Szeged

I do beg your pardon Lorna, I was not aware that all of my postings had to be helpful all of the time. I do apologise. Hopefully you will find the translation below very helpful to your new forum members if, god forbid, they should ever get ripped off by 17p.

Elnézést, megkaphatnam a visszajarot?

Excuse me, can I get the change?

123Emily

I am sorry I brought it up.

OK its a culture difference I will have to accept. Its just in the UK they ALWAYS give you your change! Its not about the money! I just didnt understand why they weren't saying anything to me and not giving me my change. Also it did not happen once, by a number of times in stores.

Now I understand they weren't doing it to be mean, it is just me been a bit paranoid.

I was only asking, how can I start to understand the culture I live in if I don't ask?

I didn't know you had to pay Halapenz at first, and so the first month I arrived I was upset when the uni doctor told me there were no asthma inhalers, it was only because I asked an American girl at uni, if I could buy one off her, that I found out about the Halapenz and then I was able to get a inhaler. Not everything is obvious to you when you move to a new place.

PaulinEger

I have also experienced this on several occasions, although not recently. To say that all Hungarians are honest and trustworthy, especially those that come across foreigners is laughable.
If I am short changed I hold my hand out and tell them in Hungarian that I am not a tourist, I live here and then I get my change. The people who do this do it deliberately and do it to tourists. They would NOT short change a Hungarian by 65 forints or they would be told. The attitude of foreigners that 17p is nothing only encourages the unscrupulous to keep fleecing non Hungarians when the opportunity arrises
On another note, I was told that if you are paying for aa meal or drinks and say "thank you or köszönöm" then don't expect any change as this is an indication that you are telling the vendor to keep the change.

PaulinEger

WRONG! Some are doing it because they think you don't know any different and won't say anything.

duztee

As most regulars will probably know by now, I am lazy.
I am too lazy to search my change for the correct amount so was always ending up with a pocket full of small coins, so now I don't pick up the small change.

Paul is correct that if you say Thank you as you hand over the money the assumption is they can keep the change.

I will add this system works both ways and something which is priced at 203 Huf can usually be paid for with 200 Huf, but if you put down 205 they will keep the change.

Peter_in_Hungary

Me too, but when I go to the supermarket with the self-service check out I throw the coins into the chute and the machine counts it all for me knocking it off the bill as it goes. Easy (and lazy)

yamyamsam

When I visited Sumeg last year, the woman at the restaraunt didn't give us change, it was like 50p, but we didn't mind.

rickster000

Sorry to go off topic but can I ask, what is Halapenz?

Peter_in_Hungary

Hálapenz is the money paid to doctors and other health service workers to ensure that the patient gets proper treatment. The money is paid upfront (unlike waiters tips which are given after the event) and a few years back there was even an unofficial price list depending upon the operation/treatment to be under gone. Prior to Hungary joining the EU one of the issues the EU had with Hungary was the practice of hálapenz which the EU branded as corruption.

The younger doctors and health workers do not like it and the younger generation of Hungarians do not give it. It is the last vestige of the corruption of the old system (pre 92) where it was common place to have to bribe all state officials to do their job when you had dealings with officialdom.

In the 23 years we have been here we have never paid NHS staff and have always had good treatment. (neither have we bribed any other state official)

rickster000

Sounds a bit like how FIFA do their business, lol.

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the info.

scot47

Is it really so difficult to say in Hungarian "Change, please !"

123Emily

No, I can spit out change please.

wolfi

This never ever happened to me - we however round up where tips are customary.

123Emily

I dont mind tipping and yes we do the same, round up to the nearest large bill for tips.
Delivery men I tip 1,000huf if it is heavy - we live on the 3rd floor, no lift.

fidobsa

I hate giving less than the right money in cases where the rule is to round down. If the bill comes to 806ft I will probably give 810ft and then get given 5ft back!
I can't recall ever noticing being short changed, in fact I have sometimes been under-charged if the shop does not have the exact change. I also tend to end up with a pocket full of small change but the self service checkouts in Tesco are handy for getting rid of it.