It’s not illegal to book a reservation and then turn around and give that reservation to someone else (scheduling conflicts, medical emergencies, etc) with the other person paying you for it. To me it’s a perfectly valid thing to do. The problem is that it’s being commercialized and creating confusion for both customers and restaurants who no longer know who’s booking their tables.
But then how is it not fraud and already illegal?
It’s not illegal to book a reservation and then turn around and give that reservation to someone else (scheduling conflicts, medical emergencies, etc) with the other person paying you for it. To me it’s a perfectly valid thing to do. The problem is that it’s being commercialized and creating confusion for both customers and restaurants who no longer know who’s booking their tables.
You specifically mentioned the case of the app not having the consent of the restaurant.
How is it not fraud if I sell you a reservation when I’m not in contract with the restaurant owner and simply sell: nothing.
Because then I have a bridge to sell ;)