Restaurant rights: the bill
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Free meals
It's a criminal offence to go into a restaurant and order a meal with the intention of not paying for it. But, if you have a genuine reason for not paying and you leave your name and address, you have not acted in any way dishonestly.
Credit card abuse
Some restaurants leave the credit card slip open next to the space marked "gratuity" so that you can leave a tip on the credit card. To avoid abuse of the credit card you should strike out the empty space and fill in the total.
Check your statements carefully and keep the copy of the signed slip at least until the amount appears on your statement.
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