EVERYONE expects to pay a bit more to enjoy a sarnie if they’re having it by one of the most stunning tourist hotspots on the Continent.
But a high-end bar by breathtaking Lake Como in Italy has left one customer with a bitter taste in his mouth after charging over £2 just to cut his sandwich in half.
A hacked off customer who wasn’t happy with the surcharge posted a photo of his receipt on social media, revealing the extra fee listed as ‘diviso da meta’ or ‘divided in half’ for his veggie toast and crisps meal that originally cost €7.50 (£6.46).
The customer wanted to share his sandwich with his girlfriend and couldn’t believe the unexpected price-jump to his bill.
Cristina Biacchi, the owner of Bar Pace, defended the hike, citing the additional time and effort involved in cutting the sandwich and the need for extra plates and placemats.
“We had to use two plates instead of one and the time to wash them doubled. And then two placemats.” Biacchi bleated to Italian paper La Repubblica.
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However, the customer said that the sandwich should have been served cut in half as standard.
The story took a further twist, with suggestions that the fee could be an attempt to deter customers from sharing a single order.
Defending the charge, Biacchi said that the customer could have avoided the surcharge by objecting to it immediately, a practice that in reality most wouldn’t attempt.
“If you had said something immediately, you would not have paid this supplement. And none of this would have happened.” said Biacchi
The incident has sparked fierce debate on social media about the ethics of such charges, especially when they are not easily enforceable.
It raises questions about the fairness of hidden charges and the obligations of consumers to pay for services they did not request or were not forewarned about.
While the incident at Bar Pace definitely isn’t the first ‘SandwichGate’, Ed Miliband’s bacon sandwich (below) holds that title, let’s just hope we can cut this type of behaviour out in the future.
Or just ask for a knife.
