In our opinion, loading ice cream with a soft drink, coffee or water is as abusive as if you were charged for the use of dishes. But if the institution decides, it must indicate in the price list the cost of the product with and without ice. Jeannette Escudero, a lawyer for the firm, told us that while the restaurant can legally keep the service fee, its client gives it to employees and only charges it because they are in a tourist area where they sometimes don`t leave a tip. If they offer you menu items, they must also indicate their price when suggesting. If this is not the case and they intend to charge you an amount that you consider abusive, you can refuse to pay it and offer to pay the amount of a product similar to the one in the letter. Can you ask for an extra charge for the terrace instead of the interior?, and for the table instead of the bar? Yes, but they must indicate it and indicate the cost of the service on the terrace and clarify the amount. Because a percentage of the price is not enough. Again, it is necessary to have informed the amount in advance, to indicate it in the letter and in the institution. And it must appear on the invoice. Rubén Martín Sáenz, a lawyer specializing in labour law, says that service fees are not tips, they are money that a company automatically collects and that “all the money goes to the employer. What happens to this money once the employer receives it depends on the employer,” Saenz explains. Consumers will finally be able to drink tap water for free in bars and restaurants. The existing law on waste and contaminated soil for a circular economy stipulates that companies must always offer tap water to users of their services, unconditioned and free of charge.
You go to the restaurant and when you receive the bill, they add an 18% service charge and also suggest a 15-20% tip. What should you do? Yes. It`s something that happens. Is it legal for latte to have a different price than coffee alone? Yes, if they specify it, they inform you and you admit it. A service charge is like the restaurant telling you, “In addition to the food we give you, we charge you for everything we need to do to serve it.” Fernandez says he thought about adding a tip after asking if his waiter had received the service fee. “He says not 18 percent is for the boss, for employees who aren`t specifically the waiter serving you,” Fernandez said. According to OCU, there are a number of things you can`t just charge for in a restaurant. If you pay at a bar, you might be surprised as they charged you for products you didn`t expect to see included in the menu menu. The spokesperson pointed out that it is not legal to charge for either covered or table service and that in this case, the consumer must make a complaint to the establishment.
However, Eztizen pointed out that it is legal to charge for bread, ice cream or patio service, as long as it is stated in the letter. Escudero adds that you don`t need to add another tip at these two restaurants unless you think the service was spectacular. Have you ever been charged for cutlery or service in a restaurant? Apparently, this is an increasingly common practice in restaurants, but we question whether this procedure is legal or not. Many citizens realize that they were sometimes charged for service, bread or even cutlery: “Yes, I was charged for coverage at some point in a restaurant”, “I was billed once, yes, for service and lately it`s quite common”, “Yes, I was charged for changing the plate, It`s uneven, You want another one and they change it, they charge you cutlery, towels. The Consumer and User Organisation (OCU) warns that there are concepts that cannot be calculated without clear information, such as the terrace surcharge. In addition, others require the express consent of the customer, such as an appetizer or bread. With the arrival of the holidays, it is worth recalling certain consumer rights. The OCU has released a note with things you shouldn`t charge in bars and restaurants to avoid abuse, like charging a glass of water at a restaurant. Excursions and celebrations are encounters that sometimes end in a bittersweet taste when everything is in front of the poster. As part of the OCU`s consultation, we sometimes receive inquiries and complaints about prices or services in the hospitality industry.
Is it legal to charge you for water or extra hygiene to keep the virus away? These are concepts that appear on banknotes and raise consumer doubts. OCU gives you a number of tips to avoid problems. She says that in the case of these two restaurants, the service charge is split in the same way as a tip, much of it to the waiter and the rest to the support staff. “Because the server didn`t do the work alone,” he said. 12. Billing for table service or cutlery is illegal. It is implicitly included in the reception service itself. When we contacted both restaurants, they referred us to HR on Demand, who will provide them with legal advice. You can charge for bread service if it is included in the price list and shows the price per guest or unit. Be careful if the price is per unit, because every time you ask for more because you are exhausted, it will be added to the account. Via social networks, users reported that some establishments charged them for the service set or table.
That`s why Public Mirror was counting on OCU spokesperson Eztizen Gregorio on Friday, who explained what they can and cannot legally charge us. In any case, we recommend checking the bill, because whether they charge inappropriate amounts or not, mistakes are often made and you can be charged for more services than is actually consumed. In the free market society, prices are free. Thus, in each restaurant you can charge 2 euros for a soft drink or 10 euros, and this would be legal in both cases, provided that the price is correctly indicated in the price list of the establishment concerned. The list must be complete and contain information about prices and services in a single reading, without the need for additional information, it must be with regard to the user, it must include final and complete prices, including taxes. If a restaurant wants to charge you an “automatic tip”, they have the right to do so as long as you know in advance that they will charge you extra. Fernandez contacted Telemundo 51 Responde with a receipt from the restaurant “Old`s Havana” stating that his bill of $79.35 turned to $101.12 when they added an 18% service charge plus tax. This is a more common practice than it seems, but the main question is whether it is something legal.
The reality is that this is not possible, according to the OCU. At Espejo Público we spoke with Eztizen Gregorio, the spokesperson of the OCU, who clarified the problem with other similar problems and that the user is generally not clear. Here are the main problems: 2. Patio fees may apply if reported.