Please Stay Aware in Bars/Restaurants

[kwagner99]

Originally Posted by Nerak936

I agree that this situation does indeed happen. And if you go to a beach club and make an agreement with the waiter that the chairs/umbrella are free since you plan to eat and drink there, don´t be surprised if he forgets (?) and tries to charge you an extra 100 p. for it (but I very nicely reminded him).

However, this week the opposite happened to me twice (the waiter forgot to include something that we had drunk or eaten).

And me, being the "oh my God, if I don´t make them aware, I´ll burn in hell" type, brought it to their attention.

Maybe you should cut back on crushing those beer cans on you forehead!

[Michele]

Originally Posted by Heather

I keep reading this as "Please stay AWAKE in Bars/Restaurants"

Also sage advise.

[Kevin y Pam]

Wow!

[claudiadeplaya]

Originally Posted by Big Fish

Txs for the heads up - always a good reminder...

So we know that 'propina' is the tip and to always look to see if it is included or not. Where we have seen bills padded is when places try to add tax - "impuesto" and that there shouldn't be any, which has been removed when questioned by us on the odd occasion.

Suzie/Michelle (or anyone else in the know)....what do you know about the tax on restaurant/bar bills? Should it be charged or not? Recently, we noticed for example that Ajua is the ONLY place that is upfront and puts on their menus that tax will be added to the bill......(making a meal quite expensive really at the end of it all). Most, if not all other places we've eaten do not add impuesto, but are there certain types of establishments that we should expect to? We found it odd that Ajua does do it when others do not - as with everything else - inconsistency!!

Consumer laws in Mexico according to Profeco (Consumer´s righths bureau) states that the products and items in restaurnts have to have a full price displayed on the menu (Ajua has been reported for this)
A restaurant is not allowed to put the Tax at the end of the bill, on top of the price that was listed in the menu, that is against the law
You have to always ask for a written bill, by law they have to provide one and if a Restaurant is neglecting to do that they are breaking the law.
I know no one wants to be spending precious vacation time making a denuncia in a formal Profeco office unless it is for more money but if you don´t report things nothing can be done to correct them.
The office for PROFECO is in Plaza Papagayo behind the Dominos pizza on Avenida Juarez close to the Highway they can only help you if you have reciepts from the business breaking the law
they have a yahoo account that they were kind enough to share to write complains about specific establishments that incurr in illegal behaviour
profeco_solidaridad at yahoo dot com dot mx
They have bilingual staff and at a national level multilingual staff the local number is 8794484 The Delegate Name is Victor Soza, and in my opinion they are a super professional and efficient office I was really impressed with their help for a foreigner that went to them last month, and took me as translator.

[Big Fish]

Txs for that clarification Claudia......so should it be expected that Ajua (for example) should remove the statement "tax will be added to your bill" from their menu's then if they have already been reported do you know? Wonder how long ago they were reported on this? Should peeps refuse to pay tax if they or any other place has it stated on the menu?

[claudiadeplaya]

I think custumers should ask to talk to a manager before they order and make them aware that you are familiar with the law
I know someone that said was going to report this but I don´t know if they eventually did or not
What happens it that a representative of Profeco does a verification visit and if they have this note on their menu, they are invited to remove it, if they don´t then they get fined.

[claudiadeplaya]

Originally Posted by claudiadeplaya

I think custumers should ask to talk to a manager before they order and make them aware that you are familiar with the law
I know someone that said was going to report this but I don´t know if they eventually did or not
What happens it that a representative of Profeco does a verification visit and if they have this note on their menu, they are invited to remove it, if they don´t then they get fined.

I also think I should pay more attention to my spelling since I cannot edit my posts

[TnTWalter]

I am sure we overpaid because I remember always seeing tax added to bills. I did catch a couple times that they added a service fee in english and I did read propina once. We still gave extra just in case. LOL.

[ryberg]

As far as we know, it is not required to provide a list of prices with the tax figured in, though it's required to note that tax will be added if it has not been figured in already. (In other words, to provide the same information to the customer as to the total cost.)

From time to time here, people erroneously comment that tax is not charged on food or in restaurants and bars in Playa, and then sometimes unfortunately go on to conclude that they were cheated in a restaurant/bar when something identified as tax was added by the establishment. Tax is charged on food and in restaurants/bars in Playa, though (again as far as we know) prices can be shown with or without the tax already figured in.

Steve

[ryberg]

Incidentally I believe what I'm describing is similar to the situation with some hotels and rates in USD: normally the rule is that prices must be shown in pesos, however as long as a price in USD and an exchange rate is shown, such that the price in pesos can clearly be calculated, there is no problem. The problem is when pricing information isn't provided.

Steve

[Babaloo]

Originally Posted by claudiadeplaya

Consumer laws in Mexico according to Profeco (Consumer´s righths bureau) states that the products and items in restaurnts have to have a full price displayed on the menu (Ajua has been reported for this)
A restaurant is not allowed to put the Tax at the end of the bill, on top of the price that was listed in the menu, that is against the law

Originally Posted by ryberg

As far as we know, it is not required to provide a list of prices with the tax figured in, though it's required to note that tax will be added if it has not been figured in already. (In other words, to provide the same information to the customer as to the total cost.)
Steve

cool
now it's clear as mud

[roni]

Originally Posted by Babaloo

cool
now it's clear as mud

One person was a manager

The other is an informed consumer

I know who has more credibility with me.

Ain't the manager

[ryberg]

Cheap shot.

Also a misguided shot, as the one person you're referring to is a female Mexican hotel administrator, just for the record.

But I'm not trying to have a battle with Claudia, by any means! We love Claudia. Delmy says she can double check with her sources next week.

A little hard to believe we've been breaking the law for nigh on 6 years now and nobody has ever come around to inform us otherwise, despite all the times they do come around to check on even more detailed things (like whether you're giving out the restaurant check stub to each customer, just for example).

Even if that is the case, however, the point would still be valid: there must be many restaurants/bars that have figured prices without tax added in, put a note on their menu or on other signage around the establishment that taxes will be added, and then added that tax to the bills of their customers accordingly, none of which would amount to trying to trick or cheat their customers. That is what I'm trying to warn people against concluding, in the end.

Steve

[roni]

Originally Posted by ryberg

Cheap shot.

Steve

Not so, just a look at my decision process.

9 times out of 10, that is right on target.

I'll take those odds.

Not that a value shopper like me is in your customer base anyway

[ryberg]

Originally Posted by roni

Not so, just a look at my decision process.

9 times out of 10, that is right on target.

I'll take those odds.

Not that a value shopper like me is in your customer base anyway

Ooh, double cheap shot.

Steve