Remember:  This advice is worth what you paid for it!

We point out that this experience is a one off ['one time occurrence'].  We have had dinner over one hundred and fifty times in Britain.  This happened only once.  But, once is enough.

We did not believe this could ever happen, until it happened to us!

On our last trip to England, a restaurant - which shall remain nameless  - did not list prices on their menus.  There was something mentioned about the prices changing more often than the printed menu.   (The old custom in higher class restaurants is to provide menus without prices to everyone but the host.  This was a nice restaurant, but not upper class and none of the menus had prices on them.)  The waiter did supply prices verbally when asked.

After the two of us finished dinner, we were presented with a slip of paper on which only the total amount owing was shown.  (Note: the restaurant did not provide an itemized bill only a slip of paper which evidence could be easily destroyed.)  The total amount seemed rather high even for a restaurant in the tourist city of York.

When we asked for the customary (even in Britain) itemized and individually priced bill, we were told that it could only be given to us after the bill was paid!  Note:  this prevents you from checking that 1) they are charging you only for what you ordered and 2) that they got their sums right ['added it properly'.]

Knowing that the credit card receipt would be presented for a confirming signature and giving the restaurant - for the time being - the benefit of the doubt, we presented our credit card.

When the receipt was presented for a signature along with the previously withheld itemized bill, 'the other shoe dropped'.  The two of us were being charged for three (3) dinners!!!  Where we come from, that is not a mistake, that is out and out fraud.  We wanted our credit card account to be immediately credited for the difference.

The shift manager blamed the mistake on the waiter.  The only problem was that the manager made the entries on the computerized register.

Next, the manager - not realizing that there was already a credibility gap - claimed that their computer system was not programmed to allow refunds on credit cards.  (Have you ever heard of such a thing?)  Wrong again on two counts:  Can you imagine that anyone could possibly think that a mistake in data entry would never be made and have to be corrected?  Further, they used the little box where you swipe the credit card and manually enter on the little box's keyboard the amount and whether the transaction is a charge or a credit.  That little box has no connection whatsoever with the till ['cash register'].

This next bit was unbelievable...  Having made a phone call - presumably to the manager's boss - the manager offered to take our credit card down the street  ...Note:  out of the restaurant, out of our sight, and 'down the street'...  in order to (presumably) arrange for the refund on our account.  Now, really!  Why on earth would anyone think for one second that, after all this, we would trust that manager to walk off the premises with our credit card?

Since they refused to refund our credit account on the spot, we naturally insisted on a cash refund  ...which the manager refused to do  ...until the manager realized that we were not going away until things were made right and that whispers were rapidly spreading the word among the restaurant's customers as to what was going on.

We doubt very much that they try this little stunt on the locals  ...probably only tourists.

Three questions come to mind...    If the restaurant is really on the up-and-up, why are prices not printed on the menus?  (Please do not tell us it is because menus cost too much to print and prices change too often.  A computer and laser printer can crank them out for twopence [pronounced 'tup-pence' meaning 'pennies'] a copy.)  If the restaurant is really on the up-and-up, why are itemized bills not presented prior to requesting payment?  And...  Isn't this some sort of violation of the 'trades descriptions act'?

Surely, honest owners of reputable restaurants would want their local constabulary ['police department'] to put a stop to this practice if for no other reason than...  it only takes one 'bad apple' to spoil the reputation of the 'basket'.  Tourism is a major industry in Britain.  This kind of practice damages that industry.

Click to read the 'five morals' we learned from this experience.

	Copyright © 1999 - 2005  J. C. Nash. All worldwide rights reserved. Last modified:  29 October 2005.