New Restaurant Scam?

[JJReyes]

A friend of mine, an American of Japanese ancestry, recently returned from a visit to Manila. He went with family members to a restaurant popular with Korean and Japanese visitors. They ordered from the menu and when the bill was presented, the amount was double what he was expecting. Requesting for a menu, the waiter presented one. The prices on the menu had doubled between the start and end of the meal! My friend started arguing in a voice loud enough for other patrons to hear. The restaurant manager came and offered the group a 50% discount. 

 

It has never happened to me in the Philippines, but I had a related experience in Guam. Driving in a rented car, I saw a large Filipino restaurant advertising fresh seafood. The menu prices were super high, so I called my waiter and informed him I was leaving. He replied, "Don't worry, sir. I will give you a 50% discount." Intrigued, I accepted his offer and kept an eye out as other diners arrived. Most were Japanese visitors accompanied inside the restaurant by their taxi drivers. The taxi drivers used words like, "I will be back for my friends in two hours. Please make sure they get the best seafood." 

 

The scam is the taxi drivers in Guam received a 40% or 50% commission for bringing Japanese visitors to the seafood restaurant. The restaurant in Manila either made a mistake thinking my friend and his family were escorted by a taxi driver or they were simply trying to take advantage.

 

 

[Americano]

Maybe this would be a solution to the scam. Someone should keep the original menu. Either tell the waitress you want to keep it or just sit on it when she or he is not looking. That way you can force them to charge the original prices.

[OnMyWay]

The scam is the taxi drivers in Guam received a 40% or 50% commission for bringing Japanese visitors to the seafood restaurant.

 

That is fairly global in that I think you will find it happening to some degree in most major tourist areas.

[JJReyes]

Maybe this would be a solution to the scam. Someone should keep the original menu. Either tell the waitress you want to keep it or just sit on it when she or he is not looking. That way you can force them to charge the original prices.

 

Good idea. I will tell the waitress I may want to order additional dishes a little later.

 

That is fairly global in that I think you will find it happening to some degree in most major tourist areas.

 

Might be the reason why cab drivers keep offering me women. They have commission arrangements with service providers.

[the_whipster]

an old favorite, not just in the Philippines is them claiming you have given them a counterfeit bill. They come back with this fake bill and say sorry sir the bill you just gave us is a forgery. They just made a switch while the bill was out of your sight. At one time this was rife in Cambodia to such an extent that it paid to make sure they saw you writing down the serial numbers of $50 and $100 dollar bills when you tendered them. They can do this in forex booths too it only takes a second for them to switch a bill out of your line of sight.

[Thomas]

The scam is the taxi drivers in Guam received a 40% or 50% commission for bringing Japanese visitors to the seafood restaurant. The restaurant in Manila either made a mistake thinking my friend and his family were escorted by a taxi driver or they were simply trying to take advantage.

Well.

It was a misstake to show them the NORMAL priced menu first

but it's a SCAM, because commisions are suppoused to come from NORMAL price... 

Compare: Taxi drivers commisions are a type of MARKETING cost. I suppouse the restaurants don't charge different prices for customers coming there just because they happen to pass, and them who come there after have seen an addvertice, which the restuarant have PAID for...

[i am bob]

In many places throughout the world, it is common for the finer establishments to change their price structure at a certain time in the evening. For the menu selections to double is not that unusual. Of course, this is for finer dining establishments and not usual for most 4 star and rarely for anything lower!

Sent from my Samsung Tab 3 by Tapatalk, 6 talking Parrots, Jungle Drummers and one mean Gibson RD Standard fretless bass slapped silly...

[sonjack2847]

It w2ould have been nice if you had the original menu when you were offered 50%off.

[Mike S]

Lots of places in the US have what is called an "early bird special" ..... where the portions are a bit smaller and you don't have the same choices as the later arriving customers ..... lots of retired people in Florida go to these type restaurants and they aren't high-class .... if this isn't the case I don't see how anyone could be so stupid to pay double the price for the same meal ..... even Asian foreigners know the difference between ordering a p500 meal and having to pay p1000 when the bill arrives .... would they just up and pay it ..... I don't think so .... I sure the hell know I wouldn't ..... JMHO

:cheersty:  

[OnMyWay]

They can do this in forex booths too it only takes a second for them to switch a bill out of your line of sight.

 

Now it makes sense that some Forex exchanges (such as SM) make you list out the serial numbers on a form.  They are protecting the customer from unscrupulous employees who might make a switch.  I have not exchanged cash in a long time but if I do I will keep my eyes open for this.