View Full Version : Charged for something I did not order
We had lunch in a well known restaurant in PLA today but i did not appreciate being charged for bread and mantequilla when it was put on the table before we've had a chance to look at the menu.At the end i payed up and left :angry:,what would you have done?
I understand if You leave it alone You dont pay.
If You eat some You pay for it all.
unless someone else knows better.
I agree. I dont like it on the Table before ordering, but that's the practice.
cainaries
20-10-2011, 23:28
It's the custom here and I don't mind it in the least. I suppose you could always say no, thanks, we don't want it but you'll find it in almost every restaurant in Spain. When in Rome ...
When I saw the title of the thread I thought it was going to be that you'd been charged for an expensive bottle of wine or something, but a couple of rolls and butter ... doesn't strike me as a problem at all.
Andy0210
20-10-2011, 23:37
Its quite common, this is how the restaurants make their bread and butter! ;)
Well excuse my ignorance i'm new to the island and i don't like your customs:cheeky:
Andy0210
20-10-2011, 23:52
Well excuse my ignorance i'm new to the island and i don't like your customs:cheeky:
Excused! And Customs are a part of any Country, its the Customs in the UK you need to worry about when you take 5000 Benson and Hedges back ;)
YOUNG GOLFER
21-10-2011, 00:11
We had lunch in a well known restaurant in PLA today but i did not appreciate being charged for bread and mantequilla when it was put on the table before we've had a chance to look at the menu.At the end i payed up and left :angry:,what would you have done?
I think it's a nice touch to be honest a bit a bread and butter while you wait for your starter i think it shows the staff are on their toes.
You don't have to eat it and i am sure it won't be on your bill come the end.
I myself will ask for Bread and Ali Oli and Mojo just to get my taste buds going:wink:
Andy0210
21-10-2011, 00:19
If you let us know how much the Bread & Butter was we could have a whip round to reimburse you in order to refrain from any negative feedback from your holiday to Tenerife ??? ;)
They do it to up their profit Marge-ins.....:hide::bolt:
timmylish
21-10-2011, 01:35
Well excuse my ignorance i'm new to the island and i don't like your customs:cheeky:
Obviously piqued! Being new does not excuse ignorance.
Obviously piqued! Being new does not excuse ignorance.
No but being new to an island should make one query the bill!!!
:neener:You should have used your loaf....... Oh hang on ;)
cainaries
21-10-2011, 07:49
Well excuse my ignorance i'm new to the island and i don't like your customs:cheeky:
You may find other customs a lot more irritating than the bread and butter ones!:D
Added after 2 minutes:
They do it to up their profit Marge-ins.....:hide::bolt:
Groan!!!!!!!
It's usually referred to as the cover charge. Happens in a lot of places (around the world too). Just don't eat it.
canarybird
21-10-2011, 08:04
Itīs not always the custom, as in many restaurants you must ask for bread with butter, or ali oli or whatever.
But if a waiter brings bread thatīs not ordered I just say, no thank you we donīt want bread and heīll take it away.
(If he doesnīt understand, you can always pick up the bread basket and hand it to him.)
You shouldnīt have to pay for something you didnīt order no matter what it is, especially if you donīt eat bread with a meal, and they take it away untouched when youīve finished eating dinner and then charge you for it.
Canarybird
Over the years i've seen and heard all kinds of tricks waiters and their establishments get up to so i've grown to question everything,but having read your comments,now i do think it might be a nice gesture but i would prefer popcorn instead which i didn't have to pay for in my local TGI back in the UK :cheeky:
Leam_Lin
21-10-2011, 09:20
I think it's a nice touch to be honest a bit a bread and butter while you wait for your starter i think it shows the staff are on their toes.
You don't have to eat it and i am sure it won't be on your bill come the end.
I myself will ask for Bread and Ali Oli and Mojo just to get my taste buds going:wink:
Just a thought, if you don't eat it & its left on the table during your meal, where does the bread or roll go then.
Perhaps on the next persons plate!
Ecky Thump
21-10-2011, 09:34
Over the years we have had quite a few meals in the Miami Restaurant/Bar in Los Christianos and they always place a very large plate of mixed salad on your table when you order a meal, its amazing the amount of people who look confused by this and just sit with it in front of them without eating any of it, when the meal that they have ordered is put on the table the waiter takes the salad away, what some people don't realise is that the salad is not a chargeable item.
At this stage I should admit to being one of these people when I first started to eat there.:cheeky:
But did he eat the bread?
Sundowner
21-10-2011, 09:51
This is common practice in the U.K. over half the restaurants I go to do this in one form or another.My favourite here is bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. But in Tenerife bread and mojo picon & mojo cilantro are to die for............now I am feeling really hungry :)
But did he eat the bread?
Didn't want to but it was too late my OH took a bite :cheeky:
Didn't want to but it was too late my OH took a bite :cheeky:
Case proved,
kingbaker
21-10-2011, 10:16
It's the custom here and I don't mind it in the least. I suppose you could always say no, thanks, we don't want it but you'll find it in almost every restaurant in Spain. When in Rome ...
When I saw the title of the thread I thought it was going to be that you'd been charged for an expensive bottle of wine or something, but a couple of rolls and butter ... doesn't strike me as a problem at all.
Hey there just let you know ROME is in ITALY..............a long way from Tenerife HA!!!HA!!!
Also just to let you know I'm capable of ordering exactly what I want for my meal and actually dont need assistance with this.......and have been
like this for about 45 years
Last time this happened to me, bread rolls came out to me, at breakfast time in El Medano while I was waiting for scrambled egg and toast. Might
have been better suited learning some waiting skills and maybe not serve the coffee 25 mins before the eggs. What a dip stick!!!!
Can I tell you that 15% of the service in TF is very good 35% is allright and the rest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!! Its the people that find bad service acceptable------------------------that help it continue ...by not doing something about it.:nono:
Added after 4 minutes:
I think it's a nice touch to be honest a bit a bread and butter while you wait for your starter i think it shows the staff are on their toes.
You don't have to eat it and i am sure it won't be on your bill come the end.
I myself will ask for Bread and Ali Oli and Mojo just to get my taste buds going:wink:
You are very re-assuring with someone elses money You might give us your address so we can tell wait staff where to send the bill if you
turn out to be wrong
Angusjim
21-10-2011, 10:22
I think it's a nice touch to be honest a bit a bread and butter while you wait for your starter i think it shows the staff are on their toes.
You don't have to eat it and i am sure it won't be on your bill come the end.
I myself will ask for Bread and Ali Oli and Mojo just to get my taste buds going:wink:
One reason you are a bit podgy :lol::bootyshake:
kingbaker
21-10-2011, 10:26
Itīs not always the custom, as in many restaurants you must ask for bread with butter, or ali oli or whatever.
But if a waiter brings bread thatīs not ordered I just say, no thank you we donīt want bread and heīll take it away.
(If he doesnīt understand, you can always pick up the bread basket and hand it to him.)
You shouldnīt have to pay for something you didnīt order no matter what it is, especially if you donīt eat bread with a meal, and they take it away untouched when youīve finished eating dinner and then charge you for it.
Canarybird
Ah the voice of reason and SANITY at last A pleasure to hear from you CANARYBIRD instead of loons like Andy HA!!HA!!!:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:
Added after 11 minutes:
Over the years i've seen and heard all kinds of tricks waiters and their establishments get up to so i've grown to question everything,but having read your comments,now i do think it might be a nice gesture but i would prefer popcorn instead which i didn't have to pay for in my local TGI back in the UK :cheeky:
Did the popcorn factory deliver some just for you... and did the farmer contribute the corn free.... and did the truck driver donate his time, free to this
worthy cause, and did oil company donate petrol or diesel and engine oil also and did insurance comp donate free insurance-for this most special of journeys.just for you...mmmmmmmmme thinks you need to get a grip If its not included in the price and you are gettin' it free then someone else is paying ----nothing is free sorry to say HA!!!HA!!!:D:D
Added after 3 minutes:
:D
It's usually referred to as the cover charge. Happens in a lot of places (around the world too). Just don't eat it.
OI!!!! cover charge we pay into a strip joint..........bread rolls ...not so much HA!!HA!!:D:D:D
Added after 6 minutes:
Excused! And Customs are a part of any Country, its the Customs in the UK you need to worry about when you take 5000 Benson and Hedges back ;)
JEEZ Andy!!!!!! my!!!!!! but you were on a roll last night hear you're doing free deliveries now ----must keep you in mind so ha!!!ha!!!:D
YOUNG GOLFER
21-10-2011, 10:56
Just a thought, if you don't eat it & its left on the table during your meal, where does the bread or roll go then.
Perhaps on the next persons plate!
Well i guess they will put it back in the basket were it has been for the last 10 hours.;)
kingbaker
21-10-2011, 11:05
Well i guess they will put it back in the basket were it has been for the last 10 hours.;)
Who cares LL
as the bill is goin'to young golfer HA!!HA!!!:bowdown::bowdown:
We have only stayed at Hotels before but will be self catering next time so would like to understand this.
Bread and butter/olive oil placed on your table is a chargeable item if you touch it, but is not if you leave it alone.
This is not a cover charge as a cc applies wether you consume anything or not.
Is this norm mentioned on the menu, i.e. "bread and oil" - 1
Thanks for the help.
I have on ocassion had bread and oil put on the table but I never eat it but OH does but I have never seen it appear on my bill!;)
I have on ocassion had bread and oil put on the table but I never eat it but OH does but I have never seen it appear on my bill!;)
Well you're one of the lucky ones Suej:cheeky:
And to answer your question Gfplux,bread and butter was on the menu for 1 eur Ũ2 but i left my suspicious hat at the door to notice it :cheeky:
I got caught by this prectice on the Costa Del Sol.
We were on a tight budget and were being very careful with the pennies.
I didnt like it as I thought it was a bit underhanded in My view.
It was made up for, (about four times over) by being given a Round of Drinks "On the House"
That's another custom You dont see in the U.K. either..
cainaries
21-10-2011, 19:25
I got caught by this prectice on the Costa Del Sol.
We were on a tight budget and were being very careful with the pennies.
I didnt like it as I thought it was a bit underhanded in My view.
It was made up for, (about four times over) by being given a Round of Drinks "On the House"
That's another custom You dont see in the U.K. either..
Oh, those little sticky liqueurs that come with the coffee .... haven't had one of those in a long while, Warbey, victims of la crisis where we are.
I'm not sure we get charged for the bread or not ... you've all got me thinking now. We don't eat out all that much but next time we do, I shall check if we get charged or not.
Sundowner
21-10-2011, 20:07
If you don't like this practice deduct the cost of the bread from your tip! "Simples" that is assuming you leave a tip?
kingbaker
21-10-2011, 20:20
If you don't like this practice deduct the cost of the bread from your tip! "Simples" that is assuming you leave a tip?
Tip I'll give theM a tip " DON'T BRING PEOPLE - ITEMS THAT THEY DIDN'T ORDER - IT P****S SOME PEOPLE OFF"
and that's not a good thing to do when you are in business ---as 95% of people don't complain but they don't come back unless they have to. Simples.
How about that for a tip!!!!!!!!!!
If you don't like this practice deduct the cost of the bread from your tip! "Simples" that is assuming you leave a tip?
Unfortunately i left a tip because the waiter had nothing to do with it but must have been company policy :twak:
And like you said kingbaker as soon as we came out of the door i made a decision not to come back :redcard:
atlantico
21-10-2011, 21:56
once you get used to this 'custom' you can either say 'no pan' when you order (We do when its a pizza = bread), or if we defo want it, we specifically request bread. If we forget, we just politely refuse the bread, they take it away,, no problem.
When they arrive with the unexpected shot with the bill - I bet no one says 'oi, I never ordered that'
slodgedad
21-10-2011, 23:49
Can't believe a slice of bread and butter has received over 1000 views.:devil2:
Never gonna touch anything on the table again....:stupid:
Andy0210
21-10-2011, 23:54
I have on ocassion had bread and oil put on the table but I never eat it but OH does but I have never seen it appear on my bill!;)
You have never seen bread appear on your bill ???
You must be quackers! ;)
kingbaker
22-10-2011, 00:44
Can't believe a slice of bread and butter has received over 1000 views.:devil2:
Never gonna touch anything on the table again....:stupid:
Hi Slodgedad--- I guess the main sub agenda in this thread is about bad service, by badly trained or more probably --un-trained staff. When there's
loads of people and money around anything goes (almost),when things get tighter, the weak ones will fall by the wayside, but those who run a good operation
will survive and eventually do well
What has happened to my wife and I on a number of occasions when eating out in Tenerife is that stale bread has been placed on the table.
We have not touched it and have still been charged for it anyway.
Strangely in most cases the fluent English speaking waiter does not understand when the bill is questioned. Only a couple of Euros but it is the principle that bugs me.
Another issue has been ordering a side dish that arrives long after we have eaten and is left untouched but is still charged for.
This happened recently at a restaurant that we have been regulars for a number of years. The owner and waitress were extremely offhand, rude and demanded payment of 8 Euros for two untouched plates of chips that arrived after our dessert. They even threatened to call the Police if I did not pay the 8 Euros!
As many on this thread have stated we do not go back to places if we are not treated correctly. It is a great pity because the restaurant with the chip issue was one of my families favourites. 8 Euros to lose 8 potential future customers spending quite a lot of money beggars belief.
Possibly it will have new owners next year when he has gone bust by alienating a few more customers!
cainaries
22-10-2011, 17:59
What has happened to my wife and I on a number of occasions when eating out in Tenerife is that stale bread has been placed on the table.
We have not touched it and have still been charged for it anyway.
Strangely in most cases the fluent English speaking waiter does not understand when the bill is questioned. Only a couple of Euros but it is the principle that bugs me.
Another issue has been ordering a side dish that arrives long after we have eaten and is left untouched but is still charged for.
This happened recently at a restaurant that we have been regulars for a number of years. The owner and waitress were extremely offhand, rude and demanded payment of 8 Euros for two untouched plates of chips that arrived after our dessert. They even threatened to call the Police if I did not pay the 8 Euros!
As many on this thread have stated we do not go back to places if we are not treated correctly. It is a great pity because the restaurant with the chip issue was one of my families favourites. 8 Euros to lose 8 potential future customers spending quite a lot of money beggars belief.
Possibly it will have new owners next year when he has gone bust by alienating a few more customers!
That's terrible! I know things don't always arrive quite in the order we might expect them but I'm sure the Spanish don't eat chips as a savory after their pud. Perhaps you should have asked for a Complaint Form which they are legally obliged to give you (I think it's called Oja de Reclamacion but someone will know the right word). We've only asked for one once but the effect was magical. And it they wouldn't give you one, you should have gone to the Police.
This I think, is another example of not understanding English unless it suits.
People are reluctant to query a Bill because they may appear Mean and/or miserable.
Yet another example of thye advantages of having some understanding of
Their version of the Spanish Language.
Re the Chips.; perhaps this WAS a misunderstanding and They thought You were trying it on with THEM
Didn't want to but it was too late my OH took a bite :cheeky:
So you paid for an item that you ate, am I missing something here? When I go to restaurants, I always get charged for the items I eat??!!
kingbaker
22-10-2011, 20:41
So you paid for an item that you ate, am I missing something here? When I go to restaurants, I always get charged for the items I eat??!!
If you are paying for items that you didn't order then maybe you shouldn'd go out without a carer ha!!ha!!:nono::nono:
I hope dixie4 you will name and shame this restaurant that did this to you.
I believe a good restaurant should be rewarded by telling others how good it is
and
bad restaurants punished by telling people how bad they are.
kingbaker
22-10-2011, 22:02
I hope dixie4 you will name and shame this restaurant that did this to you.
I believe a good restaurant should be rewarded by telling others how good it is
and
bad restaurants punished by telling people how bad they are.
NO NO NO Unless you have proof to High Court standard you keepa u mouth shut and go somewhere else.....libel and slander laws!!!!!!!
:nono::nono::nono::nono::nono::nono::nono::nono::n ono::nono:!
Sundowner
22-10-2011, 22:19
Tip I'll give theM a tip " DON'T BRING PEOPLE - ITEMS THAT THEY DIDN'T ORDER - IT P****S SOME PEOPLE OFF"
and that's not a good thing to do when you are in business ---as 95% of people don't complain but they don't come back unless they have to. Simples.
How about that for a tip!!!!!!!!!!
Service/cover charges have to be listed on the menu! If you can't be bothered to read it I would stick to take aways if I were you................simples :whistle:
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