Outrageous Extra Charges

[JJReyes]

I love the Philippines where the restaurant industry remains sane.  You add a tip or there is a 10% service fee based on total charges less 12% VAT.  In Los Angeles, things have gotten out of hand.  There are postings of restaurant receipts on a Reddit account regarding outrageous extra charges.  It includes unexpected additions such as:

Security Fee

Credit Card Processing Fee

Administrative Fee

Restaurant Fee

Corkage

Employee Health Insurance

Kitchen Appreciation Fee

Surcharge for Staff Meals

To Go Surcharge (Boxes for Leftovers)

Zero Footprint Restore the Planet Fee

One restaurant has a 20% surcharge to help defray the rising cost of the restaurant industry.  You are still encouraged to leave a tip on top.  We don't eat out in Southern California because mandatory tipping is one of my pet peeves.  During our Philippine visits, it's dining out lunch and dinner.  Breakfast is either included as part of our hotel stay or we buy pastries and coffee.

[Dave Hounddriver]

In days of old, when I went out to eat, I would leave a $20 bill on the table and leave without waiting for my change.  Nowadays, they would chase me out the door and say thanks for the tip but you still have to pay the bill.

[Gator]

Wife and I were in Boracay last week. I noticed a 10% service fee added to the bill and was told that all the restos there added it to the bills. I don’t know how long this has been going on. Maybe someone else can shed some light on whether this is something recent or not  

The one waitress we asked about it said it was for the entire staff at the resto and added to their pay. Being naturally somewhat suspicious, I wonder how of much of the fee is skimmed by the owner; especially here in the Philippines and also if business is slow. I doubt they’re very transparent about it. 

Edited August 14, 2023 by Gator

[MotorSarge]

5 hours ago, JJReyes said:

I love the Philippines where the restaurant industry remains sane.  You add a tip or there is a 10% service fee based on total charges less 12% VAT.  In Los Angeles, things have gotten out of hand.  There are postings of restaurant receipts on a Reddit account regarding outrageous extra charges.  It includes unexpected additions such as:

Security Fee

Credit Card Processing Fee

Administrative Fee

Restaurant Fee

Corkage

Employee Health Insurance

Kitchen Appreciation Fee

Surcharge for Staff Meals

To Go Surcharge (Boxes for Leftovers)

Zero Footprint Restore the Planet Fee

One restaurant has a 20% surcharge to help defray the rising cost of the restaurant industry.  You are still encouraged to leave a tip on top.  We don't eat out in Southern California because mandatory tipping is one of my pet peeves.  During our Philippine visits, it's dining out lunch and dinner.  Breakfast is either included as part of our hotel stay or we buy pastries and coffee.

 Foxtrot Uniform Charley Kilo California 

[JJReyes]

16 minutes ago, MotorSarge said:

Foxtrot Uniform Charley Kilo California 

Military code?

[Old55]

3 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

Military code?

US military phonetic alphabet.

[MotorSarge]

1 hour ago, JJReyes said:

Military code?

[MotorSarge]

Just now, MotorSarge said:

Phonetic Alphabet

[scott h]

6 hours ago, JJReyes said:

There are postings of restaurant receipts on a Reddit account regarding outrageous extra charges. 

I would have to see these receipts in order to believe that these are actually included without some type of prior notice before a customer placed an order in a restaurant. 

Primarily because we live in a such a litigious society nowadays that if this were the case, someone would have sued, and it would have made national headlines.

Now having said that, California is known for doing some wacky things (having been born and raised there). But I am forever telling my wife not to believe everything she reads on the internet.

[Kingpin]

3 hours ago, Gator said:

Wife and I were in Boracay last week. I noticed a 10% service fee added to the bill and was told that all the restos there added it to the bills. I don’t know how long this has been going on. Maybe someone else can shed some light on whether this is something recent or not 

They used to all add 10% in the city, now many cut that to 5% because apparently people agreed with me and stopped going to the 10% restaurants. I just leave double the 5% in cash on the table.