Junior Kyle Tallman, senior Brian Spring and sophomore Jeff Monroe limped to Subway intending to get free sandwiches and sodas, but they threw down the vouchers and walked away when they found out they had to sign up for a credit card first.
"They made us walk all the way over here, with all our injuries," Tallman said.
Tallman is suffering from a torn ligament in his knee and Monroe has a broken toe.
"And I'm just suffering from extreme hunger," Spring said.
The friends were angry and felt cheated that the hook for the free lunch was a Chase credit card application, they said.
"I figured it was a survey or something," Monroe said. "You know, a few questions, no big deal."
According to the fliers handed out on campus, in order to get a free 6-inch sandwich, students "must participate in student promotion, it only takes three minutes."
When students arrived at the sandwich shop there was a sign that read, "Those interested in the free CSUC meal, please proceed to the table to sign up."
Sophomore Rachel Lerner signed up for the card to get the free lunch, but she plans to cancel the card when it comes in the mail, she said.
"I was really hungry," she said. "And I'm poor."
Subway Store Manager Cassie Kays said each voucher is worth $5 and at the end of the day Chase will pay the total amount to the store, she said. The store collected 155 vouchers, which added up to $775 for Monday alone. Though the voucher says "today only," the deal will continue for the rest of the week and Kays expects it to be busier, she said.
"Our store has seen a lot more business today than usual," Kays said. "I hope the credit card companies don't scare them away."
The Chase employees outside Subway declined to comment.
Stephanie Ried, the Associated Students director of university affairs, worked for Subway two years ago. While she worked there, sandwiches were not traded for credit cards, she said. That is something that has changed under new management.
A.S. President Thomas Whitcher said a memorandum prevents credit card companies from soliciting in A.S. facilities, but not on the rest of the campus.
"The issue you run into is that this is a public university, so basically the whole campus is a free speech area," Whitcher said.
Whitcher wants to raise student awareness toward the danger of increasing credit card debt, whether it's buying sandwiches or paying for books and tuition, he said.
"Be cautious and careful of what you do now and think of the long term," he said. "Think of what you are doing after graduation and how you're going to pay off college debt."
These tactics have become more frequent. On Friday, another credit card company was handing out fliers on campus that solicited a free burrito at Aca Taco. However, when students arrived, they discovered they couldn't get a burrito unless they signed up for a credit card.
Elaina Rusk can be reached at
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