‘Bad vibes’: pub in China slaps customers with US$42 ‘punishment fine’ for ‘not creating vibrant’ atmosphere
- Manager of bar claims waiter is responsible for extra charge because he was working as a sub-contractor
- Following complaint to consumer regulator, customer gets an apology, a refund and a bottle of wine
A woman in China who was charged an extra 300 yuan (US$42) because she and her friends were “not creating a vibrant enough vibe” in a pub has shared her experience on mainland social media.
The unidentified woman was with friends at the Boom Shake bar in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, eastern China, earlier this month and had booked a VIP booth with a minimum spend of 3,800 yuan (US$535), local media reported.
When the group arrived, they discovered that the booth they were given was too small but they decided to stay, according to the woman.
However, when the bill for 4,988 yuan arrived, they were surprised to find an extra bottle of wine and a mystery charge of 300 yuan added.
Staff told them the extra charge was a “punishment” because the atmosphere around their booth was not good enough.
“He said we were fined as the vibe around us during the last hour there was not vibrant enough,” the woman told news site Pear Video.