clay
Well-known member
Also more likely to get a desert or more drinks if you don't pay until the end.
Leaving restaurants without paying bills
- Thread starter Norman_Conquest
- Start date
On The Bob
Well-known member
I remember a few years ago, me and the Missus were invited out by her best friends family for a meal at Fellini’s.
All was good until towards the end of the meal, loads their family members started queuing at the bar (about 12 people which looked ridiculous) to pay for their separate meals / drinks. I thought it was a bit weird in a restaurant as me and my friends tend to just get the bill and either split it or work a fair way of splitting if we have none drinkers etc.
I waited until the end, and ended up going to pay our share + a decent tip,
After paying, the Waitress thanked me for the but said the bill was still £25 short (including my tip going towards the bill). By this point half their family had already left.
In the end, one of her family coughed up the difference.
This was at the time kids ate free as well. There was about 7 of them. Fair enough, don’t tip if you don’t want to, but to not cover the basic costs really wound me up.
Needless to say, I’ve declined every future invite we’ve ever had for similar things. Probably done me a favour in the long run!
All was good until towards the end of the meal, loads their family members started queuing at the bar (about 12 people which looked ridiculous) to pay for their separate meals / drinks. I thought it was a bit weird in a restaurant as me and my friends tend to just get the bill and either split it or work a fair way of splitting if we have none drinkers etc.
I waited until the end, and ended up going to pay our share + a decent tip,
After paying, the Waitress thanked me for the but said the bill was still £25 short (including my tip going towards the bill). By this point half their family had already left.
In the end, one of her family coughed up the difference.
This was at the time kids ate free as well. There was about 7 of them. Fair enough, don’t tip if you don’t want to, but to not cover the basic costs really wound me up.
Needless to say, I’ve declined every future invite we’ve ever had for similar things. Probably done me a favour in the long run!
Norman_Conquest
Well-known member
You hit the nail on the head there by trivializing it - It is theft and you cannot dress it up any other way. The police do need to start doing something about it and get back to basic policing.
This is exactly what is wrong with this country.
Corcaigh_the_Cat
Well-known member
They'll get back to basic policing when we employ more police and re-open closed police stations.
AcklamAngel
Active member
This is happening too often now, all establishments should swipe a card before any drinks or food ordered. If the customers still do a runner charge the card plus 10% extra. They’ll soon be back if the boots on the other foot 
You may find this quite interesting regarding the default gratuities. Nice little fiddle.
Why I hate voluntary service charges in restaurants
It is a double VAT whammy at the expense of diners and taxpayers
www.ft.com
Jonny Ingbar
Well-known member
Is it more prevalant, or is it just more publicised?
Fattyfoggon
Well-known member
we were in Crete and me and the girlfriend had a cup of tea and soft drink at a beach cafe, and I totally innocently forgot to pay as we had been sat there for a while after getting served think I must thought I had paid them when I got the drinks, anyway the owner came after us on his bike half a mile down the road for his money which we paid and profusely apologised for forgetting, but from the look he gave us he just thought we were scumbag Brits, still feel bad about it 5 years later
Colgates_shaving_foam
Well-known member
That just sounds weird, I'd prefer them to charge me before the meal than hold my card hostage.
Never heard of that process before.
Alexander Supertramp
Well-known member
Maybe they could take one of your shoes off you when you order?
JM14
Well-known member
When they have their numbers cut to the point where only a handful of police are covering large areas, this kind of thing will never be investigated
Laughing
Well-known member
It works well. Only I can open the safe with my card in it, but gives them some security unless my wife hands over her card.
ThePrisoner
Well-known member
I may have misunderstood this thread. Thought it was going to be handing out tips 
the_holgate_roof
Well-known member
You do it in a lot of pubs too if you want to open a tab, they take a penny off the card at the start.
Alexander Supertramp
Well-known member
Can they not just pre-authorise the card for £99 at the start of the meal, like you do at pay at the pump petrol stations
BlindBoyGrunt
Well-known member
More publicised. When did doing a runner become worthy of the printed media?
i would not like to pay upfront. We in the UK have only just gotten liberal opening hours for bars that have been enjoyed on the continent forever. To introduce prepay restaurants would make us look like a nation of uncouth tools which the vast majority of us are not. At the end of lockdown when only a certain number of people were allowed in pubs and they were running tabs, if felt like being on the continent and i was hoping that it would continue. Certain pubs still allow it, one being the Artisan in Linthorpe.
Jonny Ingbar
Well-known member
Agree with this, I think it's just a sign of how low the standard of content has become in the Gazette.
