Update in 1st post. Tip added without permission - what would you do?

[mtblujeans]

Yesterday I stopped at a local restaurant for some fried rice to go. I gave the girl my order and then she left. I never saw her again. The total came to $13.21, but when I checked my online banking this morning the total is $15.82. It appears that they added a $2.64 tip. I am very irritated they did this without my permission. I did put two dollars in the tip jar, but no one was up front when I did it. The girl left right after she took my order and I don't feel the need to make a production out of a two dollar tip left in the jar. Maybe I should have!

This establishment is a to go only, no dining inside. The in dining restaurant is across the street.

Do I actually call and complain about less than $3.00?

We had this happen at WDW once. I had gone to our resort check in area to get some help with something else and I found that, even though I had left a cash tip, an additional tip was added to the bill which we had charged to our room. The CM was at a loss as to what to do....I'm sure he had never seen that happen before - I know I hadn't. He said that due to union agreements, they could not refund a tip but he did credit it back to our room charge. I guess it was a gift from Walt. I always check any room charges daily after that.

 

[2binak]

$2.64 is 20% of the 13.21. usually when a card is run through like that and it's pinged as a restaurant 20% will be added on in case a tip is added after it's rung. Once the transaction actually clears you'll see it will only be for the $13.21. Not uncommon in the restaurant business at all. Just the way the system is set up.

We eat out 2-3 times a week and we've never had this happen.

OP - I'd call both the bank & the restaurant.

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

I would definately call and complain. No one has the right to charge you more after you have already signed for the price you agreed to paid. Also, I would speak to a manager to make sure this girl is fired because she may be doing this to other customers and that is stealing. However, I know this is going to sound crazy but it does happen. Alot of restaurants will charge your credit card over the price on your bill but then adjust it shortly after but the adjustment will not show up for a few days. This happened to me once and my sister once. We called the establishment to find that their policy is that they charge over to make sure the credit is there and then adjust it. I am not sure if this is bs as they may very well make the adjustment after our phone call but either way, you should definately call and complain.

 

[shortbun]

I would call and ask that the whole amount be taken off until the $3.03 got settled. Did you total the receipt when you signed it?

 

[tjmj9801]

If I'm leaving a cash tip but using debit card to pay, I always write "NONE" in the line for the tip. I also write it in on my copy of the receipt.

That's a GREAT idea!

 

[jsmith]

you cant dispute it til it runs thru your bank-and it will then settle for the amount you signed for-not whats pending. How do i know this? Ugly experience. We took a large group to a fairly upscale national chain/franchise resturant-i paid with my debit card-my card was run with a 25% overage-that doesnt mean thats what you are charged-just that a hold is on those funds until the paper you signed clears the bank.
In this case the 25% was a few hundred dollars (this was for a wedding rehersal dinner and the bill was in excess of 1400 and we tipped in cash for individual service since i dislike pooled tips for an event like that, ive worked them and servers sometimes get hosed.). The capture on those funds caused me to have insufficent funds to pay for another item to do with the wedding-that was easily resolved by a funds transfer but i was told by the bank-which whom i raised holy ned-that they could not release the hold until the paper cleared. I raised holy ned with the manager of that particular resturant and was told that that was the policy of the operator of that and serveral other outlets of that franchise-he was sorry for the inconvience. I simply resolved that we would pay cash anytime we eat at one of those places.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

2. Regardless, I'd never go there again. First, there's the principle of the thing; second, I'd be afraid they'd spit in my food.

OMG, I think that you are my long-lost twin That is exactly what I'd worry about too

OP, I'd wait for the charge to clear and then call the restaurant. They need to know if they have an employee doing this.

 

[Lovin' Disney]

I am with the majority that says that it is a temporary charge and when it goes through your checking account, it will show the total price you signed for. Our Dairy Queen had problems with this when they got a new CC system.

Yes, it is only holding the extra few bucks for a couple of days, but what if, for example, you only had $20 in your checking account and your bill was for $19.50? Once the tip was added on, wouldn't the bank deny it, even though the customer did nothing wrong??

 

[buzz2400]

My son works at a fast food establishment and I have come to know how some of the things are done there. First I would contact the manager/owner of the place immediately. I would not wait until it clears from your bank. If something is going on, they would want to know about it right away. They would rather lose the employee than the customer.

 

[SaraJayne]

I've never had this happen either and we eat out a lot. My checking acct. gets a hold for the amount of the bill only and it's not until a few days later that the total amount with added tip is showing in our account.

-Astrid

Same here. It takes a couple days for the correct amount (tip added) to clear through.

 

[Dismom55]

I always write "CASH" on the tip line, even in a table service restaurant we pay the tip in cash, always. I never leave it blank, sort of my little way of making sure no one can change the slip after I leave. I also DO write in the total amt on the bottom.

Seeing what has been written here, I will be more diligent about checking what my bank actually pays out.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

 

[cglaura]

Yesterday I stopped at a local restaurant for some fried rice to go. I gave the girl my order and then she left. I never saw her again. The total came to $13.21, but when I checked my online banking this morning the total is $15.82. It appears that they added a $2.64 tip. I am very irritated they did this without my permission. I did put two dollars in the tip jar, but no one was up front when I did it. The girl left right after she took my order and I don't feel the need to make a production out of a two dollar tip left in the jar. Maybe I should have!

This establishment is a to go only, no dining inside. The in dining restaurant is across the street.

Do I actually call and complain about less than $3.00?

This happens whenever I use my debit card at Dominos Pizza. It posts with the correct amount when final.

However if it does finalize at the higher amount, check the takeout menu too, make sure no fine print that says it auto adds 20% for [insert whatever qualification here]. Some of our local places add it for certain order amounts.

 

[Rantybaby]

This past summer when I still lived in LA, I went to a take out sandwich shop. I was given a price and my change was dropped in the tip jar! I asked for the manager, told her what happen. And that I wanted my money back & cancel my order now! I found this to be very rude.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

This JUST happened to me last week.

Took DS to a play and we bought drinks in the lobby. Paid w/ my debit card, put cash in the tip jar, noted CASH on the tip line of the receipt. Checked my online banking, and there was a 20% upcharge on the pending transaction. I was FURIOUS!!!! But when it cleared it was only for the amount it was supposed to be.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

I suppose diff banks have a different system, However.... the bank that I WORK for has pending charges that do not include the tip, that is because they are only authorized to electronically enter the amount of the BILL into the system when the card is run thru. It isn't till the slips are collected and a certain process is gone thru, that the "actual (TIP INCLUDED)" charge will post to the account.


The above posters are correct in saying that you cannot dispute this with the bank till it actually hard posts to the account, and even then you will need your receipt. Personally I would call the restaurant NOW and discuss the issue with the owner/manager....


Seems like you visit this place often and have never had this happen so IMO they either entered it incorrectly or did it on purpose. I would never go back there again!

 

[TheRatPack]

I bank with a large national bank, not sure if it matters on the bank or the restaurant....but I've had that happen a lot, where they run it through with the 20% tip added and then when it clears it'll be for the correct amount. We usually leave cash tips....but again we've noticed that it hits the bank pending for more many times in the past. IHop is one that comes to mind that has done that.

 

[pixiewings71]

That's how my bank works too.

If I'm leaving a cash tip but using debit card to pay, I always write "NONE" in the line for the tip. I also write it in on my copy of the receipt.

This is what we do as well. The reason? Because we had a tip added to the charge slip after we left also. Yes, I wrote in the total as the bill total and yes we left a LARGE cash tip but the restaurant still added an additional 20% to the bill! We contacted our bank and we were told they could NOT help us, we would have to go back to the restaurant and dispute it there. I was so angry, this was someplace we went regularly, they knew our names, we knew theirs, we were there every week or two at least. I could not believe they would do that to us. Now when we eat out and use credit/debit to pay we always keep the receipts until the transaction has cleared...and our bank ONLY shows the amount of the bill as pending, tips are added after and show on the cleared transaction but the pending amount is always the exact amount of the bill.

OP I wish you good luck!! I certainly hope it's as others have suggested, that your bank has automatically added a 20% tip charge....altho I find that very odd and would be upset with my bank if they did that to me.

Someone asked if the bank would refuse the charge if a "tip" amount was added and that resulted in the charge being more than what was available. My bank offers a service that allows you to simply override the refusal. For instance I have $20 in the bank, we get groceries that total $23, our bank will clear the full $23 and not charge an overdraft fee. If the total was $26 they would clear the charge but charge the overdraft fee. Anything under $5 the OD fee is waived, anything over $5 and it is charged.

 

[Judique]

$2.64 is 20% of the 13.21. usually when a card is run through like that and it's pinged as a restaurant 20% will be added on in case a tip is added after it's rung. Once the transaction actually clears you'll see it will only be for the $13.21. Not uncommon in the restaurant business at all. Just the way the system is set up.

Hmm.................I've been to restaurants four times in the last two weeks and I check my card online daily, since having a small problem.

My experience is that the food and beverage total has shown as pending and later, the full amount with the tip is posted.

Perhaps my bank just does it differently.

In any case, the charge should show within a day or two in whatever the amount is that the business expects you are going to pay. If it continues to show a tip, I would definitely make a complaint to someone. It may not be the counter server that did it...

 

[Pooh Crew]

More than likely, it's just a clearing issue. My dh works for a huge restaurant chain and said it's typical for the holding company (bank or credit card) to "hold" that amount in case a tip is added. We have seen where gas stations will hold $50 or $75 even though the actual charge is significantly less!

I realize that some servers might be less than honest, but this charge seems to be a clearing issue.

 

[seashoreCM]

If you have a dispute with the quality of the services or goods, then you should make a good faith effort to contact the merchant first. But if it looks like a billing error or is a totally bogus charge, you may deal with the bank or credit card company first.