Are Pizza Hut being unreasonable?

[ToothGah]

Went there for lunch today - very nice, no complaints about food or service (in fact, service was excellent).

Bill came - they are adding 20p to every bill to pay for a bowl of rice for a child for some sort of famine/hunger campaign (have tried to find it online and can't).

I don't begrudge the 20p, but thought it was kind of odd that they stick it on your bill automatically.

Are they being unreasonable adding it automatically to the bill? The couple at the table next to us seemed peeved about it - "charity by stealth" was mentioned.

Its only 20p for a very good cause. I'm sure you can opt out if you don't want to pay it.

It's 20p and for a good cause yabu.

YANBU. It doesn't really matter what the cause is or the amount but people should be asked to opt in, not have to make a point of opting out.

You can opt out of these things, they can't force you to donate. But it's much like the opt-out option with the organ donor register; more people are likely to do it if they don't have to think about it and the actually 'doing' is taken out of their hands. Therefore PH are going to get more donations this way and if you can't afford to give 20p, you really ought to not be in PH anyway.

The couple at the next table are being wankerish.

Yes, I think they are being unreasonable. You should have been asked if you wanted to donate. (The amount is insignificant,it's the principle).

Btw, I don't mean you (as in the OP) should not be in PH, but anyone, IYGWIM.

I know it's only 20p but I do resent having to opt out of these things.

I can't believe anyone would moan about 20p.

YANBU it is not up to the company to decide that the 20p is for a good cause. It is up to you as the customer - Paypal often have a bit you can click on to donate a pound to some worthy cause (If I like the charity/cause then I opt in if not I just ignore it).

If the company think it is such a good cause then they should be donating 20p from actual bill so that they are donating their money. Instead they are saying yes it's a worthy cause but we don't want to loose even 20p from our profits so we are going to add it to your bill

I would cross out the 20p and just pay the remainder of the bill. They would not be able to extort money out of me for something of their choice.

If everywhere you shopped or ate added on 20p for their charity appeal it would soon add up AKiss. I don't think it's about the amount, it's the principle.

OP YANBU.

Agree with withoutcaution

Yes, demand it is taken off the bill and inform them their rudeness has lost them their tip.

YANBU, it's not up to them to add anything onto a customer's bill, plus you feel awful asking them to take it off.

If they added a note at the end of the bill saying that they would appreciate it if you could pay 20p towards X charity, that's be okay but to force people to donate is a bit off, regardless of the small amount.

Take the 20p off. Then take another 20p off and tell them you're going to be donating it to a charity of your choice.

I'm sometimes slightly suspicious about this sort of stuff. Does anyone regulate that all the money is donated?

They are supposed to ask you and not automatically add it and they will remove it if you ask.

But everywhere you shop and eat doesn't add money to the bill for charity. One exceptionally overpriced, junkfood quality pizza place does. If you can pay that much for pizza then it seems a bit off to moan about 20p.

I'd rather it was in the price of the food if they want to corporately support a charity. So I think they are being unreasonable.

I'm a bit peeved with this at present even my blooming estate agents add a fiver to their charity of the year that you can opt out of.

I think if they want to support just include it in the price. I want to know what I'm paying for something before I order and receive no surprises on the bill.

To be clear - we paid the 20p. It's just 20p.

The comments from the people at the table next to us just made me think that some people would find it unreasonable.

TBH I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's a good cause, I'm sure, but kind of felt it was wrong to add it automatically. But then I think, it's just 20p - so I was going round in circles really :)

It would irritate me. I prefer to donate money directly do I know it gets there. I am also fussy about charities and don't donate money to those which pay staff (although I would shop in the charity shops or support in other ways etc).

I agree it should be offered for example if we add 20p to the bill PH would match the donation not be presented as a fair accompli

This is a real bugbear of mine. A favourite restaurant of mine automatically puts on a £1 for Shuktara- a charity taking in abandoned orphans with disabilities in Calcutta. FFS! When I go out for the evening I don't want this imposition. If the management want to collect for a charity that they believe in then put a collection box on the bar. Don't embed a charity charge into the bill under the guise of an optional donation. If it's optional then it should be opt-in.

It's the principle, I can't stand when companies make you opt out of donating to charity, it's up there with adding tips to the bill in restaurants before they hand it to you what if you'd scrimped and saved to treat your DCs to a nice meal out?