Grrrrr. Papa John's Pizza

[SunshineSis]

How would you handle this?

Last night we ordered 2 pizzas and picked them up at the store. The total was $25.99 and we paid by ATM. We didn't tip because, well, no one delivered it to us.

Part of my morning routine is to check my bank account, and I noticed a pending transaction at Papa John's for $31.18, which is exactly 20% more than what we paid. They added a tip! I have my copy of the signed receipt. Ticks me off.

 

[liznboys]

OMG! What the heck?!?! I've never heard of that before, that's insane. I would complain to the manager..maybe you'll get some free pizza. LOL

Oh and we never tip when we pick it up either, makes no sense to!

 

[Bojangles]

That is outright theft. I would go to the store and talk to a manager. Some idiot working there probably though you wouldn't notice or wouldn't care enough to do anything about it. I would probably contact a district manager too, just to make sure it never happened to anyone else.

 

[stinkerbelle]

I would wait until the "pending charge" goes to "applied", then go down to your bank with your reciept and deal with it.

I've found that you can't really do anything with a pending charge.

Example - Chili's double charged me once...2 exact charges for 27.65. They were both pending, I called up the bank - they said to wait until it clears, more then likely one will disappear but if not, they will handle it then.

When I use the gas station at my local grocery store, my 'pending charge' is $1. it doesn't change until it's "applied".

If you want though, call the bank up now...even though it's pending, and just make the bank aware of your concern (document it). You can always go down to a branch w/ the receipt to contest it.

good luck

 

[Amberle3]

I don't know if you can do this, but call the bank and get the charge removed - tell them you have a receipt and the amounts are not the same.

Then contact the corporate office for the chain and complain, and follow up with a letter to the corporate office cc-ing the local store.

 

[welovedisneyx4]

Call and tell them to remove it NOW!!! Tell them the signed recpt. is for 25.99 and that is what was authorized and if they don't refund your $, you will call the police. Maybe that is going to the extreme, but just think how much they are making if they do this alot and people don't find it or question it. Sounds like they are running a scam to me!

At the Hooter's rest. here in town, a co-worker was told that Hooter's didn't give back change off the dollar b/c the waitresses "didn't have anywhere to carry it"!!! (For ex. meal was 21.56 and you pd w/ 25.00, they would round the cost up to 22.00 and only give back 3.00 change) I don't know how far the co-worker took it, but I would have had my full amt of change back!!

 

[nkjzmom]

That is so frustrating! While we were vacationing in St. Louis this summer we ordered pizza from Domino's. I ran to the grocery store for some things then picked up the pizza. When the guy handed me the receipt to sign there was a place for a tip. When I returned it without writing a tip he asked if I was done with it....kind of implying that I'd forgotten the tip.... I'm thinking...why in the world would I tip someone for sliding my pizza across the counter? Doesn't make sense.

 

[tkyes]

Wait until it's not pending! Just like Stinkerbelle said the charges often change.

Good luck!

 

[Stepharoonie!]

My bf and I went through the exact same thing at Longhorn last year. He added a tip onto the receipt and we went home. Later that night he checked his bank account and it said that Longhorn added 20% to it. Boy, was he maaaaaad!! He called Longhorn and complained and the manager said that he would look into it. After the manager spoke to our bank and the waitress, it turned out that Bank of America put the 20% pending charge on his bill. After the bill cleared, the 20% was put back into the bank.

I'd give it a day or two BEFORE you call and blast Papa John's, because that very well may be the case.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

That's awful!!! One of the reasons I sometimes do carry-out is to avoid the tipping involved in having it delivered (not to mention the fact that we get it much sooner). I would not only call the restaurant, but I would fire off e-mails to every e-mail address I could find on their website and letters to any snail mail address I could find. This is wrong and dishonest and I would make some noise. We've done this on a couple of occasions with retail stores and management, especially high up in the organization, does listen.

T&B

 

[SunshineSis]

Thanks guys. I tend to think it's not an innocent mistake and that it won't change, but I'll sit until the charge goes all of the way through. I did email my bank and mention that I paid $25.99 and was wondering what the $31.18 charge was for...that way when I dispute it (which I will) there will be a record.

 

[jkovick]

It's common practice for restaurants to put a "pending" total. When the charge comes thru and if it is a wrong amount then you can dispute it. It's just like when the gas station puts 1.00 in as pending and then the actual charge goes thru a few days later.

 

[Cruise04]

I use to love Papa John's until the person that owned the franchise around here screwed people out of wages (several had had their paychecks bounce) and screwed the customers. Too bad - hope you get it resolved.

 

[Shugardrawers]

It's actually an extremely common practice for restaurants when they run your card through for authorization to add 20% for the tip just to be sure it will go through. It's called a ghost charge. Then, after you sign the receipt the amount on the signed copy is what they actually submit for payment. I was kind of freaked out the first time I saw it on my bank account, and actually, before internet banking, most people had no idea it even went on. Take a deep breath and wait until it actually posts to your account then take action if necessary. I'm betting it's going to be the actual charge you signed for.

 

[stinkerbelle]

One more thing - just as a general rule - if you chose NOT to tip when paying by debit/credit card - put lines through the 'tip' line on the charge receipt (or write CASH on the line if leaving cash)

just another way to cover yourself...when YOU have a copy of the reciept as does the restaurant....if they are different (ie - amt written in) then you can contest it.

 

[mtblujeans]

My husband may have had some experience with this but I have not. He travels alot for his work. He has told me to always fill in that tip line with a zero unless I want to leave a tip. He says it is not enough to total it at the bottom. I have never heard of anyone adding 20% after you have signed it. I would call my bank and ask them what their procedure is...if I have to dispute it now or wait until it has finalized in their system. That is too bad they did that - or tried to do that. I would surely call the manager and tell him I will no longer be using his business after a stunt like that and I always like to add "and I am telling everyone I know what you have done". I don't know that it is affective but it makes me feel empowered!