Buffet overcharged me - Getting my money back

Treeloot

Last night I went with a friend to a new buffet in town. My meal was $8.50 (I got a soda) His was $7.50. I paid for my own meal with the only money I was carrying, a $20 bill. My friend paid separately. Today, I came home to discover I only had $4 in my wallet, which made no sense. I tore my room apart, searched my pants, wallet, the laundry room and the car.

Then it hit me, I'd probably been charged for both meals. $7.50 + $8.50 = $16. $20-16 = $4 the exact amount in my wallet (I don't tip at most buffets). Unless the guy gave change in a rather odd way and I lost some money, it looks like I was charged for both meals. I called the place and asked if this was a possibility, the manager told me to come in and we would discuss it.

I told him I'd be there around 6 PM, which is about 7 hours. Do any of you have any suggestions on how I can present my case to get the money back?

Raneados

uh... do you have a receipt? This is going to be veeeeery hard to prove on you part

but there is an upside


Honestly this'll probably be on the manager's discretion, but he'd probably want your continued business and probably would set you up with maybe a free buffet trip


if he's a dick, though, but he doesn't sound like it, he'll tell you to "get out you freeloading kid, I'm trying to run a business"


in short, this will very hard to prove on your part and is probably going to be totally up to the guy in charge if he values your business/word of mouth

Treeloot

Raneados wrote: »

uh... do you have a receipt?

I didn't get a receipt.

Jimmy King

Just tell him exactly that, in a polite and friendly manner. I've done my time in retail and food service jobs. In most cases if a customer has a problem and is polite and reasonable about it, management will do what they can to make the customer happy so they come back. At a buffet the food is dirt cheap due to the bulk amounts they buy. They'd almost certainly rather risk losing the $3 worth of food you ate this one time and have you come back again than lose a customer (or multiple potential customers as you'll tell your friends, etc.). They also should keep register counts of how much cash/credit payments/etc. there was at the register vs how much should have been in the register and so probably have a record that the register was $7.50 higher than it should have been.

On the other hand, if you're a dick about it, they won't want your business anyway and won't try too hard to work with you, most likely.

Raneados

also, just for future reference (don;t try this now, it'd be dickish) some places have a "if we don;t offer you a receipt, it's a free meal" deal.

They're supposed to

meatflower

Raneados wrote: »

also, just for future reference (don;t try this now, it'd be dickish) some places have a "if we don;t offer you a receipt, it's a free meal" deal.

They're supposed to

The only place I've ever seen that is Panda Express. And let me tell you, those employee's make damned sure you get your receipt.

Captain Vash

I think they lose their jobs if you don't.

Off topic, but probably true.