SINGAPORE: Singaporeans online are calling out festive surcharges at food stalls this holiday season, with many sharing their experiences of unexpected price hikes.
One Facebook user took to the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE page on Friday (Jan 31) to protest a $1 Chinese New Year (CNY) surcharge for plain bee hoon, exclaiming, “This is outrageous, just because of CNY.”
Although he did not indicate the name and location of the stall, he posted photos of it, including one showing a sign warning patrons of an additional “CNY Eve to Day 3 surcharge” this week.
The sign reads: “Dear Customers, We would like to inform you that there will be a festive surcharge from 28/01/2025 to 31/01/2025. Thank you.” It also says, “A la carte, add double” for other dishes, including rice and noodles, diners must add $1.00.
This prompted one commenter to point out that the stall was “economic in name only”.
In another post on the page, a group member complained about a non-Chinese coffee shop charging an additional $0.30 per drink and $1 for bread sets. They expressed frustration that the surcharge applied not only on CNY’s first and second days but also on the third day, “when schools are back, and it’s a non-public holiday.”
The post author questioned the reasoning behind the surcharge and called it “totally illogical and unrelated, utterly ridiculous”. They also asked whether this meant that during other holidays, such as Deepavali or Hari Raya, “Chinese coffee shops and hawker stalls should also be following suit, (and) should be charging more.”
He posted a sign at the coffee shop, telling customers there would be “a slight adjustment” in the form of “a joyous addition of $1” for breakfast sets and “an auspicious increment” of 30 cents for beverages.
Many in Singapore believe that CNY surcharges are justified, given that staff who come to work on public holidays must be paid more. Due to high demand, some raw materials, including food items, may also become more pricey during this time.
Nevertheless, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said that it received nine complaints last year over CNY surcharges, CNA reported on Monday (Jan 27). In contrast, there were only six in 2023 and four in 2022.
The report added that CASE is asking vendors to be direct with consumers about surcharges, which can be as high as 30 per cent for various services, such as manicures, pedicures, and car washes.
At least the stall holders in the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE posts above had done just that: inform would-be diners that they would be paying more for their orders this week. /TISG
Read related: Man surprised by ‘CNY surcharge’ at non-Chinese eatery