I have the reservation confirmation in the app for this Friday at 9 PM at a restaurant in my neighborhood. They just wrote to me saying that due to a technical issue they can't guarantee my table. I don't understand how that's possible if I already paid with my card. What can I do?
Have they refunded you already or is it still pending in your account?
First thing is to contact the restaurant directly by phone, not just wait for replies through the app. Explain that you have a reservation confirmation and that you paid. If they say it was a technical error, ask them to guarantee you the table or refund you on the spot. A lot of the time this gets sorted quickly when you talk to them directly, because they have some room to fix it if things get serious.
If the restaurant is being difficult or won't respond, gather all your documentation (screenshot of the reservation, payment confirmation) and contact TheFork directly. They have an obligation to mediate because you did your part: you paid and you have a valid confirmation. The platform usually sides with the customer in these cases, especially when there's a "technical problem" involved that's not your fault.
Either way, if this doesn't get sorted by Friday, think about booking at another restaurant in the area. Sometimes it's faster than waiting for them to fix the mess, and at least you'll have guaranteed you can eat out peacefully that day.
If I were you, I'd do two things in parallel: call the restaurant this week (don't rely only on app messages) and get everything in writing, asking for a clear confirmation of whether your reservation is still valid or not. If they say no, demand that TheFork refund you immediately and save screenshots of the conversation. Now, here's a trick a lot of people don't use: before Friday arrives, go into the TheFork app as if you were making a new reservation for that same day and time at that restaurant, and check if the system still lets you book. If it does, that proves they have tables available and that the "technical issue" is their problem, not actual lack of space. With that proof in hand you've got a lot more leverage if you need to file a complaint.
If you already paid, that money has to be recorded somewhere (check your card statement to see exactly what status it shows), and that's your strongest guarantee to make a claim. The thing is, TheFork sometimes takes days to process refunds if the restaurant cancels, so in the meantime contact both of them separately - write to TheFork explaining that you have payment confirmation and ask them to confirm whether the reservation is still active or not, because "technical issue" is too vague to just let it dissolve like that.
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