What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
Jan 10th 2009, 8:33 pm
#32
No Clean Feed
Joined: Sep 2004
Location: Hampton, Victoria
Posts: 1,381
Re: What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
The laws in Australia are different to the U.K. If the restaurant made a genuine mistake & want more money then you do owe them it.
I had a similar experience not long after we arrived. Deb went to the local tyre retailer & had four tyres fitted & balanced etc on our Ute. The guy there made out the bill & Deb paid without looking at it.
A few weeks later we started receiving phone calls first from the garage then from the police, eventually we received a letter from a solicitor stating that there had been a mistake on our bill & we owed them over $585 bucks. I looked at the invoice & it was made out for $780 for four tyres. The dickhead that fitted them had only charged us $195 for the four, we had payed by card as well so the bank statement confirmed the fact.
A visit to our solicitor confirmed that as it had been a genuine mistake we did owe the money.
I had a similar experience not long after we arrived. Deb went to the local tyre retailer & had four tyres fitted & balanced etc on our Ute. The guy there made out the bill & Deb paid without looking at it.
A few weeks later we started receiving phone calls first from the garage then from the police, eventually we received a letter from a solicitor stating that there had been a mistake on our bill & we owed them over $585 bucks. I looked at the invoice & it was made out for $780 for four tyres. The dickhead that fitted them had only charged us $195 for the four, we had payed by card as well so the bank statement confirmed the fact.
A visit to our solicitor confirmed that as it had been a genuine mistake we did owe the money.
- If they were provided with an itemised bill and knew it was short, then fine IMHO they should pay.
- If they were provided with an itemised bill and knew it was missing some items which the restaurant later picked up on, then while I feel its "tough crap" for the restaurant IMHO they should probably pay up.
- If, however, there is no itemised bill available and at the time all parties were happy with the bill and payment made, then it's now their word against the guests. Tough luck, plain and simple.
As I said before, if the restaurant had overcharged them I could never imagine the restaurant calling up and offering to repay it to the guests.
Al
Last edited by bigAPE; Jan 10th 2009 at 8:35 pm.
Jan 10th 2009, 8:40 pm
#33
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Location: Hampton, Victoria
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Re: What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
Name and shame the Restaurant FiP !
Jan 10th 2009, 9:37 pm
#34
Aussie Finn Mixture!
Joined: May 2005
Location: Leschenault WA (after few locations around WA and Around Europe!)
Posts: 1,151
Re: What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
Having worked in the industry here for 7 years I would say not to pay unless you get an itemised bill showing the error and showing the actual mistake. Even then, restaurants can delete certain items due to complains etc. so really I would stand my ground on that one. Secondly remind them that for every good comment made by customers to their friends, it has been proven that bad comment reaches 16 people per on good comment, do they really want to go down that road when internet is full of sites with restaurant reviews filled by customer comments??? I seriously think they will put it down to experience and leave it if you push hard enough and stay strong!
Jan 10th 2009, 9:41 pm
#35
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Re: What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
As I said earlier, I have had resturants try to charge me for things I have not had (funnily enough normally when everyone else has been drinking a lot, but I don't drink), it is OPs word against theirs that they even had the $50 worth of whatever.
If they made the mistake of $50 (which is a hell of a mistake) then how would op know this charge was even theirs and not another tables? How would they not notice at the time, but they notice later???
The only things I could think that they know for sure was for that table would be a drinks bill (as lots of places do this seperatly), but you would imagin that could end up being more than $50 for 6 people, or they are trying to add 10% service charge.
Anything else surely would have been added to the bill throughout the night?
If they made the mistake of $50 (which is a hell of a mistake) then how would op know this charge was even theirs and not another tables? How would they not notice at the time, but they notice later???
The only things I could think that they know for sure was for that table would be a drinks bill (as lots of places do this seperatly), but you would imagin that could end up being more than $50 for 6 people, or they are trying to add 10% service charge.
Anything else surely would have been added to the bill throughout the night?
Jan 10th 2009, 10:07 pm
#36
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Joined: Nov 2005
Location: Mornington Peninsula
Posts: 2,887
Re: What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
Name and shame the place!
I would not pay and next time they phone would tell them they had lost future business from yourself and your fellow diners - all for $50 and the harrassment.
Shame you have to give your phone number for reservations because if you had paid cash they would be non the wiser
J x
I would not pay and next time they phone would tell them they had lost future business from yourself and your fellow diners - all for $50 and the harrassment.
Shame you have to give your phone number for reservations because if you had paid cash they would be non the wiser
J x
Jan 11th 2009, 1:32 am
#37
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Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Helensburgh...the proper one in Scotland
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Re: What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
The restaurant has made a mistake, don't pay any extra. It is up to the restaurant to employ staff that are competent. Had the mistake been caught at the till, fair enough to change the amount payable, the restaurant must be struggling to chase $50 after the event.
There are no enormous mark ups. Restaurant suppliers here in WA have increased their prices, however at the point of sale it is hard to increase the price of meals/drinks to compensate as customers will stop buying. If you are looking at the price of soft drinks or alcohol, the restaurant needs to buy it in on spec, hold it in an appropriate environment (e.g. cool room for white wine and soft drinks) and pay the associated costs in doing that and pay the overall costs having someone available to serve it.
It is normal when taking a booking at a restaurant to also take contact details. It costs a business when bookings don't turn up, particularily large bookings as extra food is bought in to cater for these.
It is normal when taking a booking at a restaurant to also take contact details. It costs a business when bookings don't turn up, particularily large bookings as extra food is bought in to cater for these.
Jan 11th 2009, 9:21 am
#38
Still alive
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Posts: 28,995
Re: What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
Name and shame the place!
I would not pay and next time they phone would tell them they had lost future business from yourself and your fellow diners - all for $50 and the harrassment.
Shame you have to give your phone number for reservations because if you had paid cash they would be non the wiser
J x
I would not pay and next time they phone would tell them they had lost future business from yourself and your fellow diners - all for $50 and the harrassment.
Shame you have to give your phone number for reservations because if you had paid cash they would be non the wiser
J x
Jan 11th 2009, 9:30 am
#39
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Jan 11th 2009, 9:34 am
#40
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Re: What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
May I remind people that Expats is not here as a place to "name and shame". As the OP has not settled the matter, it would probably be in his best interest to not antagonise the situation further. As Cresta said, the laws here are different to those you're probably used to and as I said in the first 2 answers given he should ask for an itemised bill showing the mistake before considering his next move.
However, I was giving my opinion like everyone else of what i would do in this situation.
J x
Jan 11th 2009, 9:40 am
#41
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Jan 11th 2009, 9:42 am
#42
Auntie Fa
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Seattle
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Re: What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
As Em said, it sounds like the waiter, cashier, etc., made a mistake and is trying to get back the money so they don't end up paying for it out of their wages.
Personally I'd do what somebody else suggested - get an itemised bill to veryify that you have indeed been undercharged. Then it's down to you to decide what to do, considering the fact that you ordered the meal knowing the prices.
However
I would take into account how professional or otherwise they are being with you over the matter. It IS their cock-up so they should be apologetic and asking for your understanding, not aggressive or accusing.
Personally I'd do what somebody else suggested - get an itemised bill to veryify that you have indeed been undercharged. Then it's down to you to decide what to do, considering the fact that you ordered the meal knowing the prices.
However
I would take into account how professional or otherwise they are being with you over the matter. It IS their cock-up so they should be apologetic and asking for your understanding, not aggressive or accusing.
Jan 11th 2009, 9:50 am
#44
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 106
Re: What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
May I remind people that Expats is not here as a place to "name and shame". As the OP has not settled the matter, it would probably be in his best interest to not antagonise the situation further. As Cresta said, the laws here are different to those you're probably used to and as I said in the first 2 answers given he should ask for an itemised bill showing the mistake before considering his next move.
The situation is not derogatory or based on misconception and is not antagonistic. He either pays or he doesn't, but at the end of the day his experience of the restaurant is relevant.
Jan 11th 2009, 10:06 am
#45
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,027
Re: What would yo do? Restaurant asking for more money after we paid their bill!
Sorry Dorothy what utter rubbish! While the laws here might be different and you are legally obliged to pay up, if you have had a bad experience of a restaurant and feel that they have been unprofessional you have every right to say who it was. Why should any business get away with bad service, who do not accept their responsibility and errors their staff has made.
The situation is not derogatory or based on misconception and is not antagonistic. He either pays or he doesn't, but at the end of the day his experience of the restaurant is relevant.
The situation is not derogatory or based on misconception and is not antagonistic. He either pays or he doesn't, but at the end of the day his experience of the restaurant is relevant.
Buy why should she name and shame. There was no problem with the food or service from what I can see only that they have contacted her at a later date and asked for further payment as they had undercharged her. Whether she pays this or not is up to her but it hardly seems relevant or fair that she should name and shame someone who may have made a genuine mistake and is trying to get the difference back.
