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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think we shouldn’t have had to pay?

316 replies

MamToTeens · 31/12/2019 20:57

Took DH, 2 DC and BIL out for lunch today. After ordering, it took 10 minutes for the drinks to come (not too long considering, but they were literally cans that we could see from the table). We then had to wait another hour and a half for food! There were 2 cooked meals and 3 sandwiches. The cooked meals were burned and the bread was stale, basically inedible. We are a bit but couldn’t manage much. We were then told that it was cash only, even though it hadn’t been clearly advertised (argument was that it was on the door, which was open so we couldn’t see the sign). It was around £60 for the 5 of us, so I couldn’t afford it with cash. We walked out without paying and they threatened to call the police. Haven’t heard anything yet. AIBU to have refused to pay? And will they be able to do anything when they don’t have names or anything?

OP posts:
bettybattenburg · 31/12/2019 21:33

£5 isn't going to cover the drinks for 5 people. You have probably left some member of the waiting staff worrying if they are going to lose their job.

justasking111 · 31/12/2019 21:34

I would have left long before the food arrived and just paid for drinks. If they had arrived quickly and burnt I would have sent them back. What you did is wrong.

Nixen · 31/12/2019 21:37

You sound scummy

Sparkle567 · 31/12/2019 21:37

I would of left before the food arrived with that wait and if it would of came out inedible then I would of told them so and refused to pay.

Sn0tnose · 31/12/2019 21:38

She said the bread was "stale, basically inedible."

If someone came on here and said they were running a restaurant and producing burnt, stale food after an hour's wait but that was no excuse for people refusing to pay, would you all be saying they were reasonable? So why didn’t she complain after the very first mouthful? She’s said she asked staff where their order was and was told they were going as fast as they could, so there were clearly staff about. Why didn’t she call one of them over, handed them the stale sandwich and ask them to either replace it or take it off the bill?

GrannyBags · 31/12/2019 21:39

But the OP didn’t refuse to pay because the food was inedible. If they had had a card machine she would have paid!

TheCoolerQueen · 31/12/2019 21:40

I've refused to pay before. I mean I've had bad, and really bad, food and/or service but this particular place was gobsmackingly awful.

I agreed to pay for drinks and walked out, didn't leave my details.

creaturcomforts · 31/12/2019 21:40

You should have complained and negotiated the bill and paid for the drinks. Not walked out without paying imho.

NightsOfCabiria · 31/12/2019 21:43

That’s just not how it’s done OP.

You pay fir what you can in cash, while one person finds an ATM and returns to pay the balance. Ideally, you complain as soon as you know something is wrong in order for it to be swiftly rectified. If unsatisfied you then take it up with management.

You dont just eat, drink and leave without paying. That’s theft.

If this is real of course...

CareOfPunts · 31/12/2019 21:44

I’d have complained and cancelled the order long before. I’ve done that in places with terrible service but always paid for my drinks.

What would you have done if they’d taken cards?

Even assuming you didn’t have enough cash there was presumably more than one adult, could someone not have shot off to find an ATM?

You wouldn’t have been U to ask for a discount or complain about bad food and service but it’s not ok to just walk out without paying.

RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime · 31/12/2019 21:44

So why didn’t she complain after the very first mouthful? She’s said she asked staff where their order was and was told they were going as fast as they could, so there were clearly staff about. Why didn’t she call one of them over, handed them the stale sandwich and ask them to either replace it or take it off the bill?

OP said "Complained after trying to eat it, then they gave us the bill."

TrueCrimeFan · 31/12/2019 21:45

Shock yes it's theft.

£5 surely didn't even cover the drinks

QueenOfTheFae · 31/12/2019 21:45

@Onekidnoclue

That’s illegal. You’ve taken their food and drink and refused to pay.
Legally you can only walk out without paying full price if you pay for the cost of the ingredients and an explanation along with your contact details
The restaurant would be within their rights to call the police and prosecute you for theft.

Bollocks can you leave just paying for the ingredients

&As soon as you realise that your food is not up to standards, you should stop eating it and complain to a member of staff. You can ask for something else from the menu, ask that the dish be replaced, or simply opt not to eat. You should not have to pay for any meal you reject in this way, although you should of course pay for anything else that you ate or drank. You should also pay if they bring you a replacement meal which you deem acceptable.^

If the member of staff serving you is unable to help you with your complaint, you should ask to speak to the manager instead. If you have difficulty persuading the manager that you should not have to pay for the unsatisfactory portion of the meal, you have several options available to you. You could pay the remainder of the bill, minus the amount owed for the food you rejected. If you do this, leave your contact details with the restaurant so they can chase you up for the remaining money if they genuinely believe that you should have paid. You will subsequently be able to make further protests if you feel you are in the right.

Alternatively, you could pay the bill in full, but make it clear that you are paying “under protest”, write “paying under protest” on the bill itself and give your contact details to the restaurant. This will help you to claim a refund at a later date by sending the manager a letter of complaint. You can even take them to the small claims court if they do not respond within a reasonable amount of time, although it is unlikely that this would ordinarily be a necessary or worthwhile action to take.

www.lawontheweb.co.uk/personal/food-and-restaurants

RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime · 31/12/2019 21:46

Ideally, you complain as soon as you know something is wrong in order for it to be swiftly rectified. If unsatisfied you then take it up with management.

Which is what they did. And what do you do when taking it up with the management? Do you accept their offer of a second plate of food from a rubbish kitchen after another hour? Or do you... not pay for what they brought you?

Cherrysoup · 31/12/2019 21:47

I left a fiver for the drinks because we did drink them.

Great drip feed! 👏

Comefromaway · 31/12/2019 21:47

I’d have refused to pay too, card machine or not. As soon as the inedible food came I’d have complained (which you did yes?) and when they then presented the bill I’d have told them no way was I going no to pay for something that wasn’t edible

So YANBU

LoveNote · 31/12/2019 21:49

Ugh!!!

1foot2feet · 31/12/2019 21:50

@Onekidnoclue what is the statutory provision for having to pay for ingredients and leave contact details? Never heard of that one

Livingoffcoffee · 31/12/2019 21:51

Of course YABU.
When the food came that was inedible, I would have immediately called staff over to complain. If they didn't offer on their own, maybe say you're not going to pay for something that you weren't able to eat. But you absolutely pay for the drinks - £5 doesn't cover it. And saying that you didn't have enough cash isn't an excuse. You ask where the nearest ATM is. A cash only place will be used to that.

ohprettybaby · 31/12/2019 21:52

I wouldn't have paid for burnt cooked meals or sandwiches made with stale bread. If I didn't eat a meal due to its poor quality, I would have told them it wasn't acceptable and that I wouldn't be paying for it. I wouldn't just walk out.

I also think one of you could have gone to an atm for cash and that you should have paid a proper price for the drinks. There is no way drinks for the five of you would cost only a fiver. I think you are a CF.

RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime · 31/12/2019 21:52

So according to that QueenoftheFae all they did wrong was not leaving their contact details, which they didn't know they had to do.
The restaurant was far more wrong in providing such poor product and expecting people to pay them for it.

SlightlyStaleCocoPops · 31/12/2019 21:52

10/10 bait OP

Linetogilly · 31/12/2019 21:54

Lol

Mrshue · 31/12/2019 21:54

Holy poop

I cannot get over some of the comments on here!

Who on earth thinks it’s ok to just walk out of a restaurant without paying?!?

You ate some of it. You haven’t even said if you asked for it to be redone? Which I doubt very much if I’m honest.

When I worked at these places. If you’d of done that here. Your picture would go up all around the town and it would be shared with the local stores. Who then refuse to serve you or allow you in their establishment and call the police the second you get seen. Our security had a straight line to the police.

I think that’s disgusting what you did and for the people who agreed with you!!!

Foxes157 · 31/12/2019 21:54

Totally disgusting behaviour. I made a a complaint about a Christmas meal, they asked me what I wanted. I agreed a free meal

You're complaint is not worth your response