The beautiful days arrive and the desire to go out to eat outside is growing. However, some malicious restaurateurs set up schemes to increase the final price.
Going to a restaurant is a practice that is still as popular in France. 4 out of 10 French people go to restaurants at least once a month, excluding professional meals. This is revealed by “the Lifestyle Trends American Express” observatory in a investigation Carried out in the spring in 2024. Young people are notably very amateur: almost 6 people under the age of 35 reported to go there at least once a month. The French devote a monthly budget of 120 euros on average. However, so that this sum is exploding, you have to pay attention to the scams.
If some errors can happen, sometimes they are real scam systems. The malicious restaurateurs set up different methods to inflate the final price registered on the addition. In particular, they can add non -controlled products or double the quantities of the dishes and drinks consumed. Some will rather add service costs, while in France, the price displayed includes the possible taxes and service fees. The prices applied to the checkout can also be modified compared to those present on the card to charge more.
This type of scam is called “Bill Padding”. These crooks play on customer precipitation and their lack of attention. The scammers are often very smiling and warm so that the consumer suspects nothing. The main targets are tourists, who tend to be less vigilant. These scams are therefore very widespread during the holidays and in fine weather.
In order not to be fooled, it is strongly recommended to check the addition in detail, having kept in mind what was really ordered. If in doubt, do not hesitate to ask for explanations from the restaurateur. If the scam is noted after payment, and it was made in a credit card, the transaction can still be disputed with the bank.
Caution is even more stake with the use of contactless payment, you must check the amount to be paid and not file your card too quickly on the terminal. In the event of a scam, leave an opinion or report his mishap on Signalconso can help prevent future customers. Similar malware can occur in hotels and bars, so you have to be very vigilant.