Short changed

[Bobbydaisy]

Coming back on the ferry , went to bar for a beer ,had Euros left so thought I’d use them up, paid for the beer. Barman rummaged around in the till , got the change in a dish , at first sight a receipt with a couple of cents , first reaction was “keep the change mate” , but only my first beer and thought it should be more than that ….. it was , the 5 euros plus was under the receipt.
A scam I think for those not used to Euros or those on more than first beer

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

What ferry line was that?
Mike.

 

[DavidG58]

I would have had a reasonable idea how much that beer was going to cost, therefore how much change to expect

Not sure I see the scam myself

 

[The Wino]

I would have had a reasonable idea how much that beer was going to cost, therefore how much change to expect

Not sure I see the scam myself

I was thinking the same. I think it's just the custom to put your change on a dish a lot nicer than swimming around in whats on the bar

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

The "scam" would seem to involve the loose change above the receipt being clearly visible , but the note, tucked under the receipt, all but invisible unless you pick up the receipt as well, which a significant amount of people won't bother with, and the M.O. is easily deniable, simple but possibly lucrative.
Mike.

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[Gingernuts]

What ferry line was that?

 

[Tombola]

These lads know all the scams, well spotted

 

[MisterB]

I think the point is that the 'note(s)' were hidden under the dish by the receipt. Why not also put the note in the dish held in place by the coins to stop it swimming in what's on the bar ...

Bouncyboat beat me to it !

On a related scam, we were with friends shopping at Cite Europe and they needed cash. They went to a cash machine but we're short changed by the machine, they were just about to go inside to complain until I put my hand inside and pulled out the missing note.someine had attached double sided tape to the inside so it caught one of the notes being dispensed. If they had left the machine and gone inside or didn't realise they didn't get the right amount, no doubt the scammer would have been the next one to 'access' the cash machine to retrieve the stuck note!

 

[EuroTrotters]

I don’t get it

 

[The Wino]

I think the point is that the 'note(s)' were hidden under the dish by the receipt. Why not also put the note in the dish held in place by the coins to stop it swimming in what's on the bar ...

Who said that there were any notes at all let alone under the dish? The op just said at first sight a few cents on top of the receipt. It wouldn't have caught me out as firstly I think I'd have had a rough idea of the cost and would have thought if there wasn't any more than a few cents in the dish that I'd been short changed. Secondly as I'm tight id never say keep the change for pouring a beer it's hardly "service". As an aside my sil who lives in France says there isn't a custom to tip the bill will generally say STTC which means the service and tax is all included so generally in Europe I don't tip.

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[TDub49]

I guess it's a case of you see what you want to see . . .

 

[L' Hobo]

I don’t get it

I wish I was so innocent! As the man said, it would have been just as easy for the receipt to be at the bottom of the dish and the note on top below the coins. (It's an old trick and Bars giving change, often put all the change in a dish, after the dish has lain on the counter for a few minutes, the barman sweeps it off to use again and deposits the content in a cardboard box under the counter to be sorted later. If anyone complains, he can claim that he thought it was a small tip and he didn't see the note under the receipt.)

 

[L' Hobo]

Who said that there were any notes at all let alone under the dish? The op just said at first sight a few cents on top of the receipt. It wouldn't have caught me out as firstly I think I'd have had a rough idea of the cost and would have thought if there wasn't any more than a few cents in the dish that I'd been short changed. Secondly as I'm tight id never say keep the change for pouring a beer it's hardly "service". As an aside my sil who lives in France says there isn't a custom to tip the bill will generally say STTC which means the service and tax is all included so generally in Europe I don't tip.

I cannot speak about the last few years but before, if you didn't tip, whatever it said on the receipt, in my experience, a Parisian Waiter would quickly 'accidently' ignore you if they were busy! They are/ were, very professional and expected respect and reward.

 

[The Wino]

I cannot speak about the last few years but before, if you didn't tip, whatever it said on the receipt, in my experience, a Parisian Waiter would quickly 'accidently' ignore you if they were busy! They are/ were, very professional and expected respect and reward.

I think it's largely a different culture like the wait for the bill. In the UK we want to get the bill quick and be off in some countries I think it might be seen as them wanting to get rid of you. In Germany last week they seemed in some places to be heading to an American idea of service where it comes more or less straight away and if one of you finishes first they take that plate away! I the case of a restaurant they won't know if you're going to tip before they bring you're stuff

 

[DavidG58]

I read it as only coins involved, but still think OP should have known roughly how much change to expect

Presuming it involved a 10€ note and beer was 5€ , if they thought beer might be 10€ I wouldn’t have been buying it in the first place

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[Bobbydaisy]

Just clarify, 1 cent coin on top of receipt in a dish …5 Euro coins ( 2’s and 1€ ) and a few cents underneath the receipt….totally hidden from view. Up to you how tight you are to pay for a beer , or how smart or how sober or savvy you are to spot it . The fact was why not all the coins on top of the receipt…. and not just the once it was done to anyone paying in cash from what I saw .P&O , Rotterdam to Hull.

 

[Bobbydaisy]

I would have had a reasonable idea how much that beer was going to cost, therefore how much change to expect

Not sure I see the scam myself

Yep that’s what I said , I knew how much I was expecting to get back , but I use Euros a lot, I only had one beer , I was not on a holiday mode high ….from what I see others might not be as careful.

 

[Gingernuts]

Forewarned is forearmed

 

[iandsm]

I usually pick up the small dish/saucer of change with one hand and pour the change into the palm of my other hand.

 

[Emmit]

The only argument I could make with the OP was the Title.
The OP wasn't short changed but it is obvious that
the barman was trying it on.

As for those who have said, "I know what a drink costs," well,
fine and good but get the scenario where more than three drinks
are ordered. Would you be certain then?

The barman made the mistake of trying it on with a one drink order.

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[Bobbydaisy]

The only argument I could make with the OP was the Title.
The OP wasn't short changed but it is obvious that
the barman was trying it on.

As for those who have said, "I know what a drink costs," well,
fine and good but get the scenario where more than three drinks
are ordered. Would you be certain then?

The barman made the mistake of trying it on with a one drink order.

More so three drinks after 4 or 5 previous ones ……

 

[Ridgeway]

I would of thought that the coin on top was a paper weight to stop the receipt blowing away ? Perhaps I’m just naive.

 

[Bobbydaisy]

I would of thought that the coin on top was a paper weight to stop the receipt blowing away ? Perhaps I’m just naive.

Why not put all the coins on top ……? …..maybe ….