The coffee shop that charged me for 'atmosphere' on my invoice

I went to this trendy little café downtown last month called The Grind House. I ordered a plain black coffee and when the bill came, there was a $2.50 line item for 'ambient experience fee.' I laughed out loud and asked the barista about it and she said it covers the lighting and music. Has anyone else run into weird fake charges like this on a bill from a place or person you deal with?

2 comments

2 Comments

danielk849d ago

Honestly, I get why it would bug you, but people are acting like this is some huge scam. It's two bucks, and you went to a trendy place with lighting and music, right? They probably added it because too many people camp out with a single coffee for hours using the free wifi. I bet if you made a stink about it they'd take it off the bill, which basically proves it's more of a joke charge than anything serious.

william_craig78d ago

That's the thing though, is two bucks really nothing? I had the same thing happen at a coffee shop downtown. They put a "service fee" on my bill for sitting at a table near an outlet. I asked about it and the cashier shrugged and said it was a "usage fee". I just paid it but it left a bad taste. You're right that if you push back they'll drop it, but most people won't bother over two bucks. It's not about the money, it's about them trying to squeeze an extra dollar out of you for doing something you already paid for with the coffee. I get why the wifi camping is a problem, but this just seems like a lazy way to handle it.