SINGAPORE: A diner warned Singaporeans to be careful when ordering at a certain food establishment, as they had overcharged him for his meal.
In a post shared on the Complaint Singapore Facebook group, Mr Raphael Leung recounted his experience at the Mixed Rice (菜饭) stall located at 639 Punggol Drive Kopitiam.
According to Mr Leung, he ordered a standard meal consisting of one meat and two vegetables, which the menu listed at $3.60. However, when the cashier rang up his order, he was charged $5.50 instead.
“I only realised when I saw he gave me a $4.50 change (it was too late to reject). When I nicely asked him, he claimed that Curry Chicken is $3 and then served the next guy… How can that be, and the menu didn’t even state this?” he wrote.
“And disclaimer: this is not the budget $2.80 package set that needs to select specific dishes. I am talking about the $3.60 is the usual 1 meat and 2 veggies; see menu attached,” he added.
Mr Leung also said that if he had known he was going to be charged $5.50, then he would have chosen to order from a different stall, such as the nearby Western Stall, which offers better value.
“So be careful, and this stall really anyhow charges one; don’t go according to menu one,” he warned others.
“Just ask before ordering to be safe…”
In the comments section, some Singaporeans defended the establishment, explaining that in certain cases, if a customer selects a meat or vegetable that is not part of the standard package, the price may be higher.
One netizen shared, “It’s normal. You must ask them which meats or veggies you can pick for the $3.60. I had previously ordered from another store called Chang Chen. It had a big sign for $3.50, but you can’t just pick any items. Just ask before ordering to be safe.”
Others, however, expressed solidarity with Mr Leung, saying that the establishment had a misleading menu board that failed to explain the pricing structure clearly.
One netizen explained, “It’s more about false advertising. They should honour what they advertise, and there should be clarity on which items are included in the stated price.”
Another expressed, “Thanks for sharing. If I ever visit this stall, I will make sure I pay the exact amount, so if it’s meant to be 3.60, I will pay exactly 3.60. If the seller says it’s more, I will point to the price on the board.
If he still insists it’s more, I will say, ‘No thanks, you eat yourself.’ These kinds of cheapo sellers must be taught a lesson.”
In other news, a man posted a photo of the slivers of spread he was given with the toast he ordered for breakfast. He was shocked they were so small.
For Sri Nair, this was “definitely” an example of shrinkflation, which happens when the amount of a product is decreased, but consumers are still charged the same price.
“I didn’t want Kaya for the toasted bread. I expected margarine or butter for the bread spread. See what I got. A set of thin and short slices of so-called butter. Definitely, shrinkflation had seriously set in Singapore,” he wrote.