Miami Couple Wants Answers After Charity Gift Certificate Denied

MIAMI (CBS4) - A South Florida couple who tried to redeem a gift certificate they had bought at a Make-A-Wish fundraising event said they were refused service at an upscale restaurant in Downtown Miami.

"I was appalled. Livid. I was beside myself," said Ira Wilkins.

Wilkins and his wife bid on a getaway package that included a $100 gift certificate to the Miami Chop House in Downtown Miami. When they went to redeem it, one of the managers refused.

"I would honor it, but for one, it's expired. Number two, it doesn't say anything about Make-A-Wish." said Niyazi Korkmaz, managing partner at the Miami Chop House. "The gentleman was very aggressive."

CBS4's Silva Harapetian showed him a copy of the certificate the couple said they had provided and asked to be shown the expiration date. Korkmaz claims the copy he saw
had an expiration date.

Korkmaz says he and his partners took over the restaurant a few weeks ago and have been refusing to honor gift certificates in general because he says the previous marketing representative was giving them away to friends.

He says Wilkins was aggressive, used four letter words in front of other customers and was asked to leave.

The couple says Korkmaz threatened to call the police. They now want him to donate twice the value of the certificate to Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Korkmaz says he actively supports the charity and will continue to work with them in the future.

The Make-A-Wish foundation had no comment about the story but issued a statement that said, in part, that they are grateful and they "depend on the entire community to grant wishes for local children who have life threatening medical conditions."