Hidden surcharges in spotlight as diner uses Reddit to call out restaurant
Hidden surcharges are becoming more of a problem according to one diner who copped a $4 surcharge on their dinner bill.
The diner used social media to complain about the charge which was added to two serves of beef pepper rice and a Pepsi Max.
There was no signage warning of the extra fees. The overall charge with the fees was $40.97.
“Almost bloody $4 in fees and not a single sign to be spotted. I noticed when I saw how much the transaction was on my phone because I thought, surely my meal wouldn’t have added up to that much?” they said on Reddit.
“A few years ago, EFTPOS fees or any surcharges were displayed clearly at the counter.
In fact, staff would usually go out of their way to let us know if there was a surcharge, how much it was for, and why it was there,” the diner said.
“Now it seems nothing is actually priced the amount they advertise. Retailers are always adding some fees, even my local coffee shop will tack on an additional 15c to my order.
“Are EFTPOS fees and surcharges just normalised now?
“I wonder how much money I’m actually spending on fees a year now.”
The diner found support with fellow Redditers.
“This is the ‘hidden cost’ crisis we are currently going through,” one person wrote. “Cash is not free either. You need to pay staff to go to the bank to make up a float, to drop the express deposit envelope into the night safe at the end of the day.”
The group then went on to discuss whether the hidden fees were legal.
Of course, hidden fees are not legal: the ACCC requires all venues to display all and any surcharges.
The regulator stated “If they charge such a surcharge, they must include these words on the menu: A surcharge of [percentage] applies on [day or days].”
Before contacting the regulator, the ACCC urges diners who feel they have been mislead to first contact the business.
If the problem remains unresolved, it can then be reported officially. However, the regulator does not resolve individual complaints.
Jonathan Jackson, 25th June 2024
