WWYD - Pay or not for meal we did an (unintentional) runner on

[SomedayBaby]

We got back yesterday from ten days away in the UK. We spent Sunday night in a Premier Inn before driving back yesterday and went for breakfast in the adjoining pub (you know the one that's affiliated with the PI) before leaving.

Anyway, we've just been talking about the trip in general, the P Inn breakfast was mentioned and we've just realised we didn't actually pay for it. We think it was £19 (for two adults, kids eat free)...we strolled in and got shown to a table then upped and left when we were done .

In our defence, this was the third hotel we'd stayed in on that trip and with the others breakfast was included, so it just didn't seem to occur to either of us to pay. The waitress happily waved us out as we left so it obviously didn't occur to her either!

Dh think's it would be silly to call them now...this P Inn is about 350 miles from where we live so popping in to pay isn't an option and dh thinks calling them over less than £20 is stupid and we should leave it. I feel really bad though and guilty and ridiculous ...WWYD?

[MmmCuriouSir]

You know you should call to pay and apologise.

[kittyjewel]

She rang them. Up to them what they do, if they don't bother to call her back then so be it.

[famousperson]

Why did you ring PI when it was the restaurant that needed to be paid?

[stupidgreatgrinonmyface]

Sorry OP. I wasn't saying they could track you. Rather, I was responding to those who were saying they wouldn't have known what you had eaten. I assumed that this was a new innovation to cut down on waste and to ensure that everyone gets their food hot and fresh. We were able to choose whatever we wanted as well as the quantity. We are going to a couple more in the next week or so, in different areas of the country, so it will be interesting to see how breakfast works in those.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

If it were me, I would find the number of the restaurant, and ring them, rather than relying on a receptionist at Premier Inn to pass on a message.

[CatalinaPB]

Do the honest thing and ring and pay. Its more about integrity of character than the amount, and especially as a parent, leading by example. The amount is irrelevant, £20 or £200 it makes no difference.

[Outtaker]

www.gov.uk/understanding-your-pay/deductions-from-your-pay

This appears to provide a position. An employer is entitled to dock no more than 10% from wages. I suppose employers also needing protecting from the reverse of runners.... i.e. employees who pocket the bill themselves. It still seems harsh to apply this to someone on the NMW.

[Outtaker]

The amount is irrelevant, £20 or £200 it makes no difference.

Surely the amount is relevant. Would you contact them if you had noticed you were £2 under-charged, or 20p, or 2p.... At some point any reasonable person judges that it is too trifling to bother with. The judgment is whether £20 is too trifling. If it affects simply Premier Inn's bottom line, then it probably is... a £20 loss wouldn't even register. If it affects a waitress on NMW, then no, its not.

[starsorwater]

Thanks Outtaker, I had not seen that before. Proof for all the doubters that it can really happen. It is a very harsh ruling, and in my experience the 10% is not stuck to.

I still do not think it's fair.

I loathe exploitation of the most vulnerable.

[SomedayBaby]

Why did you ring PI when it was the restaurant that needed to be paid?

Because I couldn't even remember the name of the pub/restaurant attached but had the contact number of the affiliated PI handy from the booking...we never even saw the outside of the restaurant bit, there was a direct (covered) corridor from the PI to the back entrance of the restaurant because they're affiliated - very hard to explain but very much like an extension of the PI.

[user1468518769]

Pay as that is theft, even if it was an accident. They may even say don't worry.

[PersianCatLady]

SomedayBaby
Can't you find the PI on Google Maps and then see if the restaurant's details are on there too?

[kittyjewel]

I really would just leave it! Sounds like you have to go to a lot of trouble. I wouldn't be arsed!

[PersianCatLady]

I really would just leave it! Sounds like you have to go to a lot of trouble. I wouldn't be arsed!
By that logic if someone stole something worth £20 from you, you would be happy just to let them keep it??

[kittyjewel]

Oh stop being daft it wasn't stealing. It was a genuine mistake. Sick of all this stealing talk! Get a grip people honestly please

[RestlessTraveller]

How do you define stealing then kittyjewel?

[JudyCoolibar]

It wasn't stealing at the point when they left the restaurant without paying, because at that point there was no intention to steal. However, had OP and her husband decided not to try to repay at the point when they realised what they had done, they would have formed the requisite intention of theft at that point, i.e. an intention to deprive the restaurant of the money permanently. Therefore it certainly would be theft.

[LuluJakey1]

I tried some diamond rings on when DH and I got engaged and the assistant- who was very young- must not have checked them back in as we left. As DH and I had a coffee an hour or so later, I discovered one caught on a loop on scarf.

Should I have taken it back? We didn't 'steal it'. It was an accident.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I don't know if it falls within the legal definition of theft, but morally, this is definitely theft, if the OP doesn't pay.

She knows she has not paid for a meal costing nearly £20 and, whilst it was clearly accidental when it happened, deliberately not paying, when you know you haven't, is theft, in my book.

Kitty - what if someone accidentally picked up £20 belonging to you and realised later that they had your £20, but decided it was too much hassle to give it back - would you not consider that they had stolen it from you? Or if Tesco accidentally overcharged you by £20, and didn't refund you - would you be OK with that? Would it be ethically OK in your book?

[carefreeeee]

Once had a meal with work colleagues where when the bill came it only had drinks on. The people I was with were all for just paying for the drinks and going! We had eaten at least £70 worth between us. I was trying to insist that we should get them to change the bill, and then they told me I should pay the lot if I felt that way! (We did pay in the end but split it)

I didn't go out for dinner with them again.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

LuluJakey - I think you absolutely should have taken it back. Removing it from the shop was accidental, not returning it when you found out was deliberate and dishonest, IMO.

[LuluJakey1]

Of course we should! FFS , what is this 'it wasn't stealing'? If you take something that isn't yours without permission or without paying when there is a cost to purchasing it, and knowingly keep it under those circumstances, that is stealing.

(The diamond ring was made up but the point was it dooes not matter whether it is worth £20 or £2,000. It is not yours, if you take it you should pay for it and be honest.

[LuluJakey1]

SDT - exactly, and it is the same scenario with the breakfast. Left without paying but took the goods with them-having consumed them. You have to pay.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I am so sorry, Lulu - I didn't realise it was a made up example. Very stupid of me - I hope I didn't offend you.