Have you ever refused to pay for your meal when eating out?

i rarely eat out, i can cook, happy me, but i don't always have time, i did refuse to pay once, the service was terrible, i mean they had a bloody cockroach in the soup, now really, if you pay for that then you really.....

I don't recall not ever paying for a meal when dining outside. I'm more likely to be that diner who withholds tips or leaves a very small tip if I got really bad food or very bad service. I've never thought about not paying especially if a high-end restaurant gave us a low-grade meal but that hasn't stopped me from complaining and vowing to never, ever go back there. I'm also one to tell people about my experiences at restaurants so I would gladly steer my audience away from that place. I'm also that type who risks having "spit on her food" by telling the server if there is something wrong with my food and then they take it back to the kitchen. I have once gotten barely-cooked pasta at Cheesecake Factory and I told them that and they were very apologetic and made me another one and I got my Pasta da Vinci for free. I still love going to this place. Before finding your post, I was reading reviews about local restaurants. I love reading and watching restaurant reviews.

I have worked in too many restaurants to ever eat at them. I know what goes on behind the scenes. I worked very briefly at a restaurant that was a VERY popular place. The chef would make up pizza crusts and place them in a rack at night before he went home. In the morning he would have to patch up the edges that the rats had nibbled on. I have seen cockroaches running across food sitting in the kitchen and I've seen cooks drop stuff and pick it up off the floor and put it back in the pan. Just to be on the safe side you should be demanding your money back for every meal eaten out! High-end restaurants are usually more conscientious about everything that goes into the meal though, so I would feel 'safer' in them. My kids and I went to a pizza place one night. It was pretty late and we were the only patrons in the place. Our server was excellent, we never had to wait long for anything. We left her a huge tip and my kids went on out to the car. I stood at the cashier's counter for ages and nobody came. I stood there for a few more ages before I finally just walked out myself. And that's what I would do if the food was bad. I would just walk out. I wouldn't eat the food either.

Lol, we had part of our meal comped once because the appetizer was bad (I mean really bad the manager was angry at the cook, lol) and we didn't want another one. Usually, if my husband (who is picky) doesn't like it, I'll still eat it and we take it home when we can. I would try and fight it if it is bad. Not all restaurants will probably comply as sometimes the dish is just the way it's supposed to be but it's not necessarily your taste. I don't think you have the right not to pay if you still ate the meal, but if you can't stomach it and it is truly bad you shouldn't have to pay for it. However, most people just don't want to argue and simply never go back.

I have never (yet) refused to pay for my meal, But I have gave the waitress a bad tip, if we got very bad service and the restaurant was not very busy. And the waitress never explained to us what was going on and why we were not getting good service! I have waitresed before so I know how the customers are supposed to be treated!

I hardly ever eat out. I would be like you if this happen to me I would pay and never return to that restaurant again, I would never have the nerve not to pay.

As a consumer, I think wehave the right to express our views and fight for the getting something which we feel is below standards. Whether we get it or not after that is another matter. I have come close to this knid of a situation James, wherein I was totally digusted with the service and the quality of the food. The starters were horrible ,the service pathetic and I decided not to order the main course and walk out. Just then one of the people from the management walked up and profusely apologised and insisted that everything would be on the house. The rest of the evening and meal were prettygood actually. It's another thing that the restaurant closed down after 2 months.

No, I haven't refused to pay the food I ate, but I already had experiences where I got mad because of bad service. I talk to the manager and refresh her about good customer service.

I've never refused to pay for a meal. But if it wasn't upto my expectations, I usually tell them so before I leave. Most of the times, if there's been a mistake or I have found something in my food (that wasn't supposed to be there), the restaurant has never charged me for it. If the service is bad....I do not pay a tip...but I usually make sure that they know I wasn't happy.

I've seen people at restaurants say the food was terrible and they refunded them. If their a good business they should refund you if their service was that bad for you. If its that terrible they probably won't refund the meal if you eat the whole thing.

We have complained a few times. Two different times, we have been out with our friends in this one particular restaurant (it is no longer there) and got terrible service. Once, we complained and the other man with us didn't want to complain, but another couple standing outside the inside door heard it and came in and said the same thing had happened to him and his wife. The manager wasn't going to charge us but my husband said, 'no, we want to pay because whether we pay or not, we won't be back'. I think, if you never complain, the managers never know what is going on. Sometimes it is the waiter/waitress, but sometimes it's the cooks mistakes. The first time we complained in that restaurant, they never brought out 3 orders of onion rings, and said they didn't have anymore, although THEY make their own! We think the cooks were lax that night. And also, I had ordered apple pie with ice cream, and they bought we a wedge that wasn't even the width of two of my fingers. We did refuse to pay for that! It was ridiculous! It was as though they has split a piece of pie in half!

erm it depends i can't think of doing it i on the odd occasion i have experienced it have complained afterwards (worked as a waitress so never send it back urgh *shudders*) and suggested that they sort it out and never gone back. If it was horrendus i would expect money knocked off my bill i don't think i would ever expect it free but i would want some for of compenbsation if the experience was that bad. I'm very how shall i say vocal with my face rather than my mouth i pull face and twitch and you can really tell what i'm thinking without me having to say so i think often the waiter/ess notices before it gets to the not paying stage lol

I often not paid for the meal which is bad or not upto to the standard as well. I come across situations where the food is overbaked and served to us, when i had the first spoon i coudl able to get the bad so i just returned back and asked them to bring a another one.

I believe that we have refused to pay a portion of our bill if it was totally messed up. I would however, do this only when my husband is with me. I am not much for causing a scene. A few times we have complained about something with our food or service and the management has OFFERED to pay all or part of our bill. It helps that my husband is 6'8" tall and looks like a linebacker

i have never refused to pay for a meal at a resturent, but i have also been very disappointed about a meal and then just paid. I don't really know if you have the right not to pay, cause mabye the expectations were just too high. It depends of what the problem with the meal is. I have complained about a steak, cause it was very bad, and i got a new one.

No, I have never done this, but my husband and I saw a woman do this many years ago. We had gone out to eat at Lyon's and overheard that she refused to pay for food that was lousy, though she had eaten her entire meal. It must not have been so awful if she was able to do that! My husband and I knew she was just trying to get a free meal. Did she get away with it? Yes. But the employees there got this woman's information in case she ever tried to pull anything like that again. I think they even took her picture. I can understand about refusing to pay if the food is lousy, but be sure to do so after a few bites, not after licking the plate clean! If customers are willing to eat all their food then they should pay up regardless of how it tasted.

I don't recall ever doing that. I am the type that would leave and complain later. I guess it would have to be pretty bad for me to do that.

The other day we went to my hubbys favorite restaurant. We usually do not have a problem. But there are always exceptions I guess. Our waitress washorrible!! And it wasn't because the place was busy.Some of didn't get drink refills, She took one order then brought it to the table. Others didn't get to oder before she walked off again. To say it was frustrating would be an understatement! We paid the bill. And left a tip. My hubby tends to be generous with tips. This time he wasn't. I don't think I would have left one.

We have never flat out refused however, there have been times when we have asked for the manager and told him the problem. For the most part, they would either take some of the meal off of the ticket, if it was the food that was wrong, or they would comp the entire meal. We left it up to them on how to solve it. I mean the food or service had to be completely horrific for us to do something like that.

I wouldnt say i have ever refused to pay for a meal...but I will voice my feelings or thoughts to the manager in hopes they will take the meal off the bill...in most cases that is what happens. If they dotn offer to take the item off the bill, then yes i just wont return. My hubbys best friend is notorious though for making the biggest scene in places to get a meal for free if hes unhappy, and then stupid enough to go back...if i have to act like a horses behind to get the item free, then i wont go back, but if the manager cares about his customers and does it willingly, then i will return and give them another chance.