Was this a con?

[Zippidy123]

It's only 50p but I'm intrigued to know if it was genuine or not. We're in London for a few days, waiting to get into an attractive. DS is hungry and I'm thirsty so we go to one of those little individual stalls, cash only. It comes to £9.50. I give her a £10. She only has £1 coins, can't give me any change. Fine, I say keep the change. DH says its a con and if they took an extra 50p off everyone needing change through the day that would really add up.

*attractions

What sort of a stall was it?

Think the con is £9.50 for the food!
those attraction places absolutely gouge guests on refreshments as you are stuck there with no options

yesthatisdrizzle

What sort of a stall was it? a food and drink stall.

In that situation, she should be the one taking the kit and just giving you £1 change. Or she gives you £1 and you give her 50p.

Yes, it's a con and a well known trick. My Dad always used to insist on his 1p change when everything was 99p. As he said, over the course of a day those pennies add up.

Well, it’s a bit of a con isn’t it - where I live they’d be more likely to charge you £9 rather than £10 in that situation. Surely if your goods are priced at 50p increments you’d know you need a fair bit of change. Sneaky way to make it look cheaper than it really is (because in practice it’s £10).

Agree the con is charging extortionate prices! Next time pop into Tesco or even Pret a Manager for food!
(made this mistake once, never again - paid over £5 for 2 measly croissants in St James Park 😡)

I know the extortionate prices are a con too. It wouldn't be London if you weren't fleeced once! I was just interested to know if the change thing was an extra one. Sounds like it is.

Probably what actually happening is the server is pocketing the change rather than the stall iyswim

How can people say whether £9.50 was fair value or not when the OP didn't say what they bought?

It seems the going rate, if on the cheap side for average 'street food' type stalls round here and you get a decent well cooked meal and possibly a nice can of drink. Something more interesting than Coke and no artificial sweeteners for example.

It might cost more than McDonalds (not much mind, they've got really expensive the last couple of times I've been) but it's also usually nicer than McDonalds or a miserable Tesco meal deal.

Surprised it was cash only though, those places usually go the other way and don't take cash, only cards.

For 50p I probably would have offered to go and get change or asked them how they were going to solve it. It’s the principle really, I can afford to lose it but it should be my choice not down to their lack of organisation or attempt to pocket it. If they do it regularly it will add up to quite a lot

It's a con as old as the hills. Seriously, what are the chances of a stall not having 50p in change?

I always say, "Give me my money back then, I've changed my mind" and as if my magic, the change is found.

But you only need a few people to pay with a tenner for a £9.50 bill and the change runs out.

It might have been a con, but not necessarily. Keeping enough change in the till in a cash business can be really hard, especially when a lot of customers either can't be arsed to count out the right change even when they do have it or deliberately break a note so they have change available to use elsewhere themselves, to pay for parking or whatever.

I think for 50 p, I really couldn't be arsed making an issue over it TBH.

It's not a 'con'. It is sharp practice. They take the bet you'll leave the 50p, same as taxi drivers & pizza delivery people often 'don't have change' (changing a lot with online payments now)

Of course they should pay you your 50p & I would also be bloody-minded & insist on it.

However the £9.50 part for something to eat / drink for 2 people - I'm assuming juice / coffee plus pastry sounds remarkably reasonable for London. Don't come to Dublin ... prices for takeaway coffees & pastries are now extortionate!

Finally I can't remember the last time I've used cash - everywhere takes card / Apple Pay, love being able to head out with only my phone.

Parking meters that charge £1.80 an hour are on the same principle as everyone puts in £2 and the machines don't give change.