Caution re local restaurant

[Drro]

Just a word of caution...

I recently ate at a local restaurant (lunch), great food, good service, but I learned something I want to pass on to you all.

Do not leave the bill with your money on the table (like tucked under the ashtray or whatever) - give it to the waitress! Wait for your change.

We didn't do that. I (a female) ate with a male friend who is known and memorable about Sosua. When he went his way and I mine, I was chased by the waitress telling me I left a 50 peso, not a 500 peso note, and that it's easy to make that mistake, etc. etc.

I thought she was chasing me to give me change so she totally caught me off guard - so yes, I gave her more money. It's interesting that she waited and chased me; no one went after the male.

I went back 2 days later and talked to the owner; Sosua being a small town I wanted him to know what had transpired. I was friendly, supportive, and he was listening, though eye contact wasn't his long suit. I actually pointed out the waitress to him and he said he would monitor (my word) her and thanked me.

The principle bothered me - I don't live year round but have been coming down for years and have a condo there so I don't consider myself a tourist. He got my point, and I did get my money back.

However, when I stopped in to say hello and see what happened since I was there, it was a very different story. Now I'm very suspect, and again my caution is two-fold.

Don't leave money on the table; and be careful of bait and switch cons.

I'm trying to be informative here without pointing fingers purposefully. If you want more info or have had similar experiences, please PM or email me.

Ro

 

[SKY]

Why don't you just post the name of the restaurant. Maybe someone had a similar experience there?

Keeping it to yourself is not helping anybody.

 

[Mirador]

Why don't you just post the name of the restaurant. Maybe someone had a similar experience there?

Keeping it to yourself is not helping anybody.

DR 50 and 500 bills are very similar. Without glasses, they are very easy to confuse. Go ahead, give the waitress the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Tamborista]

Why don't you just post the name of the restaurant. Maybe someone had a similar experience there?

Keeping it to yourself is not helping anybody.

At least give us the first letter!

 

[Drro]

First, the 50 and 500 are clearly two different colors; and I know the difference.

Secondly, the 50 she showed me was folded in quarters - I don't do that to my money. I fold it in half and it fits perfectly in my coin purse.

And the letters are **edited out****

Ro

sorry RO but that could lead to litigation

 

[Maggie6872]

DR 50 and 500 bills are very similar. Without glasses, they are very easy to confuse. Go ahead, give the waitress the benefit of the doubt.

Exactly how many times are you going to give the waitress the benefit of a doubt at 450 pesos? and jeez, I would like to be your waitress if we are playing that game!!!!!!!

What Ro did was acceptable- going back to talk to the owner. I would go back for my 450 pesos too. However, unless the food were spectacular, I probably wouldn't go back to eat.

When I pay a bill, I actually count the money out to the waitress or waiter. That way, there is no mistake in knowing what is there to pay the bill.

 

[HOWMAR]

Not sure what you meant by "male friend who is known and memorable about Sosua"? Being the devil's advocate, considering all the local characters in Sosua, are you sure he didn't make the switch? Could he have been taken you as a crazy gringa leaving a 500 pesos tip and thought he could swith it to 50 pesos without anybody knowing?aranoid: aranoid:

 

[marliejaneca]

I understand your point here, Drro, but this could happen anywhere in the world.

Personally, I never leave money on the table for payment or tip. I wait until I see the person who served me or search her/him out in the back to make sure they receive the payment. I started doing this after I saw a diner walk past a table where the patrons had just left, and had left tip money on the table. This person very casually walked by the table and scooped up the money and kept walking. This person who stole the tip was a patron not the wait staff. Therfore, I make sure payment and tip has been handed over to the proper person before leaving and avoiding a situation like this happening.

Marlie

 

[SKY]

Anybody that knows anything about Sosua would not eat in that restaurant in the first place.

 

[Drro]

So to clear some stuff up - the male I was with was a fellow Buckeye - from Ohio - and he not only wasn't the 'switcher' but he acknowledges that it wqs a 500 not a 50.


And thank you all for your comments, and especially the support.

Ro

 

[DavidZ]

Whomever switched the bills, the point should be taken...NEVER leave the payment on the table. It could have been taken altogether, as opposed to switched. I wouldnt even think of doing this...I always find MY SERVER...not another server, and give him/her the money and/or tip directly.

 

[Hlywud]

Similar event

I had a similar situation in Cabarete, where the service was poor so I went in to get another round of drinks and paid our tab for drinks and food (900RD), only to find out that they insisted I had not paid inside the restaurant/bar when we went to leave and were presented with the bill.
I asked them to show me how many $50 US bills they had in the till which I settled up with, they looked and there was only one, so I showed them the 600RD I was given back as change. They wanted to argue and call the police so I paid the a$$holes again, but we will never go back and have told many people about their scam.

But to publish their name here on DR1 is not the way to handle this, especially in a these litigous times, it is DR1 that gets the letters and threats from business and lawyers not the posters.

Now everyone knows why I edited one post.
Want the name pm me and I will give it to you.

It is good enough to post a warning so people will wait and pay their server.

 

[Kyle]

threats and letters ? are you telling me there is no freedom of speech ? what possible litigation could come from posting on a website ? you wouldn't even need a lawyer to litigate that. call me i'll litigate for you...

the point is well taken about leaving your money on the table....

 

[Mirador]

... But to publish their name here on DR1 is not the way to handle this, especially in a these litigous times, it is DR1 that gets the letters and threats from business and lawyers not the posters. ...QUOTE]

Modern laws in most countries, including DR, has taken care of this problem, falling under "right of reply" legislation... This public forum or DR1 owners cannot be found liable to libel (or defamation) in any way by comments made by posters regarding the aforesaid of the first party irrespective of the veracity of said statements...

 

[Rocky]

If I may, add a bit to the story, as I was privy to the situation, almost from the start.
What Ro did not mention was that when she got to the beach after the incident, she realized there was no way it was a 50, and to double check, she got in touch with her dinner companion, who corroborated unquestionably that it was a 500 bill.
Pursuant to this, wanting to clear up the matter and not bring it out into the public eye, she went and saw the owner, who reimbursed her the money.
I suppose he was acknowledging that he believed her.
What is unusual is, that subsequently, Ro went back, maybe out of curiosity, briefly talked to the owner, only to be told that the waitress in question, was in fact the owner's girlfriend and business partner.
I will not post my conclusions that I draw from that little tidbit of info, but I do find it quite astounding.

 

[Tamborista]

Now that eliminates 3 places if the owner has a girlfriend/partner!

 

[Tor]

If you can't post the name of the restaurant. I would say it would be better not to post this stuff at at all. (Almost as stupid as just leaving the money on the table)

 

[Rocky]

If you can't post the name of the restaurant. I would say it would be better not to post this stuff at at all. (Almost as stupid as just leaving the money on the table)

Ro posted,

Don't leave money on the table; and be careful of bait and switch cons.

I'm trying to be informative here without pointing fingers purposefully. If you want more info or have had similar experiences, please PM or email me.

Doesn't seem stupid to me.
Here you have a member, who gets caught in a sting of sorts, and would like to save other members from a similar experience, without badmouthing the restaurant on the World Wide Web.
I would call that being considerate.

 

[Tor]

I just dissagree with you Rocky. An advise about not just leaving the money on a restaurant table is universal, has nothing to do about Sosua or the DR in general.
If You have a bad experince in an establishment of any kind, I realy don't see the use of the information if you don't mention where it is.

 

[Rocky]

I just dissagree with you Rocky. An advise about not just leaving the money on a restaurant table is universal, has nothing to do about Sosua or the DR in general.
If You have a bad experince in an establishment of any kind, I realy don't see the use of the information if you don't mention where it is.

I understand.
Send her a PM.