Money Moral Dilemma: Should I tell our hotel it made a mistake with the bill?

MSE_Sarah
MSE_Sarah Posts: 327 MSE Staff
First Anniversary Photogenic First Post I've been Money Tipped!
in UK holidays, days out & entertainments
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...
I've just noticed our hotel bill only charged us for one £28.50 evening meal instead of two. Should I ring the hotel and offer to pay the rest?

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Comments

  • francophilissima
    francophilissima Posts: 8 Forumite
    Obviously. Put yourself in their place
  • Mojisola
    Mojisola Posts: 35,557 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    If they'd charged you for two meals when you'd only had one, would you tell them?
  • VikEw
    VikEw Posts: 8 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary
    Did you eat the meal? Would you go and steal the equivalent from a shelf in the shop? This is not a dilemma..be honest.
  • denem
    denem Posts: 7 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Of course, don't just offer pay for your meal.
    If they had charged you for an extra meal, you would want a refund.
    It's not a dilemma, its common decency and honesty.
  • REJP
    REJP Posts: 325 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Of course you point out the error and pay. The meal was eaten wasn't it?
    Not paying is theft. Whatever happened to honesty?
  • mrpunk50
    mrpunk50 Posts: 35 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    I'm so glad that these dilemmas give everyone the chance to take their high-horse out for a trot.

    If a company can't manage to charge you the correct amount, why should you waste your time chasing them up? It's laughable to say this is theft. The customer hasn't been duplicitous; the seller's own disorganisation is to blame.

    If the hotel was a small, family business and I'd had a great stay, I might make an exception and phone them up. But it would be an act of charity on my part.
  • Grandad2b
    Grandad2b Posts: 310 Forumite
    First Anniversary Photogenic First Post Name Dropper
    Last month we noticed we didn't get charged for our drinks at one place we ate.
    We went back the next evening and told them about their mistake and had another meal there. They were very careful to charge us for what we ordered. They never asked us to pay for the previous evening's drinks.

    I hope no-one got into trouble for their mistake but at least they would have been able to account for the discrepancy and not think the staff were stealing.
  • keithyno.1
    keithyno.1 Posts: 98 Forumite
    First Anniversary Photogenic Combo Breaker First Post
    No, don’t phone the hotel and offer to pay.

    They have billed you for what, according to their systems, you have used/consumed in their hotel. You have then paid in full the amount asked for. Contract completed.

    If their systems are so shoddy and inefficient that they under-charge you for the goods & services supplied, then that’s their problem and their problem alone. It’s a tough, dog-eat-dog commercial world out there, and let’s face it, who really has any sympathy for inefficient and badly run organisations that go bust (RBS, and much more recently, Thomas Cook spring to mind)?

    If, on the other hand, they realise their mistake and contact you asking you to pay for the other evening meal and offer an apology for any inconvenience caused, then go ahead and pay them for it.
  • Aleann
    Aleann Posts: 8 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    There are no degrees of honesty. Tell them or live with the knowledge that your a cheat
  • anotheruser
    anotheruser Posts: 3,485 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post I've been Money Tipped!
    Aleann wrote: »
    There are no degrees of honesty. Tell them or live with the knowledge that your a cheat
    Thanks moral high sceptre.

    You'll find many people will say "yes pay".
    In reality, most of these people wouldn't pay.

    It depends on the situation.
    If you're still there, raise it with the reception if you wish but remember, the cost price for the food would have been fairly low so the hotel aren't missing out on much.

    If you've left already, you'll find it'll probably be too much effort to try and pay them. They probably won't have a system in place for this sort of thing, meaning someone will have to make special arrangements - all adding up to more than the extra meal was worth.

    Think of it like a freebie and don't let it get you depressed.
    There are far greater things to worry about in life at the moment.
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