The owner of Simply Certificates, which provided gift certificates that could be used at dozens of Capital Region restaurants and merchants, said he is shutting down his company and will provide refunds to certificate holders.
"The economic climate was in decline for us," said Matt Esler, who has owned the business for more than a decade. "We thought we should exit gracefully while we could still pay refunds."
The company's kiosk a Colonie Center was closed Monday, and a spokeswoman said the shopping mall had been notified that Sunday was its last day in operation.
Restaurant owners and other merchants who had honored the certificates began receiving certified letters over the weekend telling them the company, "due to continuing economic pressures, ... will no longer be able to honor its certificates, effective immediately."
It told them that certificate holders could reach the company by going to its website, http://www.simplycertificates.com, and contact him at the e-mail address there for instructions on how to get their refunds.
Several restaurateurs said the checks they deposited that come with the certificates had been returned because the Simply Certificates account had been closed.
He suggested people make copies and that they could send the certificates by certified mail. He added that he has no plans to file for Chapter 11 reorganization in bankruptcy court. The office of State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman advised that consumers make copies and that they send the packages with a return receipt requested.
Restaurant owners first reported having the checks, which are for $20 each and are enclosed in $25 gift certificates, returned more than a week ago. At the time, Esler said the checks had been rejected because they were drawn on accounts for his Simply Certificates businesses in Rochester and the state of Connecticut, which were shutting down.
On Monday afternoon, Esler said that Simply Certificates businesses in Buffalo and Syracuse are under different ownership and continue
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