Sometimes there are white whines, and sometimes there are valid complaints. Today CityRoom's Complaint Box is filled with the latter, as one gentleman finally shines some light on this outrageous scam being pulled on innocent New Yorkers at restaurants citywide: the round up. You probably haven't even noticed it's happening, but some establishments have started to stealthy round-up bills when customers pay in cash.
Steven Jay Weisz got wise to the scam, and explains through one of his own recent dining experiences: "I was having a perfectly adequate meal at one of my favorite neighborhood bistros. My lunch, including tax, was $14.71. I placed a crisp $20 bill in the leatherette folder and waited for change. After a few minutes, the waitress returned. I was given a $5 bill and one quarter." You might cry "penny pincher" but some of our very own staff have experienced the same thing, once even being shortchanged a full 50 cents!
In his case, Weisz called attention to the error and told the waitress he was given the wrong change, to which she responded: “You mean you want the four cents?” Sure, it's just four cents, but what gives the restaurant a right to it? Surely it's not legal to skim from a customer's change.
