Missing Charge on Credit Card Bill

[Listener]

I would like an opinion on this. My husband bought me lunch in a nice restaurant for a special occasion a few months ago. He used his own personal credit card (my name is not on it). He came up to me the other day and told me that the charge for the lunch never appeared on his bill. I thought he might be mistaken, so I looked in his files, and I don’t see the charge either.

His reaction was, “Too bad, so sad. We are not responsible for the restaurant’s billing system.”

It was for around $40 with a $10 tip. I would like to get an opinion. Do I need to contact the restaurant and try to figure out what happened?

 

[Viki63]

I would.
The restaurant provided a service, and should be paid for it.
Perhaps it wasn’t listed correctly on the credit card bill, though.

.

 

[Beryllos]

I expect you will feel better if you follow up on it. I also expect the restaurant will let it go.

 

[underacloud]

Are you certain it was that particular card? Maybe you used another card or even cash? Just double check so you don’t end up paying twice.

But certainly, if you know you were not charged it’s appropriate to want to settle that. But as Beryllos said, it’s likely the restaurant would let it go. If they accept the money, then you’ve simply paid for a service you did receive. If they decline you could consider a few options:

a) good luck for us.
b) let’s go dine there again so they can make some money from us, and in appreciation of a kind gesture.
c) let’s give this money to a charity since it’s perhaps not really “our’s”.

 

[z_0101]

wait at least one more billing cycle

I have had charges appear up to 60 days after the purchase was made and what I’ve been told by my credit card company is that this has to do with how the banks close each 30 day window and how companies close their transaction batch.

After you receive the next statement, providing the charge isn’t present, then in good faith, you should contact the merchant.

 

[MaryT777]

wait at least one more billing cycle

I have had charges appear up to 60 days after the purchase was made and what I’ve been told by my credit card company is that this has to do with how the banks close each 30 day window and how companies close their transaction batch.

After you receive the next statement, providing the charge isn’t present, then in good faith, you should contact the merchant.

Definitely this.

Mary.

 

[robertmidwest]

If you gave them the card at the end of the meal with the intention to pay for your meal you have done all that God asks you to do. They have the responsibility after that.

God put us on the earth to be salt and light, not sitting around wringing our hand and fretting over things that may or may not happened 30 or 60 days later. Seriously, the restaurant has to be responsible for how they run their business. Stop worrying about it.

 

[7_Sorrows]

If you gave them the card at the end of the meal with the intention to pay for your meal you have done all that God asks you to do. They have the responsibility after that.

God put us on the earth to be salt and light, not sitting around wringing our hand and fretting over things that may or may not happened 30 or 60 days later. Seriously, the restaurant has to be responsible for how they run their business. Stop worrying about it.

That is also how I see it. If you contact the restaurant now, a few months later, there is not a lot they can do unless you still have your receipt with what you ordered and their information on the receipt.
I would return for another meal and give them your business again if you want.

 

[Neofight]

When shopping and at the checkout, and the cashier forgets to charge you for something, don’t we typically ask, “Did you get this?”

Why, because we are not face to face with someone, would we say something like “Too bad, so sad”?

Call the credit card company, and if they have nothing, call or visit the shop, and bring it to their attention. If they charge you, pay it, if they don’t, thank them, but “Too bad, so sad,” truly is too bad and so sad on many levels.

 

[on_the_hill]

I’d wait for the next billing to see if it appears.

Depending on the size of the restaurant, an inquiry like this might be more of a headache for them to follow-up than it’s worth, because someone in a back office probably has a pile of paperwork and this will just be one more thing to try to figure out.

One time we received a video game DVD in the mail that we didn’t purchase. It came to us by mistake when our credit card # had been stolen. I called the video game company. They refunded the charge and told me to keep the game because it wasn’t worth the time and money to return it.

For over ten years we received a lot of cable TV channels we never paid for because the cable guy had mistakenly installed the wrong switch at the outside cable box. I called Comcast to let them know. They said they’d send someone out. They never did. I can only assume that it wasn’t worth their time.

 

[exnihilo]

If they overcharged or double charged you’d most likely call them. I’d wait as others say and be very sure you didn’t pay for this. If you haven’t then call them.

When shopping and at the checkout, and the cashier forgets to charge you for something, don’t we typically ask, “Did you get this?”

Why, because we are not face to face with someone, would we say something like “Too bad, so sad”?

I wonder if most people do? I think many people take the attitude that it is the cashier’s duty to get it right. Hopefully Christians aren’t doing this but I’m sure some do. One thing I’m sure of is most people will dispute extra charges. We have a duty to ensure accuracy in our business dealings for both parties.

 

[unstoppable_II]

Did you get a copy of the receipt with your signature on it? If you did, it would help the restaurant verify the charge. I was once double-billed on a rental car and asked for a copy of the second contract I signed. When it came, I noted that it was for the exact same car, with the exact same odometer readings, on two different dates as was the first. I pointed this out to my bank, and they agreed. In the research, I learned the rental car company switched over to a different computer system. A lot of strange things can happen in the credit card world. It’s nothing short of a miracle they get as much right as they do.

 

[robertmidwest]

When shopping and at the checkout, and the cashier forgets to charge you for something, don’t we typically ask, “Did you get this?”

Why, because we are not face to face with someone, would we say something like “Too bad, so sad”?

Call the credit card company, and if they have nothing, call or visit the shop, and bring it to their attention. If they charge you, pay it, if they don’t, thank them, but “Too bad, so sad,” truly is too bad and so sad on many levels.

The OP stated that her husband took her to lunch “a few months ago”. That is a lot different than standing right in front of the cashier. You are comparing apples to oranges.

God did not intend for us to scrupulously/compulsively review old bills fretting over something that may or may not have happened. I would suggest that this is getting very close a sin of pride.

 

[Kay_Cee]

Give it more time to show up on your bill.

I once charged a meal at Disneyland and it took over six months to show up on my credit card statement.

 

[rossum]

I would.
The restaurant provided a service, and should be paid for it.

Agreed.

Perhaps it wasn’t listed correctly on the credit card bill, though.

Yes. The name on the line item may be completely different from the name of the Restaurant: “ABC Services” may be trading as “DEF Restaurants”, so although you ate in DEF, the bill will come from ABC. Check the amounts of any items you do not recognise to see if they match.

rossum

 

[Sarcelle]

Agreed.

Yes. The name on the line item may be completely different from the name of the Restaurant: “ABC Services” may be trading as “DEF Restaurants”, so although you ate in DEF, the bill will come from ABC. Check the amounts of any items you do not recognise to see if they match.

rossum

I have found this to be the case in some instances. I ate at a Taco Bell not too long ago and the charge that showed up was of a different name than Taco Bell.

 

[mikekle]

Surprisingly, my ex-wife and I have had numerous similar experiences over the years, not sure if its luck or something else?! lol I could see a one time fluke, but multiple times…?

My ex-wife got a parking ticket for parking the wrong way on our street, it was around $40. 3 weeks later, she went to the police dept to pay it, they said they had no record of it.

This is a HUGE one…I bought a used dodge ram truck back in 2002, I had it financed thru a place in CA, as my credit was not that great back then, it was $ 5800. I filled out all the normal paperwork, signed it all, went to courthouse to register it, etc.

Then about a month later, the engine died, and I found it would cost close to $3500. to get it running, the dealer was not helpful, said it was all on me (there was no warranty), so my wife and I discussed it and decided to let it be repossessed, as my dad was going to co sign for a newer car for me.

So, we didnt make anymore payments on it, I parked it in the driveway, expecting it to be repo’ed within a month or so, well, the months went by and it still sat there, after about 5 months I called the finance company, they had no record of this vehicle or the lien, called the dealer, they told me they had nothing to do with it anymore, once the financing is done and car is gone, I have to deal with the finance company now.

I went to my courthouse, they had the lien on record with this CA finance company, I called them back, they still insisted they knew nothing about this vehicle, me, or the dealer I bought it from, they had searched, but said they had no records of it. They were starting to get annoyed at me and my wife calling, so they eventually told us in a harsh voice, to stop calling, they insisted they had nothing to do with this vehicle.

The truck was not worth fixing, so it sat in my driveway until we moved, then it sat behind my brothers barn for the next 8 years. Eventually I went to the courthouse and they released the lien, after 8 years, they can do this, they thought the original finance company had maybe sold the loan to another finance place and somewhere along the lines, the loan fell thru the cracks. I ended up selling the truck for junk to a guy for $700. My dad thought it may be a disgruntled employee at either the dealership or the finance company, and they ‘erased’ a bunch of data, Im not sure what happened.

My ex-wife and I still joke that I should have bought a Ferrari with this company!!

 

[ToeInTheWater]

It was for around $40 with a $10 tip. I would like to get an opinion. Do I need to contact the restaurant and try to figure out what happened?

I’m not sure you’re obligated to follow up. But I don’t think that being concerned about this is a source of scrupulous pride, either.

I’ve noticed that when cases like this come up, many people take the attitude that “eh, it’s a big company, that kind of money is chump change to them”. Now many of the same people would certainly contest a double bill or overcharge. But I’ve noticed this tendency for many people (and not just the desperately poor), to assume that it’s okay to cheat companies, the government, the rich, etc., out of money because “they can afford to lose the money”. Some even justify it by claiming that people who work there, are likely cheating and scamming people themselves, and so deserve to get the same treatment.

However, I think unless it’s some onerous burden, it would be charitable to check this out, especially because you put the tip on the card as well. Now, I know people who work in restaurants. Most who work on tips, depend on the tips as a significant part of their income. Note that in many, perhaps most, places in the USA, such establishments are actually allowed to pay serving staff less than the minimum wage, under the assumption that they will make enough in tips to cover the difference.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Surprisingly, my ex-wife and I have had numerous similar experiences over the years, not sure if its luck or something else?! lol I could see a one time fluke, but multiple times…?

My ex-wife got a parking ticket for parking the wrong way on our street, it was around $40. 3 weeks later, she went to the police dept to pay it, they said they had no record of it.

This is a HUGE one…I bought a used dodge ram truck back in 2002, I had it financed thru a place in CA, as my credit was not that great back then, it was $ 5800. I filled out all the normal paperwork, signed it all, went to courthouse to register it, etc.

Then about a month later, the engine died, and I found it would cost close to $3500. to get it running, the dealer was not helpful, said it was all on me (there was no warranty), so my wife and I discussed it and decided to let it be repossessed, as my dad was going to co sign for a newer car for me.

So, we didnt make anymore payments on it, I parked it in the driveway, expecting it to be repo’ed within a month or so, well, the months went by and it still sat there, after about 5 months I called the finance company, they had no record of this vehicle or the lien, called the dealer, they told me they had nothing to do with it anymore, once the financing is done and car is gone, I have to deal with the finance company now.

I went to my courthouse, they had the lien on record with this CA finance company, I called them back, they still insisted they knew nothing about this vehicle, me, or the dealer I bought it from, they had searched, but said they had no records of it. They were starting to get annoyed at me and my wife calling, so they eventually told us in a harsh voice, to stop calling, they insisted they had nothing to do with this vehicle.

The truck was not worth fixing, so it sat in my driveway until we moved, then it sat behind my brothers barn for the next 8 years. Eventually I went to the courthouse and they released the lien, after 8 years, they can do this, they thought the original finance company had maybe sold the loan to another finance place and somewhere along the lines, the loan fell thru the cracks. I ended up selling the truck for junk to a guy for $700. My dad thought it may be a disgruntled employee at either the dealership or the finance company, and they ‘erased’ a bunch of data, Im not sure what happened.

My ex-wife and I still joke that I should have bought a Ferrari with this company!!

Wow! That is quite a story! 8 years! Glad you didn’t have to make payments all those years! Somebody up above had your back.

 

[z_0101]

I’d wait for the next billing to see if it appears.
<…>
For over ten years we received a lot of cable TV channels we never paid for because the cable guy had mistakenly installed the wrong switch at the outside cable box. I called Comcast to let them know. They said they’d send someone out. They never did. I can only assume that it wasn’t worth their time.

++ Most likely the charge is on their next statement. Most credit cards have a website that allows the account to be checked and that might be one way to keep tabs.

+++ On the subject of the cable channels. KEEP A DETAILED RECORD OF EVERY CALL!!! You need the date, the time, the employee name (first and last), employee id-number, the case/ticket number. With the exception of the employee id, don’t let them tell you that they don’t have a ticket/case number - My Mom worked for one the companies a very long time ago, and they have those numbers.
Case in point>> In college we lived in a duplex. The next door neighbor order the “if it’s there give it to me package.” The service technician set ours up for that package. We called about this, the service guy came out and setup the next door neighbor’s service correctly, and left ours in the wrong service state! The cable company did some audit and if it were not for the fact that we had all of that information, we would have most likely been in court for theft of service. Read your contract, you have to tell them of their errors, and prove that you did so in a timely manner!