To be annoyed restaurant charged for a baby to have a spoon of custard?

[missbluebird]

Me and DH took our DS (6 months) out for a meal with us. It was one of those eat as much as you like buffets.

DS is just starting weaning and is on purees so took along a jar of something and a spoon. When I got it out to feed him I noticed the lid was damaged and the button on top had popped up so threw it. DS was happy to have a breast feed and when I had my main course I dipped my finger in some non spicy sauce and let him lick it off. I then gave him a spoon of custard when I had my dessert.

Anyway when the bill came we were charged for a full child's meal (up to 12 years). AIBU to be annoyed they charged us?

YANBU. I would have argued it with the manager and refused to pay. No way should you have been charged a whole meal cost for that.
Your options now are to write to the company and complain, complain on their facebook or twitter feeds, or write an honest review on tripadvisor.

That is a bit rough, our local chinese buffet doesn't charge for under threes at all.
I suppose though if the place you were in doesn't have a toddlers eat free policy they were right to charge otherwise where would they draw the line.

I would imagine drawing a line atleast at under 1's would be idea.

write to head office and complain. That's beyond a piss take.

Those buffet places do have a policy against people sharing meals but I think it is excessive of them to apply that to your baby having a spoonful of your custard. By sticking to the letter of the rules rather than showing a bit of common sense they have lost customers.

I think it is outrageous that they charged. You should have checked that it would be free for babies though before giving your DS some of the food. I would write a bad review on tripadvisor.

How ridiculous.

It's one thing if your child can eat solids and you're sharing a plate to save money. It's another thing entirely to give a baby that's not weaned fully a taste of mushy food.

I'd write to the manager/CEO and complain.

I would post about your experience on trip advisor, or any relevant website that you can. I can see why they would act that way for, say, a three year old eating from a parent's food, but not a baby and not for a spoonful of custard.

That's ridiculous.

We've taken our toddler out to numerous eateries and have never once been charged for him to sit in a high chair and nibble some of our food!

I would most definitely complain to management and if no joy, social-media them!

Ridiculous to be charged!
We once took my 2yo to a pizza place, fully prepared to pay for a child's buffet. She nibbled a bit but didn't feel like eating, the manager came out and instructed the staff not to charge us for her. Rubbish pizza they make there, but we went again because they were so nice.

Have they got a facebook page? I would be posting on there and also trip advisor.
Remember years ago pizza hut being happy for my then 2 yr old to have to share with me

I would not have paid. I have been to the pizza hut buffet and also a chinese one and they have not charged me for my 2 year old. Also I often give her some of my meal and not one restaurant/cafe has ever said anything .

I took my DD to a Chinese restaurant with a buffet when she was 1. I did ask in advance however how much I would need to pay for her, and had them agree beforehand that there wouldn't be a charge.

I can't believe you paid!

Omg I cannot believe you paid. Why on earth did you do that? Sorry but do you usually just let people walk all over you? You need to start standing up for yourself. Maybe take some assertiveness lessons.

Could it have been a mistake?

Buffets near us don't charge for under-3s, perhaps they didn't realise/someone made a mistake.

Did you query it at the time?

Ywbu to pay.
You need to learn to stand up for yourself.

They normally only charge for children over 3 having their own plate. How very strange. If it was a spoon on custard there is no way I'd have paid.

How odd

Yabu. These places have very clear rules. They charge per head, all you can eat. If all you can eat is one spoonful then that costs the same as if all you can eat is 12 plates full.
If you don't want to be charged for a child's meal then don't go to an all-you-can-eat place.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2065284/It-costs-3-breastfeed-Britains-biggest-restaurant-stuns-mother-charge.html
This reminded me of this article where an all you can eat buffet place charged a 6 week old bf baby £3 because of the space the buggy took up - could it be something like that rather than charging for the spoonful of custard?

FishWithABicycle I don't think many of them would apply that rule to babies because it is so obviously unreasonable.

Fish - that was their point of view.

We did query it which was the extend of of our complaining. DH and I are rubbish pathetic at complaining.

It was £4.99, it hardly broke the bank but I could buy 10 jars of baby food for that or make a freezer of homemade if I could be bothered

I have found their Facebook page and will now complain behind the comfort of my keyboard.

Very silly to charge for a baby. The restaurant will now have lost your custom.

Lol it was Cosmo as well that tried to charge us for my bf 6 week old!

Did this happen, for real??

Only asking as any buffet I have ever been to has been free for children under about 3, but certainly for babies under a year!