To be so upset people think we left without paying?

[ShownOnCCTV]

Went for Sunday Lunch - have been to the pub many times before.

15 of us celebrating a birthday - balloon for the birthday girl.

Spent a lot- three courses, plenty of alcohol as well always do - all this is irrelevant but want to put the whole picture - left a 15% tip- service/food/ everything was excellent as always.

Have just been made aware of a FB post, CCTV picture of a couple standing by our table, all of us in full view - with a big post from the owner of the pub saying that these people left without paying please find them

Below this is text saying how hard it is to run a pub without people doing a runner and in this wall of text it says 'the people at the table are not involved '

Cue loads of people saying- 'its a kids 10th birthday it can't be hard to find them'
'scum, who goes for a birthday and doesn't pay'
'great pictures, easy to find then- and a link to my work page'

I have rung up and asked them to take the post down - they refuse
I have asked them to blur our images they refuse.

My son has just had someone ring him asking him why didn't we pay.

I have posted on the page asking them to remove our images and that we have proof we paid but still nothing.

Owner is responding to other posts on the page so must have seen mine. Just saying how hard it is for people to walk without paying (I'm sure it is, but we are booked for next week- 20 people, but I shall now go elsewhere)

AIBU to be so upset about this- so many comments thinking we are thieves.

That's awful OP, I'd be livid.

I think that under GDPR you can report them to the ICO for misuse of CCTV images as these are considered personal data. I'm not up on the ins and outs but this link contains the phone number for an advice line that may be able to help https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/i-m-worried-about-how-an-organisation-has-handled-my-information/

Also get as many people as you can to report but not to comment on the post. Commenting will just increase engagement and mean that more people see it and misinterpret the contents.

This is libel. A letter informing them you want it taken down and an apology otherwise you will sue for damages. It doesn't matter they clarified... you can show some people believe it to be you. Chatgpt will write a letter. You could argue for compensation also. They are being stupid

It's a way of them getting free advertising by inferring a large party like yours has not paid. They'll get pity bookings to help them make up their lostc takings.

Go nuclear. They are very clearly suggesting it is your party who has not paid. They could have easily cropped the pictures to make the couple the focus. They have chosen not to as a large party walking out is much juicier for the social media witch hunting hoarde.

It sounds like someone has already linked the post to your work page - is that correct?

I'd be wanting substantial compensation for damage to my reputation. As I said, nuclear.

I would also post 1 star reviews on any available platform to advise potential, paying diners, that like you, their pictures could be posted on social media inferring they have not paid when they have. The owner/manager will not remove photos - if you value your reputation, do not eat there. I would state that you have called x times, emailed x times and now they are ignoring you and your reasonable request to crop or blur the photo background.

Outrageous. Definitely seek legal advice!

Don't engage with the post or encourage others to, other than to report it. Otherwise it will go viral, which is not what you want! Definitely submit a written complaint to the pub (, or even better, visit in person and follow up in writing) - your first aim is to get them to take it down (ensure you screenshot the post and comments).
Then make a complaint to the information commissioners office.

Why do they need proof? The restaurant isn’t referring to them. They just happen to be in the picture so people are assuming it’s them.

I don’t suppose it’s possible but I’d so love to do a charge back through the bank and repay, minus the generous tip!

This definitely breaks GDPR. Threaten to sue the restaurant unless they blur your images in the photograph. By blurring your images it’s makes it clear that you were not the guilty party. By removing the post altogether it could be ambiguous.

Do you own counter post on Facebook:
Post a photo of you all holding a receipt in the restaurant (photoshop/AI it) and tag the restaurant. Add a wall of text complaining about bad restaurants, with halfway down saying that of course this isn't about this restaurant 😇

Then get everyone you know to share it and tag them, and leave bad Google reviews about how they post images of innocent customers online.

This - screenshot the post and make your own on the page with your version of the story, clearing it up. And mention that the owner is refusing to edit the post and picture at your request. Then mention that you’re in the process of reporting to ICO due to the lack of cooperation and harassment endured!

You could get in touch with the ICO who govern GDPR

Because of @tothelefttotheleft's post where she mentions:
tothelefttotheleft · Today 21:09
People who keep saying you should sue-
Have any of you got any idea of the cost this would be?! It's madness to suggest this.

I must say that I do agree with her. In my first post, I suggested starting a lawsuit. However, don't proceed if finances are a struggle. Consult a solicitor and ask them to provide a letter threatening a lawsuit if your demands are not met. Keep reaching out to the responsible parties and try to resolve the issues directly by clearly stating what you need them to do. Encourage people you know to report the issue on online platforms as well.

There was a recent court case of a business that did this. They had actually paid but for some reason a staff member didn't think they had. Ring the police that's slander.

This is appalling. Your personal and professional reputations are at risk because of this libellous nonsense.

Your underage child has been posted round the internet.

CCTV has been misappropriated.

Get a lawyer to write a letter. Winning a case or getting a public apology (and settlement!) means the picture of you winning and you being named winning is the first thing that comes up on an internet search. Not Gary from the bookies and Susan from the cafe down the road speculating on social media about there being no smoke without fire, and that Margaret from the chippy always said never trusted you anyway. Etc.

Contact the solicitor firm that the County Tyrone family used to win their case. I know yours is slightly different in that they put a tiny disclaimer in about your table, BUT your pictures are plastered all over the post and you've been receiving hate for it. You hopefully have a case against them.

If you don't want to take legal action, or the solicitor advises against pursuing, then go to the media instead.

I'd be finding a no win no pay lawyer. It's the principle not the money, so the fact they'd take a large chunk of the settlement wouldn't bother me. I wouldn't be letting it drop.

Be careful. You dont know if the other party actually paid. If you show them and they did pay, you could ironically find yourself being done for libel! Appreciate unlikely...

It would be easy enough to edit the post. Just need to crop the photo down and delete the full photo posted. Then add the edited photo.

You have, ironically, got the wrong end of a one-ended stick!

Most of these responses are pointless, they've said in the post that OP's are not the people who didn't pay. Yeah the photos shouldn't have been published and should be removed, but the only people accusing the OP are people who can't read properly

Post a photo of your recept for payment on the Facebook page and id comment about how this restaurant has lost good customers who not only paid but left a 15 percent tip because they published the photo with headline about people not paying. Clearly state you will never use this restaurant again and set out owner refusing to blur your faces or make it clearer your family did pay. Label it something like how to lose good customers

Is this post on a local group or the pub’s own facebook page?

I agree. The pub would be covered because they said that the people on the table were not involved. Still a shitty thing for them to do though. Pic should have been edited.

There was a news story about similar in the news. But the people had paid.

So they sued the restaurant and got thousands in compensation.

Would this be an option for you?

The pub wouldn’t be ‘covered’ at all as they’ve posted pictures of children without the parent’s permission