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Closed theater's patrons waiting to hear about refund

Former operators of The Arlington Theaters, which closed last month, said Tuesday residents with unused gift cards can call the company for refund information.

John Scaletta, former theater operator, said gift card holders can contact F&F Management Inc. for information about gift card refunds, but he did not provide details about how those refunds would be managed.

The number for F&F — (847) 215-5501 — was not posted on The Arlington Theaters website, but it was provided to the Daily Herald after an inquiry from several residents with unused gift cards.

Calls from residents and the Daily Herald to F&F rang several times and went to voice mail, but messages had not been returned on Tuesday afternoon.

Talks about lease renewal and installing digital technology between F&F, which operated the theaters, and landlord LNR Partners broke down after about a year, and Arlington Theaters closed July 11. F&F is no longer involved with the theater, but residents said they wished someone had warned them that the theaters might be closing at the time they bought the gift cards.

“If this is something they'd been dealing with for months, he should have stopped selling the gift cards or put an expiration date on them at least,” said Kathy Spiess of Arlington Heights.

Spiess said she bought $200 in gift cards in June for her children's teachers, and has another $75 worth of cards her family hadn't used yet, either.

“I understand hardships, but if you're going to close next month, don't willingly take my money if you aren't going to give me what I'm paying for,” she said. “You hate to feel like you weren't valued as a customer after all those years.”

Spiess said she emailed the previous management for The Arlington Theaters on July 11 and July 18 but has not gotten a response.

Resident Meaghan Hansen has also been trying to get a refund for an unused gift card and said she contacted the Illinois attorney general's consumer fraud office online but has not received a response.

“If we had known they were closing we would have used the gift cards, but there was no notice,” Hansen said.

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