Why Subway Refunded A Customer Nearly $2,000
Subway, perhaps in a move to garner some positive publicity, is doing once customer a huge solid by refunding them nearly $2,000.
Subway, the American sandwich chain, is making headlines because of a peculiar customer refund. The refund occurred for an Australian customer who didn’t realize she had three-quarters of a Subway sandwich in one of her checked bags. This led to a $1,800 fine from TSA to the traveler, who unknowingly had brought sandwich-related contraband onto an airplane. Many people forget to declare that they’re carrying certain products on board, which makes this fine unusually lofty for the common crime.
Luckily, Subway came to this woman’s rescue in her time of need. The sandwich chain is paying her $2,000 to compensate her for the airline fine. Subway discovered this mishap via TikTok, where Jessica Lee, the sandwich culprit, addressed the situation. She stated that she had purchased a footlong sub during her layover in Singapore. When the sandwich was eventually discovered at her final destination, she was immediately slapped with a $1,800 fine. Lee did admit it was her mistake and that carrying on this type of food item infringes upon Australia’s Biosecurity Act.
A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Agriculture elaborated on this infraction and how Lee’s sandwich exactly violated the law. No matter what kind, “all meat products and vegetables” must be declared before entering Australia, the spokesperson noted. Bringing certain foods into the country could be a biosecurity risk, which is why the government takes the matter incredibly seriously. The spokesperson also said that airlines are required to play a biosecurity PSA at the beginning of the plane’s descent, attempting to ensure travelers know to indicate what products they’re flying on the Incoming Passenger Card.
Though Lee made a mistake, her widely circulated TikTok garnered empathy from viewers worldwide. The video also caught the attention of Subway’s Australia branch, which wanted to do something to repay the valued customer’s airport fine. Though the sandwich chain didn’t exactly pay for the fine itself, the company decided to give Lee a Subway gift card with the exact amount of the fine: 2,664 AUD. The chain also delivered her a care package with Subway merchandise such as hats, socks, and playing cards.
A spokesperson for Subway of Australia chimed in about the mishap, stating that the one life lesson is “to finish a Footlong in one sitting.” The message continued by poking fun at the Department of Agriculture’s security strictness, stating that the care package will hopefully fulfill Lee’s lettuce and chicken needs, which were the two main ingredients of the sandwich the department declared as risks. Subway of Australia wanted to make it up to Lee and her valued business, which was received well by both Lee and the rest of her TikTok community.
After Lee received the care package and thank you note from Subway, she made a video on TikTok unveiling all of the package’s contents. The unboxing video, which shows her talking about Subway’s specialized gifts, earned her over half-a-million views and countless comments. Subway’s generous donations garnered positive attention from Lee and the rest of her TikTok following. The sandwich chain transformed a frustrating moment into beneficial PR and possibly earned a customer for life.
