A Japanese tourist dining at a restaurant in Singapore found herself “speechless” upon receiving a bill of ₹56,000 ($680) for a crab dish, prompting her to call the police, citing a lack of clarity regarding the meal’s cost.
Junko Shinba, visiting the Seafood Paradise restaurant with friends on August 19, was taken aback when she discovered the price of the chili crab dish she had ordered. The confusion arose when the waiter recommended the restaurant’s signature Alaskan king chili crab dish, describing it as priced at $20. However, crucially, the waiter did not clarify that the cost was determined by weight, charging per 100 grams.
Ms. Shinba and her group of four ended up with a substantial 3,500-gram portion of the dish, leading to the exorbitant $680 bill. Feeling misinformed and “speechless” at the cost, she requested the restaurant to summon the police, and officers soon arrived on the scene.
The restaurant staff argued that they had not overcharged the group and even presented a receipt from another customer who had ordered a similar dish as evidence. After discussions, the restaurant decided to offer a goodwill discount of approximately $78 (₹6,479).
A representative from the Paradise Group, which owns Seafood Paradise, maintained that their staff had “clearly communicated” both the price and weight of the Alaskan King Crab before the order was placed. To avoid any miscommunication, the staff had even displayed the entire Alaskan King crab at the table before preparing it. Despite this, the customer refused to settle the bill and opted to file a police report.
In addition to involving the police, the woman reached out to the Singapore Tourism Board, which subsequently referred her case to the Consumers Association of Singapore for further investigation.
The incident underscores the importance of transparent communication regarding pricing, especially in the context of dishes that are priced by weight, and highlights the need for consumer advocacy organizations to address such disputes for the benefit of both tourists and businesses.
Sources By Agencies