Wendy's Complaint - Forced to Pay for Cheese on Plain Hamburger - Number 1 Single Burger Meal

Posted by Starlord on 2011-03-10:

Another reason to give Wendy's a wide berth. Lukewarm chili with very little solids, hot meat patties on ice cold buns, and now having to pay for phantom cheese.

Posted by momsey on 2011-03-10:

I love Wendy's. But it would be annoying to pay for cheese when you don't want it.

Posted by Lsalvador on 2011-03-10:

The Jr. Hamburger doesn't have cheese on it.

Posted by trmn8r on 2011-03-10:

When you say you were surprised by "the large increase in price," do you mean of the meal vs just the sandwich? You don't mean they added cheese, increasing the price, and then when you told them "no cheese" the price stayed the same, do you?

The "meal" is one of the biggest scams out there, IMO. The cheese is another matter. They should offer sandwiches without cheese. But removing cheese from a sandwich with cheese doesn't decrease the price.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-10:

I think they should continue to have hamburgers, and the price should be less than cheeseburgers. It's not fair to have to pay for a cheeseburger if you only want a hamburger.

Posted by Lsalvador on 2011-03-10:

I totally agree with the trmn8tor.

Posted by Lord Rothschild on 2011-03-10:

oh man wendy's must really be desperate if they're jacking people for cheese who don't want it. Good grief will this company ever die.

Excellent info and review!!!

Posted by Lsalvador on 2011-03-10:

Sir Lord, I respectfully disagree with you, they are not jacking people. The cheese is part of the meal.
It would be like ordering a Ceasar Salad without the cheese. Or a Big Mac w/o cheese.
If you want a regular burger then you can order a Jr. Hamburger with fries and a drink off of the Value Menu.

Posted by MDSasquatch on 2011-03-10:

You should have had them give you the cheese on the side, that way you would have at least go what you paid for.

Posted by Lord Rothschild on 2011-03-10:

Lsalvador, Yeah I can see your point there BUT still this change was done by Wendy's as a revenue enhancement measure. Let's just be honest about that. As with every shady move to pick your customer's pockets some, like the OP, are not going to like it. That's quite understandable.

Posted by Lsalvador on 2011-03-10:

Their food is putrid anyway, they couldn't give me a meal.

Posted by trmn8r on 2011-03-10:

Here is the Wendy's burger lineup:
http://wendys.com/food/Family.jsp?family=1

I note that the title says "Hamburgers," but every single item is slathered in cheese slices, except the Jr. Hamburger, as noted above. I never get a cheeseburger, or ask to have cheese removed. The Wendy's lineup of virtually all cheeseburgers says something about the diet of Americans.

The thing about removing cheese is I have never heard of it resulting in a refund.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-10:

I am almost certain that Wendy's Single, Double and Triple used to come with or without cheese and were priced accordingly. I haven't ordered a burger in years, so I'm not sure when they started putting cheese on everything. I agree with the OP that you shouldn't have to pay for an addition that you don't want.

Posted by tnchuck100 on 2011-03-10:

Don't overlook the:
"Prices and participation may vary."
(see the link from trmn8r's comment)
Just as in the Dairy Queen issue on this just recently.
Marketing: The industry charged with promising much, providing as little as possible.

Posted by chemman on 2011-03-10:

trmn8r-The #1 meal combo at Wendy's, up until recently, was a single hamburger meal that came without cheese. I used to order it when I went there and if you wanted cheese you had to ask and it was an additional 30 or 40 cent charge. What the OP is complaining about is that the #1 combo is now a single with cheese with the higher 40 cents already added in and there is no longer an option to order it without. I agree that asking for a cheeseburger, minus cheese shouldn't result in a refund but the real complaint here is that Wendy's no longer offers burgers without cheese, so you have no option but to order the higher price item or go elsewhere. Personally, I recommend going elsewhere.

Posted by Lord Rothschild on 2011-03-10:

You are absolutely correct Venice09. Cheese at Wendy's was always priced separately. If the OP is correct then Wendy's now includes the charge automatically in the price of the burger as to screw those who don't want cheese.

Posted by Toto's Monkey on 2011-03-10:

If they reduced the price for taking off the cheese, why not also reduce the price for those who ask for no tomatoes or pickles or onion or whatnot.

While we're at it, why not increase the price for those who want extra onion or extra lettuce and so forth.

This is certainly possible in this day and age of computers. Why can't we pay for what we actually order? It can't take any more time for a cash register to adjust a price when I say "no onions" as it already takes to send the "no onions" request to the cook.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-10:

That's a good explanation, chemman.

LR, judging by the menu posted by trmn, the OP is correct because there is cheese on everything except the Jr. Hamburger. I agree that Wendy's is screwing the people who don't want or can't eat cheese.

Posted by trmn8r on 2011-03-10:

chemman -> I agree that Wendy's only offers one burger without cheese now. I found the OP's wording "increased price" confusing, and assumed he/she meant compared with just a sandwich. If they meant compared with a previous visit when the single came w/o cheese, then it makes sense.

I agree that the no-cheese customer is getting their meat reddened on the backside here. Personally I would go elsewhere. The only time I don't mind paying for cheese I don't get is when it is an item on the $1 menu that doesn't cost much in the 1st place.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-10:

I'm guessing Wendy's did this because most people order with cheese. And the cheese on Wendy's burgers isn't melted so it can be taken off. But I think the basic Single, Double and Triple should be offered as hamburgers for less money. I can understand cheese automatically being put on the specialty burgers, but there should be more than just the Jr. Hamburger for people who don't want cheese.

Posted by ChuhBaca on 2011-03-10:

That's just one way of nickel and diming the consumer. Drives me nuts. You can get the lowest fare from this airline, but the baggage charges negate that. Cell phone providers, satellite and cable tv, dealer setup and handling fees, now it's creeping into Fast Food. It may seem like I'm being sarcastic, but I'm really not. I'm really fed up with the "gotcha's" that consumers have to endure these days. Sorry for the rant; I'm done.

Posted by ticia232 on 2011-03-10:

I'm wondering if Wendy's did this because of the people who would order a cheeseburger with no cheese, and get upset if they were charged for a hamburger.
I saw this happen in front of me at a Wendy's before. Guy pitched a full fit on the employees because he had NOT ordered a HAMBURGER! He ordered a CHEESEBURGER WITH NO CHEESE!!!! No matter how much they tried to tell him it was cheaper, He wanted his CHEESEBURGER WITH NO CHEESE! They gave up and charged him for a cheeseburger. (I've also witnessed similar at BK and McDonald's.)

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-10:

Why would anyone order a cheeseburger with no cheese if hamburgers were available? I can't think of one reason. I guess some people are just weird.

Posted by Lsalvador on 2011-03-10:

It's like the geniouses that order "Lays" for any type of potato chip or a "Coke" for any soft drink.

Posted by biomajor on 2011-03-10:

At chick fil a, if you order something that normally has cheese, like the breakfast bagel, and ask for no cheese, they do lower the price :)

I wouldn't eat Wendy's any more. I don't like American Cheese. It looks and tastes awful.

Posted by getoverit on 2011-03-10:

So, it's American cheese we're talking about is it? In that case, I would gladly pay them to leave it off. If they're going to leave it off for free, that's a pretty good deal!

Posted by Ytropious on 2011-03-11:

When I go to Taco Bell I don't get a discount because I choose not to get lettuce and sour cream. When I go to most burger places I don't get a discount because I choose not to get toppings. This is standard practice OP, please tell me one restaurant that takes money off when you subtract items from your sandwich?

Posted by Lord Rothschild on 2011-03-11:

Ytropious, Chick-Fil-A does. There's your one. McDonalds does as well... Now there's two. I'm sure there's more.

Posted by Ytropious on 2011-03-11:

McDonalds does not. I have ordered plain cheeseburgers there before and I always pay the same price. They don't subtract for me not wanting condiments and lettuce and pickles, etc.

Posted by momsey on 2011-03-11:

I love cheese.

Chemman has a great point. The #1 used to come WITHOUT cheese and you'd get an upcharge for adding cheese. Now I guess they just decided to charge everyone for cheese and tough luck to those who don't want it.

Ytrop, I hear what you're saying, but cheese is treated differently than tomatoes, lettuce and any of the condiments.

Posted by Lord Rothschild on 2011-03-11:

Ytrop, Order a Quarter Pounder without cheese and they will charge you less than the board price for a quarter pounder. I know this from my own experience.

Posted by Justice-4-All on 2011-03-11:

I remember this exact situation at McDonald's several years back. They used to have a green chile double cheeseburger on the menu for $.99 cents. I don't like their green chile, and since they didn't have regular double cheeseburgers on the dollar value menu at the time, I was forced to try and order those $.99 burgers and ask them to hold the green chile. Sometimes they would, sometimes they wouldn't. It was a real cat and mouse game. Some would say, "All you really want then is a double cheeseburger, and for that I have to charge you the normal price for them". Sometimes they just made it my way, and charged me the value price.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-11:

This complaint is not about leaving an ingredient off the burger. The OP is complaining that Wendy's no longer sells HAMBURGER meals, and that they are now forced to pay for a cheeseburger meal. That is a very valid complaint.

Posted by guest on 2011-11-13:

I went to Wendy's today and unfortunately experienced this issue. I did not want cheese. I was shocked to see that there were no hamburgers listed that did not include cheese. I can afford to pay for cheese IF I want cheese but if I do not want it, I do not want to have to pay for it. I drove off without ordering.

Posted by Wayno on 2011-11-19:

I agree, the name of the place is Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers and you can't get a normal hamburger. I will no longer go there while this policy is in effect

Posted by pgm554 on 2012-02-12:

Same here,what used to be $2.99 is now #3.49 here in CA.
Cheese upcharge is no longer an option.
No wonder they are losing out to In and Out!

Posted by guest on 2013-01-14:

I just won't be eating at Wendy's anymore. I want a hamburger, not a cheeseburger. Period. I shouldn't have to pay for an item I don't want. Wendy's is bucking normal and reasonable expectations to make a bigger profit at the expense of its customers. I'll go somewhere else. I'm not going to be disrespected that way. There are plenty of other burgers out there.

Posted by patricia on 2013-04-03:

me too. i have been buying burgers form wendys for many years and when i would order a single with JUST lettuce and tomato that is what i would get until recently. 4 times in a row i got cheese and mayo (which i can't stand). so today i opened the burger package before i left and lo and behold.. cheese. i said i order JUST lettuce and tomato and the firl said.. "well they all come with cheese now". i'm pissed, this is not "have it your way", it's have it our way and pay the same price if you don't have it our way. i like the burgers because they taste great and i know it's not mystery meat. the cheese is nasty and ruins the taste of the burger, to me. glad i looked here and now see it's "policy" to force cheese on the customer. they must have an overstock. but like another poster said.. i'm done going to wendys. what a load of crap.