MMD: Should I pay the bill?

jenniewb

I would think the restaurant would be more concerned with environmental health visiting....

Empty_pockets

Pay up as you agreed.

Otherwise when I try the same they might not be so accomodating.

Bananabelly

jenniewb wrote: »

:T Its pretend, it didn't really happen they just want a moral standpoint from you hon

Actually, it's a 'real life' MMD, plus Ruth was responding to another true story by monkeywriter.

Re the dilemma, they won't know that the reason you are witholding payment is because you were ill, so if it's for that reason it doesn't make sense. If you just want to save a few quid don't do anything.

If you do want to make them aware (and save other diners in the process!) send them a letter and a token payment, like others have said maybe half. That is far more honest, and will help them improve (if they even remember you!).

The more important thing is, as you said the food was bad (before you got ill) - let them know there and then! Instead you intended at least to pay the whole bill without complaint, and now you want to withold payment a few months down the line. If you'd let them know at the time perhaps you wouldn't even have this dilemma, as if the owner was nice enough to let foreigners leave his restaurant expecting a cheque in the post he probably wouldn't have made you pay anyway if you told him the truth.

deadasadodo

If you did not want to pay you should have taken the problem up when it occurred not months later. Can you prove it was the food that the restuarant served, it might have been something else?
Be honest & pay up.

lisa701

No, you should not have to pay for any service whether it be food or otherwise, if its not up to scratch.

However, as someone who has worked in the industry I have seen many a case where people have cleared their plate only to then refuse to pay as they didnt feel the meal was up to scratch. People like this are only out to get a freebie, nothing more and nothing less. In cases like this I feel you should pay. If something is so dreadful then you will have realised that within the first mouthfull, you should have then mentioned it to a member of staff and it will have hopefully be rectified. You don't go on and clear your plate then complain.

kriss1977

Normally I would say of course not pay the bill however in this instance you say the food was quite bad but it does not sound as though you made any complaint at all to the restaurant at the time and were quite willing to pay the bill (had the payment not declined) until you all became ill the next day.
If you had complained at the time, it raises questions about what the restaurant's response was and why you were then happy to go ahead and pay - did they replace your dish with a fresh one and then you all fell ill still anyway or did they discount your bill or offer you free stuff (e.g. an extra bottle of wine etc)?
Some forms of food poisoning have a longer gestation period than others and as you were on holiday were you perhaps eating out a lot which could mean the illness was caused by any one of the places you had eaten in that day - I am wondering how you know 100% that the illness among you all was caused by that particular restaurant?
I'm sure we have all had a card declined at some time or other through some quirk of the machine when we know there is money available to pay for the transcation and it can be embarrassing to say the least. Was this one such occasion or was it the case that the funds were not there and now you see an easy way not to pay for the meal at all?
These are all questions only you can answer with your conscience as we do not know you or have the full circumstances - so please don't take offence. :-S
On the other hand, none of us should feel obliged to pay for faulty goods or services so if after all that you still feel that you are justified in your complaint over the food, perhaps you could contact the restaurant and explain how you feel. If they are a decent restaurant they will likely be mortified by your experience and it may turn out that other people also became ill from that night, and may suggest you don't pay the bill anyway.

Their reaction to your news will speak volumes either way. Depending on their response, you could then refuse to pay the bill reiterating your reasons or perhaps offer to pay for the beverages ordered but not the food.

Good luck deciding what to do.

lindapupcat

My daughter says she:rotfl: would never send the food back incase someone spits on the replacement.......

bennett2kuk

You don't know that the food there made you ill. You can always have an idea, but personally I don't believe in food poisoning having never had it and never knowing anybody who has complained of it. It is illegal for you to run out on a bill which is essentially what you've done. legally you have to pay for it. And I agree with the above. I never send food back as you never know what they do with it. If its crap then they get no tip and I never return.

Trinitrotoluene

but personally I don't believe in food poisoning having never had it and never knowing anybody who has complained of it

Funniest thing I've read all week

A.Jones

You don't know the food made you ill. It could have been many things. Presumably you ate somewhere else, drank water somewhere else, etc.

If the food was bad, then you should have raised it at the time, not later.

Morally, I think you should pay up.