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

[tripletots]

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?

I checked online banking this morning and the total cleared WITHOUT THE TIP ADDED. I have never had that happen. As others have said I have had amounts on hold without the tip and then when it clears the tip is added but I have never had an amount on hold with gratutities added without my knowledge. I know hotels will up the amount and so will car rentals. Thanks for telling me to wait before I called, I don't like to stir trouble unneccessarily.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

I would call, yes. Your $3 isn't a huge deal, but if the clerk/store if doing this regularly, it's a hefty little scam.

 

[Disneychix]

If it's just in a holding right now in your online banking it still could settle for the actual dollar amount you paid. You'll have to wait to dispute this. You can dispute through your bank and they will just give you back your $3 without even going to the business.
It still could settle for the correct amount though.

 

[Lisa_M]

Although it's not much money, I would complain to the owner/manager. What gives them the right to charge you more than you authorized? It's like stealing, even if only $2.64. If it were me, I would not go back. That is just wrong.

 

[mantaz]

It may be that they put it in as a possible 15.82 as they are expecting the tip. If you just purchased yesterday, wait till it clears your bank completely. They usually process with the tip in mind and then when they finalize it, it comes back with the correct amount. But I can say that would've made me mad too!

 

[phorsenuf]

$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.

 

[akenneson]

$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.

Ditto. Whenever I go to a restaurant it most of the time shows up with the gratuity added in but then clears for the correct amount. Wait a couple of days and it should clear for the right amount.

 

[tripletots]

Thanks guys, I will wait a couple of days and hopefully it will clear for the original amount.

 

[maddiesmom0116]

I waitressed through college and I knew of a couple of servers that did this on a regular basis and never got caught because people usually didnt keep the reciepts (reg. CC,this was back before debit cards got popular). They were careful about it too, they would add a whole $ etc... to make it not seem obvious. We did have a couple of times other servers that were not careful got caught and were immediatly fired. I was young and easily manipulated to not tell on them. I always check my online accounts to see if this is happening. I have had it happen 2x, once I reported, the other I was going to call but I miss placed my charge slip, so I didn't have proof.

 

[maddiesmom0116]

$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.

I have never had this happen and I carefully check mine and bank through a large bank (Chase).

 

[dfchelbay]

What amount did you sign for on the receipt. That is the only amount they are allowed to charge you. Was there a tip line on the receipt you signed. I've always had to write in the tip on that line and total it up, and that is what gets charged to your card. Hang on to your receipt and make sure that's the amount taken from your account.

 

[JB2K]

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?

Absolutely!

$3 from you, another $2 or 3 "extra" from someone else...it all adds-up.

I had a similar thing happen about 10 years ago from a small restaurant/bar - I put the usual 15% on the sales slip - when it hit my online banking, the tip ballooned to an additional 10% more (than my original 15%).

As the owner/manager was an acquaintance of mine, I went to him and let him know (thinking that something may have been wrong with their credit card terminal). It turned-out I was the latest in a long line of complaints that week concerning a particular waitress.

Needless to say, that waitress had to get into a new line of work.

 

[arihillfarm]

I have never had this happen and I carefully check mine and bank through a large bank (Chase).

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

 

[MrsPete]

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?

1. Do you have the receipt? If so, complain to both the restaurant and your bank. It's illegal to take more than you've agreed to pay. As others have said, it's only a few dollars, but in this case it's genuinely the principle of the thing. I suspect you do have the receipt since you're exact on the cost.

If you don't have the receipt, you have no evidence and can do nothing.

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.

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

I don't care how much it was. If the amount was not the one that I signed for on my credit card after it cleared my bank, I would report it to my bank, the restaurant and the BBB.

That is fraud, plain and simple, whether it's for $2 or $2000.

 

[tjmj9801]

Quite the opposite, my bank shows restaurant transactions when they're pending *without* the tip. Then, when it clears, it shows up with the tip (that I added and signed for, of course).

I'd complain to the restaurant owner even if it clears your bank without the tip. It could be the server or their system, either way, they need to fix it so that it doesn't happen again.

 

[Piper]

Quite the opposite, my bank shows restaurant transactions when they're pending *without* the tip. Then, when it clears, it shows up with the tip (that I added and signed for, of course).

I'd complain to the restaurant owner even if it clears your bank without the tip. It could be the server or their system, either way, they need to fix it so that it doesn't happen again.

This is the way mine works, too.....for anyplace that I give a tip (hairdresser, restaurant, etc.) Please call them--if you let a "small" thing go, it could become a "big" thing.

 

[happygirl]

I bet it pre-hold on the card in case you did leave a tip. I would wait a few days to see if it falls off. If it doesn't then yes I would call and raise cain

 

[jillyb]

Quite the opposite, my bank shows restaurant transactions when they're pending *without* the tip. Then, when it clears, it shows up with the tip (that I added and signed for, of course).

I'd complain to the restaurant owner even if it clears your bank without the tip. It could be the server or their system, either way, they need to fix it so that it doesn't happen again.

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.

 

[perfectparanoia]

Obviously, 2.64 isn't that much money but I try to operate on the 'do onto others' principle.

Chances are, the individual who rang up your food is running a scam and keeping the cash. The owner is probably unaware of this. If I were the owner, I would really want to know (as it will cost me business and could get me in legal trouble). Since I would want to know, I would go back and explain the situation.

If the owner is in on it, obviously, it is a moot point but you could be doing a very good deed for someone.