Tipping Etiquette: Am I just being cheap?

[J Darnielle]

The other night I placed a take-out order from a local Thai place. I am a creature of habit and my bill always comes to $13.81. I looked at my bank statement today, and the restaurant added a $4 tip to my debit card, which I didn't authorize.

Is this standard practice? I'm a generous tipper, but I would never tip someone for handing me my order.

 

[JayJay]

This is not standard practice.

 

[ter1413]

Originally Posted by JayJay

This is not standard practice.

+1. That's BS Heraldo!!!

 

[Harold falcon]

Never pay with a debit card.

 

[indesertum]

they prolly made a mistake. show them your receipt and ask them to fix it

 

[scientific]

nonstandard or not they absolutely should not have put a tip for you. dispute w card co

 

[kwilkinson]

Is it standard practice for a restaurant to steal from you?

No.

However, it's very likely that someone else came along with a credit card order that HAD tipped $4 and when closing out the CC authorization on the micros they just mixed the two up.

 

[Xericx]

its a bank hold. until the charge is reconciled, they sometimes add in an extra pre-authorization to cover if you did leave a tip.

 

[ter1413]

Just go into the restaurant and show them and tell them to take $4 off the next order. No need to get ur bank involved for $4. If you are a regular, then it should not be an issue!

 

[MetroStyles]

I've had this happen to me at bars where I forgot to close it out the night before and they added some ridiculous tip. I called the CC company and they just waived the charge, but said it wasn't enough money to file a dispute. IOW, it came out of the CC company's pockets when I asked to dispute.

Which pissed me off, because the whole point was to rub it in the face of the assholes who overcharged me.

 

[otc]

Originally Posted by MetroStyles

I've had this happen to me at bars where I forgot to close it out the night before and they added some ridiculous tip. I called the CC company and they just waived the charge, but said it wasn't enough money to file a dispute. IOW, it came out of the CC company's pockets when I asked to dispute.

Which pissed me off, because the whole point was to rub it in the face of the assholes who overcharged me.

I would imagine that the CC still logs the fact that it happened (since they are still out money). If they pass that on to the CC processor, eventually the bar is going to get ****. Enough complaints and they lose their ability to accept cards

 

[Douglas]

Did you take the 2nd "customer copy" receipt?

Even if you usually just throw them away (as I do), it's always best practice to take it with you anyways, just to avoid shenanigans like this. They are less likely to do it if they think someone is watching.

 

[Rambo]

^This, plus write a big ass line through the tip column. Also, there is a nasty habit of writing in numbers at the end of your writing e.g. you put $20 only and some ****** writes in the . and 00 after that. Always close out the numbers with lines to the right side of the receipt.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Rambo

plus write a big ass line through the tip column. Also, there is a nasty habit of writing in numbers at the end of your writing e.g. you put $20 only and some ****** writes in the . and 00 after that. Always close out the numbers with lines to the right side of the receipt.
This. Draw a line through the tip area.

 

[pebblegrain]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

However, it's very likely that someone else came along with a credit card order that HAD tipped $4 and when closing out the CC authorization on the micros they just mixed the two up.

Not true. It is more likely that a server try to pad his/her tip. I worked at a sit-down pizza place and it happens every so often.