I refused to pay extra for food I received on accident?
A Reddit user shares a dilemma after receiving extra food by mistake in their delivery order. The restaurant owner called, asking them to either return the food or pay for the additional items, but the OP refused, arguing that they didn’t order the food and had already tipped the driver generously. The situation left the OP wondering if they were wrong for standing their ground. Read the story below!
‘ I refused to pay extra for food I received on accident?’
I ordered delivery I ordered takeout and I ended up receiving two extra containers. I didn’t think anything of it because sometime they separate the fries, so I figured our burgers and fries were separate.
I got inside and started opening everything and realized there were two things I didn’t order. We ended up getting someone else’s order with ours. I was so busy and was just trying to feed the husband and kids. I knew I wasn’t going to attempt to return the food as it was already opened inside my house and looked through.
I didn’t feel too horrible because I did leave the guy a good tip! 45 minutes later, I get a phone call from. The owner of the restaurant. She said “hello, I noticed you received someone else’s order and was hoping you could either return it or cover the cost for the extra food we got.”
For some reason that made me so upset! I refused to pay extra. Especially because it was two items we would never normally order. I tipped the driver well. I did the math and the food we received came to $21 aside from the $37 I paid for our food. I wasn’t about to spend $58 plus the $10 tip I left to The driver. Aitah for not paying extra for the food I did not order or ask for?
Here’s what Redditors had to say:
NOT_MEEHAN − NTA. They made a mistake that is not the customers responsibility to pay for.
dr_lucia − It was the restaurant or delivery person’s mistake. You do not need to pay for that food. And how the heck would your return it? Even if you did, local food ordinances are probably going to require the restaurant to throw it out! NTA. (And consider never ordering for this restaurant again. )
Quelala − NTA and I would not want to eat at this restaurant again. What did they want you to return the food for? So that it could be delivered to the person who ordered it after it was already opened by another. Their willingness to send possibly contaminated food to another customer is mind blowing.
Limp-Star2137 − NTA. I was in the service industry for years. 100% the owner was going to re-use the food (even though you’re not supposed to). It is the restaurants fault. Might as well eat it.
I worked in places that would reuse if it was brought back and I’ve worked in places where they’ve just given it to the workers to eat/tossed it and remade the customers food. This lady sounds like the former.
Lavagirll1998 − NTA, that’s on the driver. I also wouldn’t want the food if I was the other customer since it was opened in your house, like you mentioned. Curious though – how long was it before the owner called you?
Alone_Target_1221 − They are not allowed to accept returned food in Australia, even things like Coles or Woolworths home delivery orders. Its because the insurance against tampering risk is way too high.
anatnoftak − NTA. As someone whose worked in that industry for the last 17 years, that’s the restaurants f**k up and they eat the loss. Not the customer. If they want it, they can come back and get it.
LiteUpThaSkye − NTA, but uh… you probably shouldn’t order from there again. Shows what kind of food safety standards they (don’t) have if they wanted the food back. We’re they just going to then send it off to the correct person? Ick! That mix up was all on them.
4-ton-mantis − Return it? How do they know you haven’t farted on it or something?
CannedAm − NTA They need to pay attention.
Do you think the OP should have paid for the extra food or was it fair to refuse since it was the restaurant’s mistake? How would you handle a situation like this? Share your thoughts below!