Being charged for drink when ordering from child's menu. Check your bills closely!

[angwill]

This has been going on for years. Our DS is 15 and when he was younger at many places they would try to charge him for the large drink that should have been included with the kids meal. We got the same speil about his have recieved a large drink and they would get snotty about it. I got to the point where I would ask nicely for them to fix it and if they argued any more I would look at them and say find charge me for it and I will just take it out of your tip. That would get it soved quick. Only twice did a waitress flat out refuse to take it off the bill so I just took it out of what they would have gotten for the tip and called it even. It just got old since it seemed to happen everywhere.

 

[KKB]

You order a kids meal with a milk or juice and they charge an extra dollar. When I questioned them they say that the meal includes a soda not juice or milk. I said you show milk in your advertisement and nowhere do you say milk is extra. So then I tried another approach and ask for the small soda that was included in the price. Since the menu price for milk or juice is a dollar. Only once or twice did I get the included drink. Mostly we just don't buy Happy Meals any more

My children have often ordered milk and have NEVER been charged extra.
Just as at all retail establishements--WATCH YOUR RECEIPTS/

(just got an email about clerks adding cash advances to people's sales & the people don't notice...then they pocket the extra cash--or give it to their friend who is next in line.)

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I find that if there is an overcharge on my bill which requires correcting I will make sure it is corrected. Then I compute that amount of the expected tip on the corrected total and will then subtract the amount of the overcharge. On the way out I will also ask to speak to a manager, and will explain why I left a smaller tip than the server may have expected.

 

[jessica52877]

We went to Longhorn yesterday and I had to ask for the kids menu. DS is 6. The waiter was taking our drink order at the time so I ordered him water. If the drink isn't included then he'll drink water and I didn't know. He seemed annoyed that I asked for a kids menu to begin with but even more annoyed then when I ordered him a soda.

He brought a large cup and I thought oh great! But the bill at the end was correct. Sadly, I sat the entire meal wondering about it.

At McD's around here they ring up the drink separate from the happy meal so the meal shows $1 less then the menu price. I always wondered if I said we wanted water if they would still charge me the $1 or not. The only issue I have had with them is one of the drinks (maybe juice) used to ring up $1.05 at one McD's and it really annoyed me!

 

[SandrA9810]

KKB: unfortantly that is a false rumor. You can talk to any retail cashier and they will all tell you that they have no control in a customer's selection in adding cash back to the total. Now if a cashier is pushing buttons on the pin pad... that's where you have to be careful.

I always watch the screen as my stuff is getting rung up to make sure of the price, and double check the reciept upon walking out. It usually cause I'm impressed with how much I save, but publix also has a policy that you'll get a full refund if an item is rung up incorrectly. Which has happened a couple times, usually sale items.

 

[IDoDis]

We went to Longhorn yesterday and I had to ask for the kids menu. DS is 6. The waiter was taking our drink order at the time so I ordered him water. If the drink isn't included then he'll drink water and I didn't know. He seemed annoyed that I asked for a kids menu to begin with but even more annoyed then when I ordered him a soda.

He brought a large cup and I thought oh great! But the bill at the end was correct. Sadly, I sat the entire meal wondering about it.

At McD's around here they ring up the drink separate from the happy meal so the meal shows $1 less then the menu price. I always wondered if I said we wanted water if they would still charge me the $1 or not. The only issue I have had with them is one of the drinks (maybe juice) used to ring up $1.05 at one McD's and it really annoyed me!

Like I mentioned, it wasn't an issue when the kids were smaller and got the big cups. Once they hit 9 or 10 is when the problems start.

 

[lindsmom]

I always watch the screen as my stuff is getting rung up to make sure of the price, and double check the reciept upon walking out.

Have you noticed there are some stores (I can think of KMart off the top of my head) that don't have a screen that you can watch anymore? Probably Sears too, since they're siblings now... that really annoys me - I like to watch the items being rung up so I can ask any questions WHILE the order is being processed, rather than having to go to the Customer Service - less desk after and wait in that line!

I'll have to keep an eye on my restaurant receipts now - thanks to OP! That would really bug me!

 

[meanser]

Have you noticed there are some stores (I can think of KMart off the top of my head) that don't have a screen that you can watch anymore? Probably Sears too, since they're siblings now... that really annoys me - I like to watch the items being rung up so I can ask any questions WHILE the order is being processed, rather than having to go to the Customer Service - less desk after and wait in that line!

I'll have to keep an eye on my restaurant receipts now - thanks to OP! That would really bug me!

What is why I don't shop at Kmart anymore, their prices are ALWAYS wrong then I have to stand in line AGAIN to fix it? No thank you!

 

[CherylA]

Have you noticed there are some stores (I can think of KMart off the top of my head) that don't have a screen that you can watch anymore? Probably Sears too, since they're siblings now... that really annoys me - I like to watch the items being rung up so I can ask any questions WHILE the order is being processed, rather than having to go to the Customer Service - less desk after and wait in that line!

I'll have to keep an eye on my restaurant receipts now - thanks to OP! That would really bug me!

I just bought some things at Sears, the line items showed up on the pad where you electronically sign for your credit card. It drives me crazy too when I can't see whats going on.

 

[Gillian]

Like I mentioned, it wasn't an issue when the kids were smaller and got the big cups. Once they hit 9 or 10 is when the problems start.

Thanks for the info!

My oldest is 9 and I usually just get him water to start. Lately he's been ordering weird things not on the kids menu and then I won't get him a soda or milk, because he's fine with water.

I've actually started ordering our little one water, to get her used to not always having soda or milk with her meals. Someday it's going to cost her and/or us a lot more $$ and it's a hard habit to break.

I hate that sodas are so expensive at these places and have stopped ordering anything other than water for myself. Call me cheap, but $3 is just too much!

 

[jessica52877]

I noticed at Target I can't really see how much things ring now. They have their nice computer screen in front of them which I can see if I make an effort but I can't be putting my stuff up and also see it or even really do anything else.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

I am such a stickler for this!

When I order the drinks first, I say " . . .and he is going to have a Sprite from the childrens' menu." I am that specific anymore. I only have one more year to go with my youngest, so I'm going to enjoy the small savings while I can.

Whatever size cup they bring it in is up to them, but I will argue - if charged - to the death!

 

[Imzadi]

My suggestion is to ask up front when you are ordering what is the drink included in the kids' meal and to bring that size. Then as they are putting it down, ask again, "Is this the size that's included in the kids' meal? Then you won't (hopefully) be sitting all through dinner wondering if you will be charged the wrong amount, or having a nasty time fixing it afterwards.

Well if they did it to me and I did notice, they would get NO tip at all, even if they fixed it! A tip, afterall, is NOT required. And if it was automatically added to my bill, you better believe I would refuse to pay that part.

You'd better watch out now. Read this:
Couple Arrested for Refusing to Pay Tip
Until this hopefully gets thrown out, watch out. If the couple ends up paying, it will set a nasty precedent.

 

[CherylA]

Call me cheap, but $3 is just too much!

You're cheap. And so am I. I also order my kids water at a lot of places just so they know they can't always have a soda when we go out. We also always drink water with dinner at home. I even go so far as to not get them a Happy Meal at McDonalds. A Happy meal is almost $5 by me. I can buy the 4 piece nuggets off the dollar menu and get the apple dippers for 1.20 and then get them a water. Thats half as much. Sometimes I cave if they really want the toy!

 

[allyphoe]

Their menu states that you can get any small drink excluding cream slushes and something else, I cant remember what. It even pictures milk, ch milk etc. We ordered ch milk and they charged us for it.

Was that at Sonic? At the Sonics around here, the computer's programmed so that the prices of some pieces show, and some pieces don't show (or don't show the same), but the total is correct. They do it that way so you can "upgrade" the drink (to a cream slush, for instance) and only have to pay the incremental price (the extra 10 or 20 cents).

That same programming means you get the Happy Hour drink discount on top of your combo discount, if you're ordering a combo during Happy Hour.

 

[2binak]

Our DD is only 22 months old, but we order from the kids menu at some restuarants, especially if we are ordering something we know she won't eat (like steak). We've noticed that some places aren't even including a drink or a side anymore.

 

[SylviaL]

I could have sworn that T-Rex/Rainforest Cafe included a drink with a kids meal. However, last weekend, we were at T-Rex and the drink was not included. I'm glad I read the menu carefully.

 

[AndreaDM]

Applebees just did this to us on Friday!! We never eat there, but were out of town with just a few choices so we went there. My very small 6 year old DD ordered a lemonaid and he brought her a huge glass. I immediately asked, you don't have any kid's sizes? He said, O you want a cup with a lid? I said, yes please. He left and came back with a styrofoam to go cup, still pretty big but at least it had a lid. When we got our check I noticed we were charged the same as an adult drink. I didn't say anything ONLY because she didn't order a kid's meal, but split an appetizer combo with me. It annoyed me not only because of the price, but holy crap, you don't give a 6 year old a huge cup with no lid! Within minutes of getting the cup with the lid she knocked it over, but luckily it didn't spill. I'll be watching closely from now on! Crapplebees has now moved even further down on my list...won't be going there again!!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I tend to have bad luck with restaurant bills.

On our vacation this thanksgiving, one place tried to charge us for an appy we never ordered, another place charged me for a dessert I didn't get. I've always checked my restaurant bills.

Thanks for the reminder to keep me checking those.

 

[angwill]

I just had to share that went to the harware store and got charged for a christmas light set I didn't buy and got overcharged on one of the two items I did buy. I think stores and restaurants are trying to make up for the losses in sales. lol

AndreaDM,
I am wondering if the problem at Applebees is that there is no seperate child's drink. It may be that you get the child's size drink only with a child's meal and if you don't order the meal and only the drink that you get charged for a regular drink.