Many years ago, I went into a Subway (it may have been my first time in one) and I ordered sub, some chips, and a drink. Exactly the items in a combo.

The cashier rang up my order and I handed him a $20 bill. He gave me back change. It was then that I realized that I was overcharged.

"I think it's supposed to be $[whatever a combo meal costs]," I said.

"You didn't order to combo," said the cashier.

"I'm sorry, but it looks like the combo is a 6" chicken sub, a bag of chips, and a medium drink. I think that's what I ordered, no?"

"You didn't ask for the combo, so I charged you for what you ordered."

"I didn't know I had to ask for the combo meal. I thought you'd ring me up for that when you saw I got the exact items in the meal. Can I get back the difference?"

"I can't open the register," said the cashier.

"Who can?" I asked.

"The manager."

"Where is the manager?"

"Not here."

"So, only the manager can open the register and the manager isn't here. Are you really saying that you're unable to refund money if the manager isn't here?"

He remained unmoved. "That's right. No manager, no refunds. For any reason."

Wanting to make my point, I added, "So, you accidentally have someone the wrong change, you'd not be able to make it right?"

"That's correct. Once the register closes, it doesn't open again unless you buy something. No exceptions."

"Even if it was YOUR fault?" I asked.

"That's right. No exceptions."

At this point, a woman walked up to the register and removed the key she had on her wrist. She unlocked the register, silently handed me back the difference between my a la carte order and a combo meal, and walked back to the sandwich making area."

Anyway...

I feel for you. If the 6" and the 12" cost EXACTLY the same, then it seems silly for them to refuse to just toss another 6" your way (note that two 6" subs may not contain exactly the same amount of filling -- although I'm sure that a Subway employee may correct me on this).

But, like me, the error was in not asking for the special. If you don't ask for the special, you can't come back later and ask for it.

I'm struck by the fact that you told your son to get the footlong and that's not what he ordered. While it's easy to make a mistake (especially at 13), I'm wondering what happened there. Was he talked into getting the 6"? Did he misread the sign and figured he was saving you money? Was he like my grandfather, who purposefully doesn't order the special (at a lower price) because he he's not hungry? (He's rather pay extra to NOT waste the food).

In any case, I've learned that Subway employees don't all subscribe to the same level of logic that some customers do. (Note, I said "some").

I doubt this was the employee being sadistic. I think it's more about being locked into the "the customer orders, we deliver what they asked for" mentality. This person didn't see it as their job to notify your son that he could get a better deal. And, after the fact, saw no reason to help because, after all, it WAS his fault and why should she have to go through the trouble of dealing with this?

One last thing: Subway is franchisee owned. What they'll do is send this letter to the local store. Where the owner will decide if they care or not. Maybe your owner will.