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Vote with your wallet/Complain with your feet etc..

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  • 14-07-2008 10:34pm
    #1
    irlirishkev
    Registered Users Posts: 2,505 ✭✭✭


    Mods - Not sure if this is the appropriate forum..

    Inspired by two things; one being a thread on AH called '"You paid for that??", and the other, the fact that I was charged 4 euro for 5 chips in the bar in the Conrad hotel recently.. I have a question:

    Legally speaking, can you realistically just walk out of a place if you're blatantly being overcharged? I would imagine not. Surely it's the equivalent of theft? Fair enough, don't go back, but once you've actually ordered something and then realise you're getting naff all for your money? Surely the establishment in question could just call the Gardai?

    K.


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    #2
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 24,075 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    irlirishkev wrote: »
    Mods - Not sure if this is the appropriate forum..

    Inspired by two things; one being a thread on AH called '"You paid for that??", and the other, the fact that I was charged 4 euro for 5 chips in the bar in the Conrad hotel recently.. I have a question:

    Legally speaking, can you realistically just walk out of a place if you're blatantly being overcharged? I would imagine not. Surely it's the equivalent of theft? Fair enough, don't go back, but once you've actually ordered something and then realise you're getting naff all for your money? Surely the establishment in question could just call the Gardai?

    K.

    One would imagine that, in a place that sells over-priced "Gourmet" chips, it would not be in the establishment's best interest, for there to be an almighty punch-up in the reception area involving the GS and an over-charged diner trying to do a runner.

    I've left a few places like these over the years, and not one of the robbers has ever come after me. They all acted is if they knew that they were taking the piss.


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    #3
    dudara
    Registered Users Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    I'm completely open to correction on this, but my understanding is that a meal is a civil contract between you and the establishment. You are under no obligation to pay the marked price, if you do not feel that the meal was worth it and have a valid reason for saying so. You have to pay something and you pay what you feel the meal was worth. If called by the management, Gardaí cannot intervene in such an instance as it is a civil matter.

    This link is taken from a non-Irish website, but I think that the gist of it is valid in this country. If someone can confirm/deny that, I would be very grateful.


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    #4
    loyatemu
    Registered Users Posts: 14,958 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    most reputable restaurants will take complaints seriously.

    I ordered "wild mushrooms on toast" in a branch of Ely a while back and what arrived was a postage-stamp sized slice of ciabatta with about 5 mushrooms on it. OK it was listed as a starter, but it was still €8. I complained that they were taking the piss and that I wasn't going to pay for it, so they brought me out a much larger portion.

    80c per chip is a bit steep alright - were they nice?


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    #5
    MOH
    Registered Users Posts: 6,465 ✭✭✭MOH


    dudara wrote: »
    I'm completely open to correction on this, but my understanding is that a meal is a civil contract between you and the establishment. You are under no obligation to pay the marked price, if you do not feel that the meal was worth it and have a valid reason for saying so. You have to pay something and you pay what you feel the meal was worth. If called by the management, Gardaí cannot intervene in such an instance as it is a civil matter.

    This link is taken from a non-Irish website, but I think that the gist of it is valid in this country. If someone can confirm/deny that, I would be very grateful.

    The other helpful point in that is that you don't have to pay a service charge which is automatically added on by the restaurant if you're not happy with the service. Saw that mentioned on here before.


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    #6
    Slice
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,133 ✭✭✭Slice


    can you realistically just walk out of a place if you're blatantly being overcharged?

    Sounds like a case of rob or be robbed


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    #7
    axer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,517 ✭✭✭axer


    dudara wrote: »
    I'm completely open to correction on this, but my understanding is that a meal is a civil contract between you and the establishment. You are under no obligation to pay the marked price, if you do not feel that the meal was worth it and have a valid reason for saying so. You have to pay something and you pay what you feel the meal was worth. If called by the management, Gardaí cannot intervene in such an instance as it is a civil matter.

    This link is taken from a non-Irish website, but I think that the gist of it is valid in this country. If someone can confirm/deny that, I would be very grateful.
    That is an interesting situation alright. Could you just not refuse the meal and just not eat it thus they would have a hard case to even sue you.


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    #8
    dudara
    Registered Users Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    axer wrote: »
    That is an interesting situation alright. Could you just not refuse the meal and just not eat it thus they would have a hard case to even sue you.

    I don't know any more. It would make for an interesting discussion in the restaurant though.

    I'd like to know if anyone has any more knowledge on this...


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    #9
    irlirishkev
    Registered Users Posts: 2,505 ✭✭✭irlirishkev


    loyatemu wrote: »
    80c per chip is a bit steep alright - were they nice?

    Yeah they were okay I suppose.. for chips!

    A friend who was with me ordered what was essentially Cod and Chips (but with a fancy name). He also got 5 chips, but with a piece of fish. His meal was 19 euro.

    I shall not be eating there again.


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    #10
    axer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,517 ✭✭✭axer


    irlirishkev wrote: »
    Yeah they were okay I suppose.. for chips!

    A friend who was with me ordered what was essentially Cod and Chips (but with a fancy name). He also got 5 chips, but with a piece of fish. His meal was 19 euro.

    I shall not be eating there again.
    By chips are we talking a quarter of a potato per chip (wedges) or actual chips like one would get in supermacs?


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    #11
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 24,075 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    axer wrote: »
    That is an interesting situation alright. Could you just not refuse the meal and just not eat it thus they would have a hard case to even sue you.

    At the jumped up places I've felt compelled to leave in disgust, I've always assumed that the food that I refused to accept was never binned, but found its way back to someone else's table via the kitchen. At the end of the day, there is such a huge mark-up in many of these places, their only loss is the odd disgusted customer, myself being one of these odd and disgusted individuals.


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    #12
    irlirishkev
    Registered Users Posts: 2,505 ✭✭✭irlirishkev


    axer wrote: »
    By chips are we talking a quarter of a potato per chip (wedges) or actual chips like one would get in supermacs?

    It's a fair question! They were those thick cut chips, but no way a quarter of a potato! I'd say between the five of them, we're talking 1 potato max.


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    #13
    muckety
    Registered Users Posts: 724 ✭✭✭muckety


    Had a similar experience recently, in a local restaurant where fish and chips for 14 euro comprised a medium sized piece of fresh cod in batter plus 5 chips! The waitress saw our expressions of incredulity and offered to bring some more chips, but I wonder how many people would have just accepted it and paid. We won't be bothering them again - I can't understand why restaurants do this, surely chips are cheap?


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