Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would this put you off a date ?

111 replies

Crystal1981 · 27/10/2019 20:21

So imagine you had been on a few dates with a guy, he seemed very nice and all.
One date you went to a retro gaming bar. To play the retro games, you need to purchase tokens from the bar. Tokens are £15 for 10.
Before leaving the bar, your date decides he would like to save a bit of money and slips the tokens into his pocket. (you are supposed to hand them in at the bar again before leaving).
This is so he can play for free next time.

It's theft, right ? Would you think less of this person/not see him again ?

OP posts:
Scarlett555 · 27/10/2019 20:38

Wouldn't really bother me.

SimonJT · 27/10/2019 20:39

I go to places with this system, I keep any tokens I haven’t used for my next visit. So no, it wouldn’t put me off at all.

DisplayPurposesOnly · 27/10/2019 20:39

I don't understand how some posters are saying this is theft, unless I'm missing something!

He pays for the tokens. He uses them. He's then supposed to return them before leaving. Instead he keeps them so he can play for free on his next visit, depriving the venue of its earnings.

I'd not be happy with that.

Greggers2017 · 27/10/2019 20:39

Wow people would end relationships over this. No wonder the separation rate is so high!

Gruzinkerbell1 · 27/10/2019 20:40

Why did he have to hand them back if he paid for them? I’m so confused by the apparent moral outrage.

DisplayPurposesOnly · 27/10/2019 20:40

Hanging onto unused tokens wouldn't bother me.

Witchofzog · 27/10/2019 20:41

How on earth is it theft if he has paid for them?

Original poster
Crystal1981 · 27/10/2019 20:41

You don't buy them, you pay to borrow them and then it's written on the wall that they need to be returned.
Otherwise, they would never make any money.

OP posts:
NitrousOxide · 27/10/2019 20:42

So were the tokens unused, OP? Presumably you have to give up a token each time you play a game, so the ones you’re left with at the end of the night are the ones you’ve paid for but haven’t used yet?

Does the bar refuse to refund people for unused tokens? If so, it’s a bit cheeky of them to demand that customers give back unused tokens that they’ve paid for.

Jollitwiglet · 27/10/2019 20:46

Were they unused tokens? It makes all the difference

FiddlesticksAkimbo · 27/10/2019 20:47

The moral outrage is ludicrous Grin

But why ask OP? If you regard this as theft, and theft places this man beyond redemption, then don't see him any more.

Stompythedinosaur · 27/10/2019 20:47

So, he paid for 10 gos, only had 5 for and took the remaining 5 tokens away so he could use them in the future? That sounds ok to me.

SpookilyBadOooooooh · 27/10/2019 20:48

Surely the machines seal lo w the used ones, so it’s only the PAID FOR UNused ones

As long as he takes them back sometime I really don’t see the issue?

Elieza · 27/10/2019 20:51

Sounds fine to me. He paid for them. If it happens a lot the bar will make it five tokens for whatever price. They will make money from his drinks next time he comes back. Only problem I can see is that he doesn’t go back for weeks. That wouldnt be fair as there isn’t an endless number of tokens presumably. He should go back soon and play.

NitrousOxide · 27/10/2019 20:52

The OP hasn’t clarified if he’d used the tokens he pocketed, @DisplayPurposesOnly, despite several of us asking.

It just seems odd to me. If he’d used his tokens yet was still in possession of them, that suggests they can be used repeatedly. In which case why bother to give people 10? Why not just give customers one each?

It sounds more likely that he bought 10 and only used some of them, so took the rest home for another day. Just like you would if you brought several vouchers into a shop but didn’t spend them all. If that’s what happened, it’s hardly theft.

Tooearlyforadrink · 27/10/2019 20:57

You don't buy them, you pay to borrow them and then it's written on the wall that they need to be returned.
Otherwise, they would never make any money.

I’m a bit confused because don’t you physically have to use the tokens to play the games? So for each game you play you’d lose/use a token?

Ginkythefangedhellpigofdoom · 27/10/2019 21:03

So are you saying you pay for these tokens and when you use them the machine does not swallow them but spits them out (like when a vending machine or self service till rejects a coin) so he has used these tokens then kept them for next time he doesn't have have to pay next time?

SellingHouse · 27/10/2019 21:05

So you pay £15 for 10 chances to play games. Do you then receive these tokens back from the games somehow to them give back to the bar? Or is it unused tokens you’re talking about? Ie you only played 7 games and had 3 tokens left over?

Spidey66 · 27/10/2019 21:06

I've never been to these places but from the description it sounds like he bought 10 tokens, used say 5 on the games, then wanted to keep the remaining 5 for his next visit. In which case fine, he's paid. For them. It would be a waste of money buying another 10 next visit when he's already got 5 left over.

How can it be theft if he's paid for them?

But maybe I'm missing something?

ShirleyPhallus · 27/10/2019 21:07

This is going to be one of those completely unexplained threads where people ask loads of questions and the OP just dances around the answers

beadybear · 27/10/2019 21:07

If you can re use them as many times as possible you'd have to pay a deposit surely. Like for mini golf of snooker cues. Otherwise everyone would take them home and the business would go bust pretty soon

Ohyesiam · 27/10/2019 21:09

It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. You don’t like it, so don’t see him again.

Helmlover1 · 27/10/2019 21:10

This thread made me laugh. Funnily enough I was talking to a colleague a few days ago who had also kept her arcade tokens so she could re-use them next time she goes. I think it’s more common than you think OP, everyone likes a freebie! And like others have said he has technically paid for them. If you said that you’d been shopping with this guy and he was deliberately stealing stuff then that would be completely different.

Candle1000 · 27/10/2019 21:12

If the machine spits the token out again , why do you need 10 when one token would suffice? Confused

RingPiece · 27/10/2019 21:12

He paid for the tokens. He said he'd use them next time, so they'll get their tokens, only a little later. I honestly don't see what the problem is here. It's like keeping casino chips and not cashing them in.

I'm sure the tokens don't actually cost the place £15 to buy ten