Service charge when redeeming app points at Coffee Shop

[RandolphGB]

I've used the Coffee app for the reward points for a while and never had problems. But at the weekend I used the loyalty reward points to get a coffee from the branch on Sukhumvit 

 

After finishing the the drink, they brought a bill for the 'service charge' on the initial coffee price. No actual money was exchanged for the one 'free' coffee but I had to pay 12 Baht service charge.

 

This has never happened before in any branches of the cafe when using their reward points.

 

It also makes no sense to add a service charge to something that's 'free'.

 

There are no mentions of this in their app terms and conditions. 

 

What are the legalities surrounding this? Has anyone had a similar experience with this company. 

Edited March 25 by CharlieH
Name and shaming not permitted, minor edit.

[tjintx]

If I were you, I wouldn't worry about that 12 baht coffee.

 

I'd get a lawyer and sue!

Edited March 25 by tjintx

[RandolphGB]

4 minutes ago, tjintx said:

If I were you, I wouldn't worry about that 12 baht coffee.

 

I'd get a lawyer and sue!

 

If a cafe can wrongly charge 12 baht to one person for one 'free' coffee, they can do it for other items, to other people, on other days, which in a year adds up to significant amounts. 

 

[freeworld]

Need to read the terms and conditions of the business for obtaining and redeeming the points/rewards.

Edited March 25 by freeworld

[CharlieH]

A technicality exploited I suggest. The coffee had no charge and was therefore "Free" the preparation and delivery of the coffee was charged which also incorporates the use of the facilities provided.

 

Technically correct, but ethically, I would say a good way to alienate the customer base.

[Captain Monday]

The 12 baht is probably for the electricity used to pull the lungo. I was at a meal  on the terrace with large group of  Farangses once’s.  One of the children broke a juice glass.
 How many thousands did we spend?

It does not matter some staff come out  first with a bill for the broken glass.
 

This is Thailand. 

Edited March 25 by Captain Monday

[connda]

Vote with your feet.  They obviously think their customers are chumps.

[OneMoreFarang]

I wouldn't like it, but I understand the point of view of the people who work there.

Even if the coffee is free for you, it is the same work for them. And a big part of the income of those service people is the service charge.

 

I know about an incident in a luxury hotel in Bangkok where the management wanted to change some conditions for the service charge. The service people threatened to walk out, all of them, right away. The management changed their mind very fast and didn't change anything. 

 

I think: Just pay and don't worry about it.

[OneMoreFarang]

That reminds me when I ordered electronic parts which were shipped from the USA. When I ordered over 50USD the shipment was free so I made sure that I ordered over 50USD - and the shop didn't charge me for shipping.

 

When the parcel arrived in Thailand, I had to pay tax and duty, on the total amount including shipping. The tax office decided what shipping should have cost, a ridiculous amount of money. And then they charged 30% of what I paid for the parts and 30% of the virtual shipping cost.

If I wanted my parcel, I had to pay...

I have no idea if that happens only in Thailand or all over the world.

 

 

[eyeman]

1 hour ago, RandolphGB said:

 

If a cafe can wrongly charge 12 baht to one person for one 'free' coffee, they can do it for other items, to other people, on other days, which in a year adds up to significant amounts. 

 

 

Yes, absolutely, and all those 12 bahts going into the pockets of hard working people, it could add up to thousands over the years, heck they might even be able to afford a small break away from Bangkok or a treat on their birthday at this rate. Nothing makes me sicker than hard working people getting a small bonus from the pool of service charge they accumulated.. 🤮 I've called BBC Panorama and they are on the way..

Edited March 25 by eyeman

[RandolphGB]

1 hour ago, eyeman said:

 

Yes, absolutely, and all those 12 bahts going into the pockets of hard working people, it could add up to thousands over the years, heck they might even be able to afford a small break away from Bangkok or a treat on their birthday at this rate. Nothing makes me sicker than hard working people getting a small bonus from the pool of service charge they accumulated.. 🤮 I've called BBC Panorama and they are on the way..

 

We're all 'working people'. Stop the patronizing attitude that just because people come from semi-developed countries it's ok for them to cheat.

Edited March 25 by RandolphGB

[RandolphGB]

2 hours ago, freeworld said:

Need to read the terms and conditions of the business for obtaining and redeeming the points/rewards.

 

I've read them. No mention of service charges being added when points are redeemed. 

[RandolphGB]

I wanted to update people on the outcome of this case. 

 

The Coffee Club Thailand head office confirmed that there is no service charge when points are redeemed on their app. The 12 Baht charged by the branch on Sukhumvit 11 was a breach of their own terms and conditions. 

 

The manager refunded the 12 baht and made an apology. 

 

Now, this isn't about the money, or the fact that the staff chased after me so it looked like I was trying to leave without paying. 

 

When I returned to dispute the service charge, every one of the staff were insistent that making a service charge for the 'free' drink was correct. This is despite me explaining to them that I had redeemed points in the same branch just a couple of weeks earlier and not been given a service charge. Indeed, I've redeemed points on their app at branches around Bangkok and the rest of the country without ever having been made to pay a service charge for the free loyalty reward drinks.

 

Unfortunately, cases like this are symptomatic of Thais in almost every walk of life, but particularly in the service industry. When they don't know the answer or they do things incorrectly the simply come up with some fabrication or nonsense explanation (translation = BS) for what they're doing. 

 

The majority of Thais accept what they are told in these circumstances without questioning it. It's always the customer that loses out.

 

I would implore everyone never to accept the words that are told to them in Thailand question them critically and rationally. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28 by RandolphGB