Money Moral Dilemma: Should we go back and pay for our meal?

CatrionaNason

Absolutely! Ask how their dog is doing and offer to pay. If the won’t accept I would take them a nice bunch of flowers and a card wishing their dog well. They lost a lot of money due to this crisis and the community should step up and do what is right.

Peter_Sumner

If time was taken to read question I think you would find that persons involved had eaten their
starters and main courses and quite possibly had an aperitif and a nice bottle of wine and were waiting to be served their pudding (as we say up North).Why would they want to charge the poor dog owning publican for all that ?

Angelwhisper

Would definitely go back and pay and also ask about their pet, sound like decent people who became distressed about their dog and wanted to get it to the vet asap. No time to work out bills.

Skiddaw1

I'm reminded of a time some years back when, whilst on holiday, we inadvertently left a restaurant where we'd had lunch without paying (Mr S thought I'd already paid and I thought he'd paid). When we worked out later what had happened Mr S rang the restaurant to apologise (and to make arrangements to return to settle the bill) but they were adamant that no one had failed to pay that day. Poor Mr S- it got to the point where they were clearly thinking he had some form of dementia or something. We went back there a year or so later but (perhaps unsurprisingly) the restaurant had closed.



As to the dilemma, I'd pay later (and ask after the dog).

bigalinsk

This is not a "moral issue". They did not fulfil their part of the bargain, so they did not take money and you owe nothing.

If it were me, I would pay them without making a fuss about it. Put an appropriate amount in an envelope with a little card expressing good wishes. If you know them well enough include a personal message, or if not you could even do it anonymously.

MrGumby

Should? No. But I would.

Patjan

What action is going to be the most beneficial: you saving on a meal you had already planned to pay for, or the restaurant owners who will have lost not just you revenue but any other diners on that occasion who decided not to pay for their meal? To me it's a no-brainer!

tabbycat2k

I'd go back and pay. No question.

gingercordial

If it's a local I would wait until I was in next and at that point ask after the dog and offer to pay. If they declined I wouldn't push it further.

If it wasn't a local/not intending to go back I will fully admit that whilst the answer should still be as above, in practice I think I would probably never get round to it, but that's more due to lack of time than unwillingness to pay. So in that case apathy would mean I took their offer at face value.

VikEw

Yes- or ask after the dog and leave an amount for meal/tip/charity- up to them.