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Restaurant Swindles

by Michael R Burden

The Bill

The bill is an obvious overcharge or 'try on'

With certain kinds of customers, e.g. apparently affluent, the restaurant may well operate on the principle of what it can exact from them, or what the customer appears able, ready and willing to pay.
Do not be afraid to query the bill - mildly questioning or challenging it may lead to a reduction.
NB: You are quite justified in refusing to pay for any sachets of mustard, ketchup, etc. which you have not opened and which the restaurant is able to use again.

The bill is presented on a plain piece of paper torn from a small-sized notepad, with no reference on it (be it logo or letterhead) to the restaurant.

The restaurant does not wish to acquire a bad reputation and wishes to remain coy and evasive about its prices, for the same reasons that it does not wish to publicly display its menus. After all, the 'ripped off' customer may take his bill to the local tourist board office or write to travel magazines or newspapers in his own country warning others of his experience at the establishment, with the logo or letterhead on the bill as the evidence. If a 'rip-off bill is on a plain piece of paper, the customer does not have such incriminating evidence and is more likely to forget the name and address of the establishment.

Ask for the bill to be made out on paper bearing the name of the establishment, claiming that you are on an expense account and need an obviously genuine restaurant bill to claim your reimbursement, as a blank piece of paper will not do.

Of course, equally, it could be that the restaurant is to blame for condoning such practices anyway, given that (i) their staff are more likely to accept or be content with low wages if they are apparently permitted to supplement their income by indulging in little tricks against customers; (ii) a restaurant serving "here today, gone tomorrow" tourists does not lose its customers through such practices at the same rate as would a restaurant serving local or regular customers.

It could be that the restaurant is itself not to blame, but that individual staff members are taking the opportunity to defraud customers. The bill offered to the customer on the blank piece of paper is not a genuine bill; the genuine bill is recorded in the account book or on the restaurant's own paper and passed through the till. If the customer apparently willingly pays the excess of his 'bill' over the genuine bill, the excess amount can be pocketed by the waiter.

General Rules

Always carefully check the bill before getting your money out!
If paying by credit card, make sure that you do not lose sight of it at any time!


Bon appetit!


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