9 August 2010

Restaurants adding that extra glass of wine...

| Postalgeek
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While overcharging doesn’t happen all the time, it happens often enough that I now check bills, even if it makes me look like a dried up old sphincter.

About one in four times in Canberra I find a little something extra added to our bills.

As a couple we don’t get it often in the loftier establishments, but groups often get hit with extra charges.

Usually it’s the middle to pedestrian eateries.

I was talking to a waitress who said that some restaurants have a deliberate policy to add extra items to group bills, especially drinks which are hard for the table to keep track of.

If something is slipped onto the bill, I don’t tip.

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Even worse is when you go to dinner with a group of friends, one of them leaves early and drops a fifty dollar note on the table. Then the bill comes around and it turns out their share was actually sixty dollars, leaving the rest of us to pick up the tab for the extra drinks they actually did order.

Cheapskates.

ConanOfCooma3:48 pm 09 Aug 10

I find that these establishments don’t usually like irate customers yelling key words such as “Fraud” or “Theft” in a crowded restaraunt – Might even get you off the whole bill!

And everyone should remember that it is now officially illegal to charge a ‘surcharge’ on sundays and public holidays. They can have two sets of menus but to list normal prices and then say that you have to pay an extra 10% is not on.

What’s worse is that many (if not most) staff are now on flat 7 day rates – so the need for the surcharge ahs disappeared.

icantbelieveitsnotbutter said :

If something is ‘slipped onto the bill’… why not tell them to take it off???

I didn’t think that needed to be stated, but yes, we tell them to remove.

georgesgenitals3:01 pm 09 Aug 10

And why would you tip in a Canberra restuarant? The prices, and especially the service, don’t warrant it.

Deliberately overcharging is stealing as far as I’m concerned. I’d be somewhat annoyed if a restaurant overcharged me and thoroughly pissed off if I found out they did it deliberately.

If they overcharged I would not be going back a second time…..

grumpyrhonda1:46 pm 09 Aug 10

If something is slipped on to the bill, I’d want it taken off. Sometimes it could be a genuine mistake but not often. I’d also be asking for a 10% discount for them trying to rip you off.

icantbelieveitsnotbutter11:51 am 09 Aug 10

If something is ‘slipped onto the bill’… why not tell them to take it off???

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