Dine and Dashers - What should be done to stamp it out.?

All restaurants need to do is like many other restaurants do and that is take payment immediately after the customers have ordered their meals. If the transaction goes through, i.e. credit card then there is no way they can dine and dash.

Where else can you order something and not pay for it upfront. Every customer should pay immediately after ordering their meals.

Well that awful woman solicitor has been struck off. She pretended to the delivery driver she had already paid the £43 on line. As he passed her the food she shut the door in his face. Driver checked with the restaurant. No, she hadn’t paid. Poor driver had the £43 deducted from his wages.

She was also ordered to pay costs of £4,489. Could have dined at The Ivy for less. What a now-out-of-work idiot.

HousePlantQueen

Regrettably, if you are the kind of person ie a thief, who does this, you are unlikely to be embarrassed or ashamed when your face is plastered all over social media.

I saw one restaurant had the culprits on CCTV. They put a post on their Facebook saying that if the bill wasn't paid by the end of the week they would post the faces on Facebook for everyone to see and to warn other restaurants that they might not pay. The woman went in the following day and paid up.

It's not new, when I was a teenager people used to talk about doing it, but it seems to be growing and people know they can often get away with it. I doubt many places could afford for this to happen to them very often these days. Although I expect prices will go up and the rest of us will pay for it.

HousePlantQueen

Regrettably, if you are the kind of person ie a thief, who does this, you are unlikely to be embarrassed or ashamed when your face is plastered all over social media.

Like this solicitor.

I wouldn’t call them diners and dashers , I’d call them thieving scumbags !!!
And unfortunately it’s not new. It happens in hairdressers and nail bars too . They have expensive treatments and walk out or complain that they’re not happy.
The way around it is to take a card number or a deposit. And hope it’s not declined .

Re the solicitor but not quite the same thing. Friend is the manager of a well known store in a well to do area. Recent shoplifters have included a high ranking police officer (who did it regularly) a politician and a well known academic. Head office seldom prosecute but invariably we are the ones who end up paying.

Shoplift, dine and dash etc., are classed as victimless crimes but we all become victims when prices increase to cover the losses

Only one way to stop it as already said on this thread, you order and then pay at the bar then sit at your table.I sometimes go to a pub for a meal with friends where this happens, it’s fine and saves waiting about for the bill later.

we don't seem to have done that because we have a tradition pf asking if the meal was alright when presenting the bill. I agree that people should be asked to pay before or present their card details at the time of booking...

pascal30

we don't seem to have done that because we have a tradition pf asking if the meal was alright when presenting the bill. I agree that people should be asked to pay before or present their card details at the time of booking...

We are way too polite in this country! Thieving scumbags take total advantage of this.

If there is (genuinely) something wrong with a meal, then it shouldn't be a problem for the restaurant to offer a replacement or a refund surely?

Local policemen that's what we need

Exit gates?

A family in Wales have been prosecuted this week for a series of these crimes. They await sentencing. Their pictures were published.
Hopefully any restaurant they attempt to grace with their presence in future will recognise them and be "fully booked "

They do look as if they've done quite a lot of dining but strolling rather than dashing 🤔

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c72pyem9gdlo

I would be happy to pay on ordering if only to protect the owners of the restaurant. However a couple of months ago we had a family meal out for a special birthday. The service was poor and some of the food wasn’t very nice. When we complained the manager agreed with us that it wasn’t acceptable and offered a generous discount on the bill. How would that work if you had already paid? Also people don’t always order everything at once. They might wait to see if they want a dessert for example or ask for another drink or some coffee. Would you have to pay each time you order something extra?

petra

HousePlantQueen

Regrettably, if you are the kind of person ie a thief, who does this, you are unlikely to be embarrassed or ashamed when your face is plastered all over social media.

Like this solicitor.

Maybe not, they are brazen after all, thieves. Still having their mugs posted all over social media will warn other against serving them.

We often have to pay on ordering, especially in pubs and hotels. I don’t think there is a problem like that here, though, never heard of it. They would call the cops here. Our cops are armed.

nanna8

We often have to pay on ordering, especially in pubs and hotels. I don’t think there is a problem like that here, though, never heard of it. They would call the cops here. Our cops are armed.

Awful though these thieves are, I don't think their despicable behaviour merits being gunned down. Bit harsh 😳

The local pub where I like to eat out at takes payment when you order at the bar.

HousePlantQueen

nanna8

We often have to pay on ordering, especially in pubs and hotels. I don’t think there is a problem like that here, though, never heard of it. They would call the cops here. Our cops are armed.

Awful though these thieves are, I don't think their despicable behaviour merits being gunned down. Bit harsh 😳

That wasn't suggested.

Although being made to pay at gunpoint or marched off for a night in the cells might deter them from trying to steal again.

Callistemon21

HousePlantQueen

nanna8

We often have to pay on ordering, especially in pubs and hotels. I don’t think there is a problem like that here, though, never heard of it. They would call the cops here. Our cops are armed.

Awful though these thieves are, I don't think their despicable behaviour merits being gunned down. Bit harsh 😳

That wasn't suggested.

Although being made to pay at gunpoint or marched off for a night in the cells might deter them from trying to steal again.

Sorry, I did mean that to be humorous! Anyway, I saw the news report of the two delightful people in Cardiff, she has also got convictions for shoplifting. They looked as if they did more dining than dashing I have to say.