Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Who should keep the voucher?

62 replies

Whoswhoof · 22/05/2024 20:30

Person A books a meal for 10 people and pays £120 deposit
Person B pays for said meal to the tune of £700 minus the deposit

Person A emails the restaurant to complain about appalling service, allergy requests ignored (person A’s own allergy, given food covered in allergen) and a general poor show

restaurant offers £80 voucher

who does it belong to?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
StormingNorman · 23/05/2024 11:08

Whoswhoof · 22/05/2024 23:53

Hilarious how the consensus changes once A and B are assigned 😂

I paid a percentage through the deposit, it was me making arrangements for a family members birthday. I.e booking, organising days and times to suit everyone, venue dressing, cakes etc. It was only me affected by the errors. I was essentially hosting. and was intending to pay.

B recently inherited a large sum of money so swooped in to pay the bill at the end as a gesture for their DPs birthday.

im not hard up so £80 wouldn’t really make a difference to me, or B. It was just a question of principle on the back of comment that came off very expecting. Anybody can have it I don’t mind 🙂 it is addressed to me though so not sure whether that will make a difference.

Show quote history

I haven’t changed my mind since roles were assigned. My first post was that you should get a share back equivalent to what you put it or go to dinner together.

Genevieva · 23/05/2024 10:51

My initial reaction was to divide the voucher 50:50 as the person who paid less made the effort to complain, but the person who paid most to of the biggest financial hit for the bad experience.

However, as only person A was the only person impacted by the bad service, person A should keep the entire value of the voucher.

Itloggedmeoutagain · 23/05/2024 10:46

vapourtrail · 23/05/2024 09:47

I agree with @Itloggedmeoutagain if you hadn't been the one who made the booking (and therefore paid the deposit) you would have also got your meal for free? Sounds like the swooper wanted to treat everyone and you missed out on that as your amount had already been paid. In an ideal world B would say, "I wanted to pay for everyone's meal, but because of the deposit, you were still out of pocket, so keep the voucher (and hopefully have a better meal experience)"

The more i think about it the more bizarre it seems

Moreorlessmentallystable · 23/05/2024 10:29

Should have been shared. My -now NC- SIL complained about bad service at centerparcs, got a voucher from them for a couple of hundred, never mentioned anything to us (we had split the lodge costs half between our 2 families but the booking was under their name), the following year they went away to centerparcs again this time with another family, BIL accidentally spilled the beans that it was practically a free holiday because they got the other family to pay half and they used the voucher for their half so only had to top up about £100....but they are CF of the highest order so not surprised 😯

albertoross · 23/05/2024 10:18

Person A. It's an apology not a refund

LittleLittleRex · 23/05/2024 10:01

Person A should get it - they more than paid for their own meal and didn't get a meal they could eat.

If it was any of the people who had a free meal, then I would offer it to B.

weareallcats · 23/05/2024 09:55

I think it's ridiculous that the restaurant has offered a voucher for an allergy mix up - I can't imagine you want to go back OP? A friend of mine went into anaphylactic shock after the chef substituted peanut butter for something (can't remember what) and they offered a bloody voucher too. Full refund and abject apology is much more appropriate - it's so arrogant of the restaurant to assume that you'd give them another chance.

Arlanymor · 23/05/2024 09:49

Theredoubtableskins · 22/05/2024 20:58

I’m taking the stance that airlines (and government guidance) take for delayed flights. The compensation paid out is per passenger, and specially for that passenger to keep, regardless of who paid for the flights. The compensation is an apology payment for each person having to wait around etc, so the money doesn’t go to the person who paid for the flights but to the individual passengers.
There was a thread on here last year-ish where the OP had taken their children’s friends and the flight was delayed, and she wanted to keep the compensation which would be paid to the two guests and not even tell them about it. She was handed her arse on here and told to hand it over.

Same thing. This isn’t a refund on the meal. It’s a compensation offer to the person they serviced an allergen to, after being told in advance about the allergy. Doesn’t matter who paid the bill.

Yes this.

vapourtrail · 23/05/2024 09:47

I agree with @Itloggedmeoutagain if you hadn't been the one who made the booking (and therefore paid the deposit) you would have also got your meal for free? Sounds like the swooper wanted to treat everyone and you missed out on that as your amount had already been paid. In an ideal world B would say, "I wanted to pay for everyone's meal, but because of the deposit, you were still out of pocket, so keep the voucher (and hopefully have a better meal experience)"

TorturedPoetsDepartmentAnthology · 23/05/2024 09:32

It would be kinder to both go out for a meal together, surely?! Although given the risky allergy experience, I have no idea why you’d want to go back!!

LongSinceGotUpAndGone · 23/05/2024 07:31

A. paid approximately 17% of the bill so they should get 17% of the voucher, i.e. approx £13. B takes voucher and gives A a tenner in cash would seem a good way to resolve it.

Itloggedmeoutagain · 23/05/2024 07:23

Whoswhoof · 22/05/2024 23:53

Hilarious how the consensus changes once A and B are assigned 😂

I paid a percentage through the deposit, it was me making arrangements for a family members birthday. I.e booking, organising days and times to suit everyone, venue dressing, cakes etc. It was only me affected by the errors. I was essentially hosting. and was intending to pay.

B recently inherited a large sum of money so swooped in to pay the bill at the end as a gesture for their DPs birthday.

im not hard up so £80 wouldn’t really make a difference to me, or B. It was just a question of principle on the back of comment that came off very expecting. Anybody can have it I don’t mind 🙂 it is addressed to me though so not sure whether that will make a difference.

Show quote history

I find this a bit odd that there were 10 people at the meal, one paid 120 , another swooped in and paid the rest from inheritance. So 8 people paid nothing and B didn't offer to pay for yours.

unsync · 23/05/2024 07:02

If A's experience was so poor, presumably they won't be returning so have no need of the voucher. Pro-rata would be fairest way though if A does intend to go back.

Theredoubtableskins · 23/05/2024 06:21

Ilovelurchers · 23/05/2024 02:02

I was surprised how many people thought A, as when I first read it I definitely thought B, as they had paid so much more of the money.

Tho OP, you know the exact relative situations of the people involved (being one of them), the circumstances of the meal etc, so if your instincts were to keep it I still probably would.

But I did straight away think it should go to the person who paid the vast majority of the meal.

Willing to be told I'm wrong by the consensus, tho.

But it’s not a refund on the meal. It’s an apology and compensation for serving A their allergen. It’s to make up for that and give the restaurant a chance to have the customer back and give them a better experience. Why should B get A’s compensation gesture?

Ilovelurchers · 23/05/2024 02:02

I was surprised how many people thought A, as when I first read it I definitely thought B, as they had paid so much more of the money.

Tho OP, you know the exact relative situations of the people involved (being one of them), the circumstances of the meal etc, so if your instincts were to keep it I still probably would.

But I did straight away think it should go to the person who paid the vast majority of the meal.

Willing to be told I'm wrong by the consensus, tho.

BaiIey · 23/05/2024 01:10

Person A was affected, no one else was.
Person A complained, no one else did.
Person A got a voucher, no one else did.

However, if you're not keen on going back it's a no brainer that the right thing to do is offer it to B given that they paid so much money and didn't have an issue so would likely go back.

Bazinga007 · 23/05/2024 01:01

Neither. Why would you want a voucher for a restaurant with appealing service?
Better to get a partial cash refund and then A and B can go out to dinner together.

Guavafish1 · 23/05/2024 00:57

Person A .... as they were the party that complained.

However, it's under 10% of total meal.

It would be interested to know how much persons A meal cost. If its less than, then I would give some to person B

Fintoo · 23/05/2024 00:36

I think I would have offered it to B, given how much they paid. (I thought that before I saw that the OP was A.)

PeloMom · 23/05/2024 00:30

Person A. They went through the trouble of complaining and dealing with the situation

pizzaHeart · 22/05/2024 23:59

thorneyislanddoris · 22/05/2024 23:06

Why did you pay £120, person B pay the rest and the other 8 people pay nothing?

The answer to this might affect my reply to your OP.

This^

Original poster
Whoswhoof · 22/05/2024 23:53

StormingNorman · 22/05/2024 23:17

TBH I’m baffled you or anyone else here thinks you are entitled to keep the full voucher when you only paid a percentage of the bill.

Hilarious how the consensus changes once A and B are assigned 😂

I paid a percentage through the deposit, it was me making arrangements for a family members birthday. I.e booking, organising days and times to suit everyone, venue dressing, cakes etc. It was only me affected by the errors. I was essentially hosting. and was intending to pay.

B recently inherited a large sum of money so swooped in to pay the bill at the end as a gesture for their DPs birthday.

im not hard up so £80 wouldn’t really make a difference to me, or B. It was just a question of principle on the back of comment that came off very expecting. Anybody can have it I don’t mind 🙂 it is addressed to me though so not sure whether that will make a difference.

OP posts:
ThirtyThrillionThreeTrees · 22/05/2024 23:33

Personal A £12 and £68 to person B.

Not sure £12 would get A far sp best give it all to B.

hotdog5858 · 22/05/2024 23:26

I think B, who kindly paid for the majority of the meal. Would be a nice thank you and they paid for the meal.

StormingNorman · 22/05/2024 23:17

TBH I’m baffled you or anyone else here thinks you are entitled to keep the full voucher when you only paid a percentage of the bill.