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Original poster

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

339 replies

SomedayBaby · 23/08/2016 20:17

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 Blush.

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 Hmm...WWYD?

OP posts:
Aeroflotgirl · 24/08/2016 09:58

I would call them, offer to pay by credit/debit card as you cannot get there due to distance and apologise.

Catsize · 24/08/2016 10:00

Not fair on those who did pay. Pay up please!

kittyjewel · 24/08/2016 10:11

No need to pay. It was their fault. You got away with it. So just leave it. They make enough money & wont miss a measly £19. You'd be mad to dob yourself in!

fuzzywuzzy · 24/08/2016 10:12

I would pay, I'd either send a cheque or call and pay by card.

It's stealing and wouldn't sit right with me. I've had ample opportunity over my holidays to walk out of places having eaten and no staff in sight to take payment, but I waited for them to pay for the food.

It was an accident at the time, the food was consumed and it is clear it needs to be paid for. I'd pay.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 24/08/2016 10:13

They won't miss the measly £19 because the waitress will probably pay it, kitty - you'd be happy for someone on minimum wage to have to shell out for the OP's meal, would you? Hmm

kittyjewel · 24/08/2016 10:17

You don't know that that would happen. They are probably non the wiser & wouldn't have even noticed. Receptionist or whatever should have brought the bill up upon leaving, so didn't, so therefore you got away with it. Done. Not your fault.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 24/08/2016 10:18

DameDiazepam - you probably won't believe me, but I once went back into Sainsburys because I found a Cadburys Fudge finger that had slipped under my handbag in the shopping trolley, and been missed when I was checking out. I went back in and paid.

Dh and I recently stayed at a hotel for a few nights - it was quite a big bill, so dh checked it and found we'd been undercharged by £30. He could have said to himself that we'd paid the hotel plenty, and it was their mistake so he shouldn't pay - but he didn't. He politely pointed out the mistake, got a revised bill and paid it.

There are people who will do this. Frankly, even if I knew that my waitress/waiter was not going to have to pay for my bill, I would still ring up and pay the bill, because that is the right thing to do.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 24/08/2016 10:20

Kitty - there are enough accounts on here, and elsewhere on MN, of the wait staff being charged, when a table leaves without paying their bill, that I can be pretty sure that it would happen.

And even if it doesn't, you would be happy with taking something and not paying for it? I wouldn't. I consider it to be stealing - and morally wrong as well as legally wrong.

kittyjewel · 24/08/2016 10:28

It is illegal for waiting staff to be charged. So I would have a clear conscience, because this shouldn't happen. However what hotels do behind the scenes is nothing to do with me. I've never done this, this hasn't happened to me. But because the receptionist didn't bring it up then I don't see the issue. You had a free breakfast.

OverlyLoverly · 24/08/2016 11:00

I think the argument about whether the waiting staff have to cover the bill or not is a red herring - what matters is that the OP hasn't paid and should offer to pay. It doesn't really matter if the money is going to a big company or not.

thepenguinsrock · 24/08/2016 11:03

It's basically stealing and as you are now aware of it you 100% should pay it!

GabsAlot · 24/08/2016 11:04

kitty the restaurant isnt a pi one its beefeater sometimes u just book a room and go sepratly for breakfast nothing to do with receptionists checking

NancyNamechange · 24/08/2016 11:06

Waitresses do not have to pay for runners!

freetrampolineforall · 24/08/2016 11:11

Genuine mistake but pay.

EvansOvalPies · 24/08/2016 11:17

I think the argument about whether the waiting staff have to cover the bill or not is a red herring - what matters is that the OP hasn't paid and should offer to pay. It doesn't really matter if the money is going to a big company or not

^ This, exactly. We run our own (very small) business from home and the number of people who try to wriggle out of paying us AFTER they've agreed on a price and had the work done is absolutely staggering. Large company, small company, if you've had work done or received a service or goods of any kind, then you pay for it. What is wrong with some people?

Waitrose refunded me twice online for one item. I called them to give them back the overpayment. They couldn't help me on the phone (or online) because I couldn't remember my 'memorable password'. I then went into two stores with the paperwork, but they couldn't do anything then either. So they did just tell me not to worry about it and to keep the extra refund. It wasn't a large amount, under £10, but I would have felt dreadful if I hadn't tried to rectify. Where are people's consciences? We have people owing us hundreds of pounds sometimes. They are clearly rubbing their hands with glee, thinking they've got away with it and it was "free". Well, it's not free, as we've had to pay our suppliers for the equipment, and the VAT and our income tax based on profit (even when we haven't been paid yet) plus salaries and commission. It is truly astonishing behaviour.

JacquesHammer · 24/08/2016 11:27

I cannot believe the number of posters who wouldn't even try to make good the error.

Chances are if you call, then they will indeed say "don't worry about it". But you have at least made the attempt to make good your mistake.

We got undercharged for a meal at Disneyland. We called out waiter over and explained to him expecting a revised bill. He said "it is our mistake therefore you don't pay". We left him a bigger tip just in case!

Crazycatladyloz82 · 24/08/2016 11:39

Pay, it is not a lucky win, it is theft. It is very sad that you are even considering not paying.

mikia · 24/08/2016 11:40

My partner works for Premier Inn as bar and restaurant staff.

He doesn't have to pay for it out of his wages, but he often puts his tips into it because otherwise he can be docked hours or put on unfavourable shifts ("if you can't manage who is in the restaurant then I won't put you there" kind of thing). He's always upset when people do a runner and it's getting to the point where he can't let it go after his shift because he's the one who gets shit for it.

Arf at "Premier Inn is a huge company so it's ok to not pay". The staff don't see beans of that profit, it would be nice!

AndYourBirdCanSing · 24/08/2016 11:41

Nancy several posters on this thread (myself included) have had to pay for non paying customers whilst working as waiting staff, so it clearly does happen

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 24/08/2016 11:41

"It is illegal for waiting staff to be charged. So I would have a clear conscience, because this shouldn't happen."

You would have a clear conscience even though you had had a meal and had not paid for it, kitty?? I cannot imagine doing this - I think it is very dishonest.

I bet that, even if the wait staff don't end up paying the bill, the money won't come out of the chain's profits. When someone shoplifts from Tesco or Sainsburys (or makes a mistake, and doesn't pay for something, and then doesn't go back when they realise the mistake), or when you are sent two of something by mistake - the cost of this comes out of what is called shrinkage - a part of the price of every item they sell, that covers theft, breakage, spoilage etc. So every time you shop at Tesco, you are paying a bit extra on your bill, in part to cover shop lifters, both deliberate and accidental.

I bet that restaurants do this too - it will be part of the overheads, and will be included in the bills of all the honest diners there.

Of course, if restaurants do include shrinkage in their prices, this means that the restaurants who do take the money out of their wait staff's tips or wages, will already have made up at least some of the cost - so it is doubly unethical.

One thought - even if it is, as people have shown so clearly, illegal for restaurants to take runners' bills out of their staff's wages, is it also illegal for them to take it out of their tips?

EvansOvalPies · 24/08/2016 11:49

SDTG If the tip has been added to a credit/debit card bill payment, or given to the employer in any way, then the employer legally owns it and is not actually obliged to hand it to the member of staff. Seems unfair, I know, but true.

Our employee gets all his tips - I keep a piggy bank on the shelf and pop it all in, then exchange his coins for crisp notes and shiny coins to put in with his payslip at the end of the month. I like to think it makes it feel a bit more special, but TBH, he probably doesn't even notice Grin

LordRothermereBlackshirtCunt · 24/08/2016 11:50

No need to pay. It was their fault.
How was it their fault that the OP walked out without paying?

As for it being illegal to dock the pay of waiting staff: are people naive enough to think employers don't break the law? There's been plenty of recent media coverage of firms treating low paid staff illegally. Yes, the waitress could go to a tribunal, but you have to pay more money than she could probably afford in order to do this, plus it no doubt affect her job and income. It's depressing to see how little empathy and respect some people on here have for low paid workers in this situation.

soupey1 · 24/08/2016 11:58

Just like a PP, I picked up a prescription without paying. It was for DH and I assumed as she didn;t ask for money that he had paid when he dropped it off, it was only when I got home he said he hadn't paid either. DH did ring them and they were amazed he had as they said they would have been short on the till but wouldn't have had a clue who and most people wouldn't have.

It doesn't really matter if it is staff who will pay (although illegal) or future customers through higher prices - if you know you owe the money you pay.

zukiecat · 24/08/2016 12:13

I would call them and pay, slightly different, but I work in a shop and if our tills are short we have to pay the difference.

Very annoying when you're on minimum wage.

JaniceBattersby · 24/08/2016 12:24

I'll say it again. If you're on minimum wage and your company makes you pay a shortfall in your till then report them anonymously to HMRC. They will act. The government is encouraging them to be very, very strict on this type of thing because it's great PR. I'm sure workers at Sports Direct thought it was legal for them to be made to work extra hours without pay which meant they were getting below minimum wage, but it wasn't. Mike Ashley got one hell of a bollocking and they're all getting their money back.