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Restaurant Bill (lemmy.world)
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[-] Aceticon@lemmy.world 42 points 11 months ago

It's so that they can deceitfully advertise prices which are lower than the real price.

I believe this is totally illegal in the EU (because they're obligated to list prices and all charges, fully, upfront and that even includes taxes) but I guess that in the US there are States were it's either not illegal or has never been challenge in court.

[-] SpaceCadet@feddit.nl 12 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I had a service charge like that added in Rome once. It is most likely illegal, but Rome is a pretty lawless place as it is where everybody tries to scam you all the time, so I didn't bother spending time arguing it and getting all worked up about a couple of euros during my holiday, just avoided the place thereafter. I know that's probably what they're counting on ...

[-] Aceticon@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Oh yeah, I live in Portugal and here too foreign tourists are natural targets for scammy shit. It's not too much but there are certainly bad actors who will take advantage of people who don't speak the local language and don't know their rights.

However I suspect it's a lot worse when some kinds of scams are actually legal.

[-] Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Oh yes, the "coperto" or cover charge. Restaurants that are worth going to will tell you upfront about whether they charge you that and how much. Tourist traps will just put a small sign somewhere on the premises that informs you of their ass-pull fee.

I went to a small café in Venice and had a cup of coffee for 4€. They charged me a fixed 14€ coperto.

[-] SkippingRelax@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

Coperto is perfectly legal and the norm everywhere. It would be clearly mentioned on the menu, typically at the bottom of every page and it is around a couple bucks per person. It's for the bread and bread sticks you get on the table, water and electricity to wash cutlery and plates you use, and to pay for serving stuff and rent. Why not included in the price of that pizza you might ask? Because I might order that pizza to take away and not use all of the above.

Some touristy places take advantage of it, doesn't make sense for a coffee in Venice (though I'm not surprised). A couple of bucks that op was charged at a restaurant in Rome on the other hand, 100% expected everywhere in Italy.

Source, am from there.

[-] Aceticon@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

So that shit is actually legal in Italy?

In that case I was totaly wrong on my belief on it not being legal in the EU.

[-] SpaceCadet@feddit.nl 3 points 11 months ago

I just read about coperto here, and I don't think that was it. I'm pretty sure it said "Servizio" on the bill, and it was a percentage on top of the price of what we ordered.

[-] Nahdahar@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

In my country (in the EU) usually if a service charge is added on top of the order, it's because that particular place doesn't accept tips.

[-] SpaceCadet@feddit.nl 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

That would be illegal in the EU country where I live (Belgium). Here the rule is that the advertised price must always include any mandatory charges, like VAT and service charges, so that advertised price = price the consumer would have to pay.

Source: https://economie.fgov.be/nl/themas/verkoop/prijsbeleid/prijsaanduiding

Translation:

Price indication

Companies offering goods or services must indicate the price in writing in a legible, visible and unambiguous manner.

The price is the total price to be paid by the consumer, including VAT and all other taxes or services that the consumer is obliged to pay extra. These prices are stated at least in euros.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

That would be illegal in the EU country where I live (Belgium).

Further evidence that America isn't a legal country.

[-] roofuskit@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

I the s legal most places in the US, some big cities like New York City have outlawed it.

this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2023
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