Talk of The Villages Florida - Overcharged at Steakhouse in Brownwood?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by JMintzer (Post 2091080)

All of this was previously hashed out on "NextDoor"...

Not sure if they're expecting a different result...

Different platform to reach more people. OP wants number of people who have had the same experience. A better informed result, not different.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BumpaOompa (Post 2091603)

I previously submitted a post on this same subject about a year ago. I found various Brownwood businesses routinely adding small amounts to my final bill after it was signed and tips were given. They were all approached, apologized and adjusted the bill. Not sure if they were padding the tip or adding credit card fees without advising me beforehand but it happened to me on about 10% of my visits. I consider this extremely high considering it almost never happens everywhere else. The biggest problem I experience in The Villages is the bar huts in the square. Very polite servers but on many occasions they have added tips to my credit card after I already put cash in the tip bucket and chose “no tip” on the credit card. It’s always $2-3 so I have been letting it slide. Last week my credit card came through with a $100 tip added for an $11 purchase. Called Villages Entertainment and they did not deny that adding tips is practiced by some at the huts. They did reverse the $100 overcharge. I have switched to using cash until they fix this systemic problem. I also save all restaurant receipts and typically have to challenge a merchant or two every month. Sad.

Fortunately, I have never had that happen to me. We purchase from the bar huts regularly and have never had a problem but we might not be a target since we add a tip to the card.

Do you know if you always clicked the green button at the bottom of the signature that says something like, "Accept Signature?" I always thought, perhaps incorrectly, that button would finalize the transaction and prevent any further changes.

You might also start asking for receipts. It's a pain for you and them but it might get the point across.

Ignoring a pattern of unauthorized charges being added to your credit card is a bad idea. Mistakes happen but very rarely; I think it may have happened to me once in my life but even that time it could have been me that made the mistake. A one-time $100 "mistake" is certainly worth calling about but so is the second or third time a $2 "mistake" is made. If you allow a pattern to be established then it will be harder to prove it was a "mistake" down the road.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coopcasa (Post 2091026)

A couple of neighbors and I have noticed up charges on our credit card bills from receipts retained when dining at a local Steakhouse in the Brownwood town center.

Anyone else encounter this issue and notify management?
What results did you get?

It’s only a couple of dollars-but over the course of the day-it can add up.

Thanks for your responses.

I thought stealing was against the law? What was the up charge for or don’t they have to tell you. What the heck is wrong with our society & legal system!

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2091074)

Not that it makes a difference in this case, but the way restaurants process credit card charges is different from most businesses. First, they present you with a bill without the tip, say $80. Then, they take your credit card into the back room and immediately place a pending charge on your account for $80. Then, they return your credit card and a bill for $80 with a blank space for a tip. You add the tip, say $20, and sign a receipt for $100. If you use credit card alerts, like I do, you will immediately get an email or text alert for a charge of $80. Then, a day or so later, someone in the restaurant will change the pending amount from $80 to $100, which will show up on your credit card online statement. So, the bank alert never actually verifies the correct amount charged. I think the restaurant should only process one amount, the one that you signed, and not have someone change the amount days later. That is one reason that I always pay cash in restaurants.

Only a 25 percent tip?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill14564 (Post 2091617)

Ignoring a pattern of unauthorized charges being added to your credit card is a bad idea. Mistakes happen but very rarely; I think it may have happened to me once in my life but even that time it could have been me that made the mistake. A one-time $100 "mistake" is certainly worth calling about but so is the second or third time a $2 "mistake" is made. If you allow a pattern to be established then it will be harder to prove it was a "mistake" down the road.

Exactly! These "creative accounting" incidents need to be reported to the CC issuer AND the police. Once a pattern is established by them, action can be taken to prevent this "skimming" from happening to others. Like YOU.

Funny how you never hear of customers being under charged.

Please REPORT it.

Skip

Why do some of you start these posts damning a restaurant or complaining about your bill and can’t, for some kindergartener reason, not name the restaurant?

Some of you start a post just to show how much common sense you don’t have…..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip (Post 2091629)

I was undercharged the last time I went to the Mexican place in Spanish Springs...

The waiter brought a bill that was for an appetizer and a meal.

We had an appetizer, two meals and a special margarita. More than triple the cost...

I could have paid the wrong amount, but I didn't. I let him know, the thanked me profusely and brought me the correct bill...

It does happen...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip (Post 2091629)

...

Funny how you never hear of customers being under charged.

Please REPORT it.

Skip

I've been undercharged at bars before, places where we were regulars. I brought it to the attention of the bartender who politely asked me not to do that again. I considered mentioning it to the manager or owner but it was the owner who was tending bar so.....

I've also had tips not entered at all. I made that up to the server the next time we visited the restaurant.

I don't think I've ever had a meal left off my bill. I hope that I would notice that and have it corrected before paying.

You need to reconcile your receipts against your credit card statement. This is important. Quite a few years ago, I ordered a salad for $12 and tip was $3 for a total of $15. When I reconciled that receipt to my statement I was surprised. I was charged $18. I went back to the restaurant to see the manager, he made a copy of my receipt and statement. He corrected the problem and gave me a card for a free dessert. The hostess told me that this would be the 4th person to be fired for changing the tip and she has only been working there 1 1/2 years. She told me that the servers make fun of the seniors because we are too stupid and old to check our receipts to our statements. That statement bothered the hostess more than the stealing as she was a senior. That server took that $12 salad and added $6 for a 50% tip. I did go back to that restaurant for lunch and my free dessert and that server did not work there anymore. That restaurant is another restaurant now in Sumter landing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by juddfl (Post 2091745)

Wow more common than I realized. Always get a receipt so if something looks wrong I have a paper to compare it too.

Guess I will have to be more careful in the future.

This is a very common scam. The vast majority of people do not watch their receipts and balance to their bank statements, so it’s easy to add a few dollars to a receipt.

Be careful it may not be an addon on the receipt BUT menu entree example $26.50 on reciet it goes to $28.50 and or up charge of 3% or more up charge for credit card usage