MMD: Should I pay the bill?

A.Jones

>A few months ago ...... The next day ...... Back in the UK, I saw the transaction had not gone through.

I'm just looking at the timing. I don't know why they asked to be honest. They have clearly made their minds up not to pay. This happened a few months ago, and they were ill the next day. Yet they did not contact the restaurant about the illness. So either they came back to the UK and waited a couple of months to see if the transaction went through (surely you can check within a few days??) or they stayed in Paris for a longer period and only checked when returning to the UK. All this time they could have informed the restaurant. Only after months do they justify not paying due to illness, although they did not inform the restaurant of the illness at the time. Poor form.

antonia1

If you ate the meal, then you must pay. You gave the manager your word (and he was very trusting to believe you) and so to not send the money would be very dishonest. You say that the food was bad, but were prepared to pay when in the restaurant. As has been said, to refuse to pay now is cowardly.

As for getting ill, can you prove that it was the food you ate there that made you ill? You'd have to be certain that there was nowhere else you all ate or drank from over the few days before you were ill.

That said, if you really feel you shouldn't pay, why not send a cheque with a covering letter explaining that you got ill and ask the restaurant manager to only cash the cheque if he is absolutely certain that it couldn't have been his restaurant.

dan_m2k

As regards the MMD, I wouldn't pay, if the restaurant pursues it then explain why you've not paid. My feeling is that you're not the first to have dodgy gut the day after from that particular establishment.

Life's too short for all the messing around.

bestyman wrote: »

. As they say " In god we trust - everyone else pays cash".

Funny, a builder that did some work for me in the last couple of months who had that attitude is about to get dragged through the courts.

gaily

I think the question here is why eat Italian when you're in Gay Paree. When in France eat French - they'll do it right!!!! If you want Italian - go to Italy.

I would pay enough to cover the costs of the meal (it's quite likely that they think they've seen the back of you anyway) but explain in a letter why you've only sent part, and that you have all been ill. I'm sure that you won't get an acknowledgement, but at least you'll know where to avoid next time.

dudelee

I went to a pub/restaurant in glos with my hubby and two kids a few years ago. We were starving so we stopped off for a quick bite,ordered our food and waited and waited. It was about an hour until we had to remind the waiting staff that we had ordered. Without apology she went to the kitchen and came out with the worst plates of food I had ever seen! I was so fed up and hungry that at the sight of the food nearly cried!! I told her that after the wait and the sight of the food put infront of me that I was completly angered by the whole experience and had no intention to eat there anymore and that therefore had no intentions on paying and just wanted to leave. The attitude of the staff was unbelievable and I felt like just getting out of there. After she disapeared to the kitchen to talk to the chef she came back out to announce that she was going to call the police if we left without paying for the meals that we hadnt touched! I told them to go ahead and that they would be the ones arrested for the bad food!!! After alot of argueing we very unhappily paid a percentage agreed for the untouched food and left extremely angered. Sadly we didnt know our rights(and still dont). Still stewing on this for a week we decided to book a table for ten people for Sunday lunch with no intentions of anybody turning up, but it made us feel a whole lot better to know that we had lost them money on that reserved table!!!!!!!!! :rotfl:

Ebenezer_Screwj

What is the debate here ? The food was below standard, it made you ill, you don't pay for it.

dan_m2k

Oh, and I'd go on Trip advisor and put your experiences against the restaurant to allow others to avoid your experience. You dont want other's getting ill there.

Candice-Marie

If your card transaction HAD processed ok, would you have contacted the restaurant to seek a full/partial refund when you fell ill?

If the answer is no, then I think you should pay the bill in full.

pennypinchUK

If you don't pay, the restaurant owner will think you've just run off without paying. And it'll probably weigh on you for a long time that you didn't pay.

But, the solution is to not pay, and write to the restaurant to explain why you are not paying. Then, you will always remember that you took a principled stance, and the restaurant owner will know you've not just done a runner. You've got a clear conscience and the restaurateur will know the reason why, even if he doesn't accept his food made you ill.

AliHax

bennett2kuk wrote: »

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

First up... this is funny but also quite worrying... are you serious?! You don't believe in it?! If only that were a preventative method for all illnesses!

Anyway I think as people have said, it's a tough one because you have left it a few months and the restaurant have probably written it off and been kicking themselves since for not providing proof that your first transaction didn't go through and then insisting on payment. They probably haven't allowed others to delay payment since, which is your moral dilemma really - they trusted you, and you gave your word, so do you honour it?

But I guess the question aside from why you didn't make a complaint in the first instance if it was bad is this: If your first payment had gone through, and you had then come down with food poisoning, would you have asked for a refund or made a complaint? Because if so, then a letter explaining why you're not paying would suffice. But if not, I would probably give them at least some of the money because you gave your word. However along with it I would be sending a letter of complaint!

Either way, I'd make some contact out of courtesy and honour really. I wouldn't want to leave anyone thinking I was a liar or a scammer, even if in reality your lack of payment is because of the state of the food.