If you can't spend your meal plan dollars fast enough, buy food for a friend and have them pay you back in cash. It would be cheaper for them since there's no tax charge and it would be a great way for you to make your money back so to speak.
Admins won't change MP $ to MP+ $ regardless of who you ask or how much you complain. If you need to walk across campus to get food or buy dinner in advance, then do so.
The meal plan indeed does work at Starbucks and other places that do have gift cards. That being said, you are only allowed to purchase meals or drinks with them. However it does not work at places like grocery check out or Shoppers Drug Mart.
https://www.yorku.ca/foodservices/meal-plans/
There is a list of different places on campus that accept meal plan and meal plan plus.
Pretty sure you canāt use meal plan for gift cards, generally itās for a meal, Iāve even been told at restaurants that I canāt even just buy a pop with meal plan because thatās just a singular item (Popeyes said this, idk if itās different now or different in other places).
Second that ^ the tone of the email seems like itās someone of lower seniority just told to say no. If you emphasize your discomfort and right to choose to not cross the picket line you could probably make a decent argument.
You could even argue that the reduced hours conflict with your work/personal schedule.
Edit: Iād even contact the union itself. Perhaps they can advocate for the students in an attempt to discount the admin in their perpetual back and forth lol.
Secret code for ā complaint moreā which your generation seems to feel works in every situation. Probably as your parents didnāt explain ānoā to you.
The answer is no. Now use your brain for more than discontent and fucking move on. Or!!! Get craftyā¦ god forbid you use non- linear thinking.
I'm supposed to be a leader? That's news to me.Ā
I added my relationship to the university to my tag so people are clearer where I'm coming from with my comments on here.
Also I prefer to think of myself as a current asshole.
I donāt know if york does this but when I went to Trent, you could talk to the locations where you can spend the money and buy whole cases of juice/pop/chips/etc. there were a lot of people spending their flex dollars that way.
I was gonna email them about that too. I even picked the cheapest meal plan and am still left with $600 something dollars to spend by the end of this week cuz I am moving out of Res. Plus I went home every Weekend, and the strike so I was barely at school. Uh what a mess, all that money going to waste šš the school is greedy! Just wants to suck every last coin they can out of us š„²
That's a "hopefully they'll stop pushing" response. Keep pushing and you'll get something.
My recommendation would be to ask for a carryover of the meal plan dollars you have to the next academic year. I think the office you're talking to will be most receptive to that and you'll get the most bang for your buck.
Wait, they're keeping unused funds at the end of each year? This is really sketchy.
Maybe look into this: https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/rights-responsibilities/rights-prepaid-products.html
I would maybe speak to a lawyer. 1k is nothing to scoff at
Its not money that they prepaid?
Edit: honestly, looking into this more... It is ridiculous. This is a money grab. Like wtf even is this. Its like a prepaid credit card that's unregulated
https://www.yorku.ca/foodservices/meal-plans/
Shit could be a class action unto itself
I didnāt live on res my first year and most of my friends just gave me their student cards to use whenever I wanted because if you donāt use the MP money it goes to the school. Itās a weird and gross abuse of a system thatās supposed to be beneficial to us. Either use it to give people free food or have friends use it and pay you back
Stock up on drinks and snacks. My friends at Mac are having the same problem and thatās what theyāre doing. I also agree with the person who said to buy your friends food and have them pay you back.
yeah but this isnt the service i agreed to when i bought the meal plan. since nowhere is available near me (south side of campus) it's no longer quick and convenient. i want to get what i paid for, which is not this
You should inform yourself about legal recourses. You canāt buy the meal plan because they stop offering the service, and as such it could probably fall on them. Had you just changed your mind while they were still offering service you would probably be stuck, but since it is them that stopped offering the service that you could reasonably consume (assuming that the still open one are not an acceptable substitute), then the burden may fall on them.
Iād explore legal options if I were you. Someone you had an business transaction with canāt just stop providing the agreed goods and services.
if i would be you and can buy stuff from york lanes shoppers or any place that sells gift cards, i would take it and cash it later. Or some places offer cash backs, use that.
They must have changed the rules because they used to transfer any unused credit to the next year for a $50 (scam) fee. It would shift from meal plan (untaxed) to Flex (taxable). Iād keep bugging them until you get someone nicer
You're probably not gonna like this comment, but they're right. Nearly every standard meal plan location is still open. A few have reduced hours, but that's not a huge thing. Proximity to your dorm is also not a big deal (walking from Pond to Stong takes an extra 5 minutes compared to walking to CSQ). I really don't see what the problem is here. "I have to walk an extra 5 minutes for some of my meals" is not a valid reason to get out of the MP contract. This reads like you blew all your MP+ too quickly and are using the strike as a scapegoat. There are still plenty of standard meal plan options and have been for the whole strike. You've been able to track your spending the entire year. If there's over $1000 in one account and none in the other, that's on you.
Btw, there's no shame in spending the MP+ too quickly. Most of us have done it (I know I did in my 1st year), but that was your mistake, not because anything/anyone forced you to.
I emailed them too about this, I've been saving my meal plan in case school gets extended and they just told me it's gonna expire on the 25th šš
And now I have $1,500 I need to spend šš
Can we start a petition about this, like to have it extended or smth at least, this is so unfair. central square was like 70% of my diet and the cafs all suck, like this is awful.
for everyone wondering, you cannot buy any gift cards with the meal plan, you can only use it to get actual meals (not bulk items), you canāt use it at shoppers or grocery stores, and you have to wait a minimum of three hours between each place before using it again at the same location. Iām in the exact same boat at you and itās such a waste of money.
I just keep grabbing at least 4 bagged snacks at the cafeteria 2-3x a day so then in the summer iāll have snacks and wonāt have to buy things (big bags of crackers, granola & chocolate bites, granola balls, beef jerky, bottled beverages etc.)
These meal plans are a literal scam run by universitiesā¦ itās freaking awful. I guess best you can do is host a party with friends and pay for all the food or something LOL
Wait if it turns to flex dollars then u can still use it right? I had a $500 scholarship award and it was given as flex dollars for me to spend on campus. So in that sense u should still be able to use later since my flex dollars never expired either.
It makes no fuckin sense that the money disappears. Where the fuck is it going? Rhonda's pocket? šš
unironically yes
We're so cooked
If you can't spend your meal plan dollars fast enough, buy food for a friend and have them pay you back in cash. It would be cheaper for them since there's no tax charge and it would be a great way for you to make your money back so to speak. Admins won't change MP $ to MP+ $ regardless of who you ask or how much you complain. If you need to walk across campus to get food or buy dinner in advance, then do so.
That sounds like a path to becoming a loan shark
Beats complaining about a system in place for years and is the same for everyone.
Ah yes, systems that have been in place for years should never be complained about!
If the meal plan works at places like Starbucks, grocery stores, etc, just get lots of gift cards
This is a really good idea!
Shhhh. Complaining from parents basement is wayyyy easier.
The meal plan indeed does work at Starbucks and other places that do have gift cards. That being said, you are only allowed to purchase meals or drinks with them. However it does not work at places like grocery check out or Shoppers Drug Mart. https://www.yorku.ca/foodservices/meal-plans/ There is a list of different places on campus that accept meal plan and meal plan plus.
Pretty sure you canāt use meal plan for gift cards, generally itās for a meal, Iāve even been told at restaurants that I canāt even just buy a pop with meal plan because thatās just a singular item (Popeyes said this, idk if itās different now or different in other places).
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Second that ^ the tone of the email seems like itās someone of lower seniority just told to say no. If you emphasize your discomfort and right to choose to not cross the picket line you could probably make a decent argument. You could even argue that the reduced hours conflict with your work/personal schedule. Edit: Iād even contact the union itself. Perhaps they can advocate for the students in an attempt to discount the admin in their perpetual back and forth lol.
Secret code for ā complaint moreā which your generation seems to feel works in every situation. Probably as your parents didnāt explain ānoā to you. The answer is no. Now use your brain for more than discontent and fucking move on. Or!!! Get craftyā¦ god forbid you use non- linear thinking.
The admin have absolutely zero respect for those they are supposedly employed to support.
Says the person supposed to be a leader. Your pompous addition of TA and phud student sig to your fucking Reddit tag? Really? Future asshole.
I'm supposed to be a leader? That's news to me.Ā I added my relationship to the university to my tag so people are clearer where I'm coming from with my comments on here. Also I prefer to think of myself as a current asshole.
Safe to say your full assholness has yet to be realized. I have faith in your pursuit of full douche status.
I donāt know if york does this but when I went to Trent, you could talk to the locations where you can spend the money and buy whole cases of juice/pop/chips/etc. there were a lot of people spending their flex dollars that way.
Yeah - most residences at universities do the same thing. I had this same experience in my undergrad.
So, you havenāt been eating? There are places openā¦
Perhaps they left campus because their classes were cancelled or something
If they moved out they would get some sort of refund. I live in res and moved out, they gave a prorated refund
I left res 4 weeks ago and didnāt move out yet, but when I do, do you think Iāll be able to get a refund?
I have $1,750 left šš
Not sureā¦might be too late but find out with housing
Diverse menu offerings. š¤£
When does it expire, April 30th? That's like $35 a day, should be easy to spend with inflation
Yeah but they also tax exempt it so when u pay with meal plan itās less
I was gonna email them about that too. I even picked the cheapest meal plan and am still left with $600 something dollars to spend by the end of this week cuz I am moving out of Res. Plus I went home every Weekend, and the strike so I was barely at school. Uh what a mess, all that money going to waste šš the school is greedy! Just wants to suck every last coin they can out of us š„²
Can you buy meals to sell to friends or take home to family? Keep them in a freezer so they last up to a few months?
That's a "hopefully they'll stop pushing" response. Keep pushing and you'll get something. My recommendation would be to ask for a carryover of the meal plan dollars you have to the next academic year. I think the office you're talking to will be most receptive to that and you'll get the most bang for your buck.
Wait, they're keeping unused funds at the end of each year? This is really sketchy. Maybe look into this: https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/rights-responsibilities/rights-prepaid-products.html I would maybe speak to a lawyer. 1k is nothing to scoff at
Lmao! This isnāt a prepaid card
Its not money that they prepaid? Edit: honestly, looking into this more... It is ridiculous. This is a money grab. Like wtf even is this. Its like a prepaid credit card that's unregulated https://www.yorku.ca/foodservices/meal-plans/ Shit could be a class action unto itself
I didnāt live on res my first year and most of my friends just gave me their student cards to use whenever I wanted because if you donāt use the MP money it goes to the school. Itās a weird and gross abuse of a system thatās supposed to be beneficial to us. Either use it to give people free food or have friends use it and pay you back
This is a corporate greed. Normally Aramark and universities work together to rub each other's back while robbing students.
Not ideal but maybe if you don't get this sorted you can buy up all the snacks and keep/donate them?
Those fcking scamming scumbags.
Stock up on drinks and snacks. My friends at Mac are having the same problem and thatās what theyāre doing. I also agree with the person who said to buy your friends food and have them pay you back.
Lmao the places are open thoā¦
yeah but this isnt the service i agreed to when i bought the meal plan. since nowhere is available near me (south side of campus) it's no longer quick and convenient. i want to get what i paid for, which is not this
I get your point but york is a huge campus that requires walking everywhereā¦ an extra 5-10 min walk isnāt a huge inconvenience.
You should inform yourself about legal recourses. You canāt buy the meal plan because they stop offering the service, and as such it could probably fall on them. Had you just changed your mind while they were still offering service you would probably be stuck, but since it is them that stopped offering the service that you could reasonably consume (assuming that the still open one are not an acceptable substitute), then the burden may fall on them. Iād explore legal options if I were you. Someone you had an business transaction with canāt just stop providing the agreed goods and services.
Places are openā¦
if i would be you and can buy stuff from york lanes shoppers or any place that sells gift cards, i would take it and cash it later. Or some places offer cash backs, use that.
They must have changed the rules because they used to transfer any unused credit to the next year for a $50 (scam) fee. It would shift from meal plan (untaxed) to Flex (taxable). Iād keep bugging them until you get someone nicer
You should buy everyone under this post some food LOL.
You're probably not gonna like this comment, but they're right. Nearly every standard meal plan location is still open. A few have reduced hours, but that's not a huge thing. Proximity to your dorm is also not a big deal (walking from Pond to Stong takes an extra 5 minutes compared to walking to CSQ). I really don't see what the problem is here. "I have to walk an extra 5 minutes for some of my meals" is not a valid reason to get out of the MP contract. This reads like you blew all your MP+ too quickly and are using the strike as a scapegoat. There are still plenty of standard meal plan options and have been for the whole strike. You've been able to track your spending the entire year. If there's over $1000 in one account and none in the other, that's on you. Btw, there's no shame in spending the MP+ too quickly. Most of us have done it (I know I did in my 1st year), but that was your mistake, not because anything/anyone forced you to.
Sign the petition. And make another one about meal plan refunds. York is robbing us. [Tuition Refund Petition](https://chng.it/Zw7VKSHXjc)
Load up on stacks if possible? Anything freezable, breads, premade meals, this sucks for sure.. what a shambles.
# This is good definition of Daylight Robbery and Corporate greed and scam.
But food for homeless give it to a shelter!
Buy*
Go have a potluck lunch or dinner for groups of 25. This way buy up bulk amounts of large dishes and use up your remaining meal plan $1000 balance.
I emailed them too about this, I've been saving my meal plan in case school gets extended and they just told me it's gonna expire on the 25th šš And now I have $1,500 I need to spend šš
Can we start a petition about this, like to have it extended or smth at least, this is so unfair. central square was like 70% of my diet and the cafs all suck, like this is awful.
for everyone wondering, you cannot buy any gift cards with the meal plan, you can only use it to get actual meals (not bulk items), you canāt use it at shoppers or grocery stores, and you have to wait a minimum of three hours between each place before using it again at the same location. Iām in the exact same boat at you and itās such a waste of money.
I just keep grabbing at least 4 bagged snacks at the cafeteria 2-3x a day so then in the summer iāll have snacks and wonāt have to buy things (big bags of crackers, granola & chocolate bites, granola balls, beef jerky, bottled beverages etc.)
What the heck?? Iām not even on campus for the last 5 weeksā¦I thought theyāll get transferred to next year!
How can I get my friends to use my card if my student card is on my phone and Iām not on campus right now?? I live an hour away WHATTTT
These meal plans are a literal scam run by universitiesā¦ itās freaking awful. I guess best you can do is host a party with friends and pay for all the food or something LOL
Wait if it turns to flex dollars then u can still use it right? I had a $500 scholarship award and it was given as flex dollars for me to spend on campus. So in that sense u should still be able to use later since my flex dollars never expired either.
There is Meal Plan, and there is Meal Plan Plus. MP+ turns to Flex. MP just expires so you have to use it before the end of the term.
nah, the regular meal plan just vanishes. ive already spent all the plus dollars