Was I extorted for a cherry bakewell?

[Cheeribakewell]

I went to my usual sandwich shop for some baps/cons/barn cakes (im
being inclusive).

Its a cash only place and usually I buy two baps but today was one and a hot drink.

i didn’t notice but the lady put a cherry bakewell in my plastic bag (not sure if she charges for plastic bags) and Asked for £6.50. I handed over £5 noteand queried why it was so much and why there was a cake in my bag.

she instantly said I could pay next time but didn’t say “oh sorry I thought you wanted a cherry bakewell”. I have a feeling she was sneaking it it, but rationally does that make sense.

I had to be somewhat forceful in saying no I didn’t want it.

Aibu in thinking she wanted me to buy a cherry bakewell to increase her sales?

click bate title
I could be autistic as I find it hard to read situations and I get taken advantage of

what type of shops, this person is from SE Asia.

What accent do you speak with and what exactly did you ask for?

I.e.

'i'd like a barm and a tea please'.

We do need to know

Ok - I’m not surprised you were a bit baffled. I wonder if you were just talking at crossed purposes- she thought you’d asked for a tart, you thought it was a gift so you were both a bit puzzled when you tried to give her £5.

Unless she owns the shop there’s nothing to be gained by selling an extra cake for her personally.

Well done for speaking up anyway. I’d be checking the order was right every time now.

I’d give her the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up as a mistake I think.

Two possibilities:

• Innocent mistake: maybe she misheard what you said, or she got you confused with a different customer who always has a bakewell, or she’s just plain stupid, or
• She was trying to rip you off.

I’ve no idea which scenario is more likely. I suggest you assume it was a mistake but make it a habit to continue checking your order carefully.

I’ve been given free cakes / coffee occasionally in the UK before, sometimes when they’ve made too much or sometimes when a creepy guy is trying to get attention. But once overseas I had ‘complimentary’ snacks brought to my restaurant table, ate some of them and then found that they’d all been added to my bill. Apparently at that restaurant if you don’t object when it arrives, you have to pay! So that does happen.

She might have misheard you but 'cherry bakewell' sounds different to 'barm/bap'.

I wouldn't have been pleased if she snuck this in and then tried to get you to pay for it another time, and you don't like sweet things so you wouldn't eat it.

That's very cheeky of that restaurant - I'd have pointed out the 'complimentary' side of it when they got you to pay for them and said that they were supposed to be complimentary.

she owns it and is the only person who works there

I asked for a BLT and a tea, leave the tea bag in - her “do you want sugar”

now I think about I’m often getting eggs in my BLT lol

Oh right 😬

Hmm I mean there’s no reason for feeling embarrassed that you rejected the bakewelll. I would have too.

If you’re a regular then it’s very short sighted of her to try to upswell in this way. Most people would be very put off by it and perhaps go elsewhere.

How on earth did she think you wouldn’t notice a bloody great big tart in your bag of 2 items? 🤣

Huh? She made a mistake. She gets dozens of people a day and may just have been distracted or someone earlier had ordered the same with a Bakewell. Really this is a non issue.

Eggs in your BLT? 😂 So a BELT? 🤨

Do you think she might struggle understanding English?

op I’m a bit confused. Did you accept the cake or give it back?
yes it’s weird that she tried to force it on you.

You are very unreasonable to not want a cherry bakewell.

It just sounds like miscommunication/crossed wires to be honest, you said yourself there's no logical reason why she would 'sneak' anything into your bag. I think offering to let you pay next time indicates that she genuinely got mixed up and thought you wanted one, because giving something away, even with a promise to pay another time, isn't exactly a reliable way of boosting sales for the day.
And she likely doesn't know you don't like sweet stuff - why would she? So not to know you wouldn't order and eat one. And yes I know you didn't but she's a human being who's as capable of making a mistake as anyone else.

I don't think she tried to rip you off or anything sinister, why can't anyone just make a mistake any more without people accusing them of deliberately being dishonest?

I reckon it was to increase sales because sometimes people are incentivised to do this.

I think it's just innocent miscommunication. As a regular customer I'm sure she wouldn't want to risk losing you by trying to get you to buy a Bakewell. She may well have misheard, misunderstood or be thinking about something completely unrelated and on autopilot because she'd sold a few cakes / tarts earlier in the day.

One time it was a doughnut, another time a bar of chocolate (taken from a big pile by the till). Both times it was waved at me with a big smile and put in the bag, implying it was “on the house”. Only it wasn’t.

OP - Both dodgy independent shops in East London, but neither shop keeper was SE Asian. I think it’s a habit associated with cheeky fuckers, rather than that of any ethnic group.

I want a Cherry Bakewell, and I want it now!! 🍥

How annoying! It seems rather short sighted if it’s going to piss regular customers off but perhaps they relied on you not looking at your receipt

That said, op has been visiting this shop for years and has never had a rogue tart appear in her bag before so may be best not to think the worst.😬

Im sure shopkeepers are struggling with the COL and horrendously inflated rents but there must be a better way to increase profits- putting prices up slightly, special offers if you buy more etc.

Cherry Bakewells are a gateway tart. Before you know it, she'll be pushing you in to coffee and walnut cake. And then it's a slippery slope to the hard stuff: Tiramisu and Death by Chocolate.

Bearing in mind you sometimes struggle to process social interactions, I hope you don’t think some posters are laughing at you on here.

Some of these replies are funny but really just because there’s some humour in the situation.

No harm at all in keeping an eye on what this lady sticks in your bag in future but I do think it helps sometimes to laugh at a slightly ridiculous interaction and not assume anyone is out to get you.

She probably just misheard you or got mixed up - if you’ve served a lot of customers that morning, the orders all start to blend into one after a while. Check your bag next time though, if she isn’t reliable.

That went a bit dark? Not really a joking matter😟

Bloody Nora. I never noticed that reply.

No joking matter, and a very odd post indeed

Could have been an honest mistake, BUT they should be taking better care. What if you were allergic to almonds?