Our experience matches yours.
We’ve been here 6 years and eat out 3 or 4 times a week in all areas of The Villages and the surrounding areas.
We HAVE NEVER experienced the bill padding being discussed in this thread.
Frankly, I find the stories and complaints in this thread very hard to believe.

To be fair, I have also never personally experienced padding of credit card bill in TV either.

My credit card has been hit before. Not here in the villages, but in another area. I just pay in cash. I may be losing points on my credit card but I’m saving peace of mind.

We had it happen once in Belleview. Paid tip in cash (over 20%), signed c.c. receipt, and later found waitress had added $5 to bill when we checked our statement. Also had cc compromised after filling up at gas station in Wildwood. We are proactive and don't wait until statement comes to match receipts. Spouse checks c.c. balance daily on line. We also have never used a debit card and haven't even used an ATM in years. Also, our c.c. fraud dept is very on top of catching suspicious activity. We don't like to carry a lot of cash and get good rewards on c.c. The latest helpful thing we learned was to use a different card just for restaurants where your card is out of sight. That way, if fraud occurs, you'll know where the breach happened and you don't have to cancel your main c.c. where all your automatic payments would have to be changed to a new account number. That is a huge pain in the butt. We even have 2 separate card numbers under one Visa account and divide the list of automatic payments on each, so if one is compromised/stolen, the other person can still use their card and we only have to update half the autopay list with the new number instead of all of them. Saves a lot of time and hassle because it's going to happen sooner or later.

This happened to me a few years ago. I ordered a $12 salad, added a $3 tip for a total of $15. When I reconciled my receipt with my credit card bill, it was $18. I went to the restaurant and spoke with manager. The person was fired because he changed his tip from a 20% tip to 50% tip. The lady that takes you to your table said this will be the 3rd. person fired for that. She said that they show each other how to do this and laugh at the seniors and say that we are are to stupid to check our receipt against our credit card bill. Check your receipts against your credit card bill. I'm not the only one that this has happened to. I have some of my friends checking and comparing and one called me with the same thing.

Yes, that is federal law but CC banks can do it as far back as they want to assist their customers. I recently disputed a charge from Villages Entertainment for tickets purchased November 2019 for a show that was cancelled due to the pandemic in March of this year for which after 10+ calls I still had not been credited and Citi-Bank took it and permanently refunded me. Villages Entertainment is a story in itself.

One of the few that pays balance off every month. Majority of card holders are deep in debt and can’t pay off so they don’t get out of interest And compounded hit. If they didn’t get majority back they wouldn’t be in business or CEO’s getting 7 figures.

Ricciardi's Italian Table
 

I am a manager of Ricciardi's Italian Table in Brownwood. We do not have any hidden fees or charges. If you experienced this at my restaurant, please feel free to give me a call on my cell at 772-882-5476

Paul

I don't understand the fear of carrying cash, 200-300 . . . or so, my wife and I routinely do so. If your fear is getting robbed, you have not noticed that theft is now electronic with credit and debit cards? So what i don't get is to have to check your credit card statement everyday, saving and comparing receipts, that's the last thing i want to spend time doing. So I pay in cash most times at restaurants, saves time, and no one knows how much is in my wallet anyways.

One time i was so excited about the day, getting out of military, that i used a $50 for a $5 tip. . . but that's ok, its was a great day!

not an accountant guy

I agree. But, to add another point, if you do get robbed, handing over a couple hundred bucks may actually save your life.

If i got robbed I'd just hand over my credit cards. :) I keep $20 in my pocket for emergencies. Not a matter of "being afraid" just don't see the necessity when I can get 2% on every purchase I make from a fee free CC. That plus my shorts have shallow pockets and I find it easy to lose things when taking out something. A CC takes 2 seconds to go into the respective app and click on "freeze card" and if the robbers want to charge away it's not my problem. One time I lost my card and Citi bank Fedex'd a new one to me at no charge so minor inconvenience. I never carry a debit card because that will put a loss on my bank account for a much longer time then a CC on my credit line. Cash is like a fax machine or a cassette, so 1990's. :D I don't find any of the credit card inconveniences you listed as valid for myself. Of course others will have their own opinion on that.

Cash | 2019 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice

Cash vs Credit Card Spending Statistics (2020) | Fundera

Except when mine got compromised overseas and was locked while traveling in europe. And yes, i know exactly when it happened. Your example doesn't work then. . . So we ordered 500 GBP ahead of time in the US, about $800USD and ate with that with no issues.

So yes, everyone's will vary. . .

corporate guy

It is not right but sounds like some are adding the fee they pay to the card companies. If that is what they are doing they should show on the receipt a cash price and a credit card price giving you the option to save the fee.

Different cards have different fees. But, it is still totally illegal.