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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be really pissed off at this restaurant??

233 replies

K1092902 · 03/08/2017 20:28

Booked a meal this afternoon in London for for 9 at 1pm. A restaurant a few people recommended to us and that friends we are staying with have been to and said was very good. We expected the price to be pretty high a) it's central London b) it has a good reputation

There was an office party of some sort in there- about 10 of them.

Anyway we had our meal and the bill came. There were 8 adults (My friends and their 2 adult children, DSDs, Me and DH) and 3 year old DD.

I looked at the bill at thought it was quite high. I offered to pay as we are staying with our friends and they took me and DH for dinner in Tuesday night but friends insisted on paying half and after tooing and froing we OKd it

Friend noticed we had been given the wrong bill after again noticing the price seemed a little high.

We were given the bill for the other group. Waitress and manager told us that we couldn't pay our own bill as it was already paid for and all they could do was give us a print out of a receipt.

DH said we wouldn't be paying and the manager threatened to call the police so I paid to keep the peace and because DD was getting upset. They have given us a gift voucher for the difference but I'm still pretty pissed off

OP posts:
GozerTheGozerian · 03/08/2017 20:30

Wtf they expected you to pay for another table?? That's outrageous!

early30smum · 03/08/2017 20:30

YANBU that's ridiculous! Had the other group left already?

talonofthehawk · 03/08/2017 20:30

YANBU they should have refunded it

PantPlot · 03/08/2017 20:32

I'm with your DH and I'd have let them call the police, just to watch them explain that they wanted you to pay someone else's bill instead of your own.

powernapsrule · 03/08/2017 20:32

I would have only paid the amount that was on the correct bill. It's not your fault that they got them mixed up so why should you pay more. It's the restaurant who should take the hit!

PNGirl · 03/08/2017 20:32

They owe you a refund, not a voucher. Go back or phone and kick up a massive stink. I think I'd have waited for the phone call to the police - they'd have been straight round for the call about a customer who wouldn't pay the difference between their and another table's bill...

RoganJosh · 03/08/2017 20:32

They definitely should have refunded it.

I can't believe they only gave you a voucher for the difference. They should have added a free meal each sort of amount to it.

Seenoevil · 03/08/2017 20:32

Why would you even pay that Hmm

It wasn't your bill, end off.

theaveragewife · 03/08/2017 20:32

Erm, what??? You paid for someone else's food to keep the peace? Why???

Ohthehorror2 · 03/08/2017 20:33

That's disgraceful! You should have let them call the police, they didn't have a leg to stand on. Maybe complain on their Facebook or Twitter? That just seems so unfair!

Original poster
K1092902 · 03/08/2017 20:33

They had already left about 20 minutes before. Apparently they didn't book under an organization so they couldn't even contact someone from there to try and sort it out.

OP posts:
sooperdooper · 03/08/2017 20:33

That's shocking! I'd have let them call the police! You need a refund not a voucher, why would you go back there??

manglethedangle · 03/08/2017 20:34

That is ridiculous.

ruddynorah · 03/08/2017 20:34

You let them make you pay someone else's bill??!

QuiteLikely5 · 03/08/2017 20:34

That is ridiculous. You should have allowed them to call the police! Which restaurant was it ?

PantPlot · 03/08/2017 20:34

Did you leave a tip as well Grin

PNGirl · 03/08/2017 20:35

So? That's the restaurant's problem!

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 03/08/2017 20:35

So your bill should have been eg £160 (£20each) but you paid for a group of two people so £200?
Then they gave you £40 in vouchers?

Happyeverafter73 · 03/08/2017 20:35

That is absolutely ridiculous! You should call trading standards

PantPlot · 03/08/2017 20:35

Who cares if they couldn't contact the other party, that is Not Your Problem

Guitargirl · 03/08/2017 20:35

I would have called the manager's bluff I think, there's no way the police would have taken action. Can you name & shame the restaurant? They owe you money, I wouldn't be letting this go. A gift voucher is taking the piss as why would anyone want to go back and eat there again after an experience like that?

thegirlupnorth · 03/08/2017 20:35

That was their error not yours. You should have insisted on paying for the meal you had. Who is to say that they don't pull this trick every day and give people vouchers that they may never use!

PurpleMinionMummy · 03/08/2017 20:35

You can't be that pissed off or you wouldn't have paid a bill that wasn't yours.

Aquamarine1029 · 03/08/2017 20:36

I would have told them quite happily to call the police, and then they can explain how they expect YOU to pay someone else's much higher bill.

SmitheringSmithison · 03/08/2017 20:36

Why would you pay for someone else's bill? There is no way I would have done that. You should have let them ring the police-realistically what would they have done? Certainly not made you pay someone else's bill that's for sure!