. This is likely a lie. I’m tired of lies. Aren’t you?
I’m not trying to suggest that distributing the coupons digitally is the gamification, I’m arguing that the shift to app only coupons and ‘rewards’ and ‘app exclusive deals’ overall is a form of gamification.
You’re boasting about how you min-maxxed their system, you’re gonna tell me that they didn’t find a way to lure you in with a bit of dopamine when you think you’ve found a hack?
I remember a couple years back the limit to app coupons was once per day and they’ve changed it to 15 minutes. All of these coupon restrictions are arbitrary, they control the whole system.
A set of rules that can be applied. takes advantage of human desire to optimize. sounds like gamification to me
“Boasting” Jesus, you all cannot argue in good faith.
Lemmy user discovers what a coupon is, more at 7
Again, none of this is my original argument. Go email McDonalds. My point is that I want to know OP’s order, because no way is a normal order $22 especially with their coupons. All of your weird other arguments and stories are you barking at the wind, because you certainly aren’t discussing the original topic or anything I have said. Ya fucking weirdo
Why would you buy two orders when you only want one? Wouldn’t that literally double the cost, too?
No change in cost? It’s $6.50 altogether - $1.50 for drink and fries, and about $5 for the double QP (40% off deal). The app limits you to one deal per order every 15 minutes. The 15 minute timer starts when the order is placed, however, and they may make your food early but not usually for fries and a drink. So you place the 2nd order after you pick up the first so you can use another deal to order the sandwich, once the timer expires.
Oh I see, you order fries and a drink using a deal to get $1.50, wait fifteen minutes, and then order a burger with another deal?
Right
On first reading that, I thought it was a bit fiddly or sort of defeating the point of “fast”, but actually the more I think about it… Fair enough lol, that’s cheap for that much food
The price per calorie (.004 cents per cal) is pretty good, and you can place the first order while you drive over so you don’t have to wait long. 15min timer starts when order is placed on phone.
Honestly, fair play. Glad you’ve found a hack! I just ate an entire quiche from my local supermarket, cost like $3 for 800kcal.