Restaurateur David Moore who runs London eateries Pied a Terre an L’Autre Pied has highlighted an apparent scam which sees individuals posing as disgruntled diners, despite never having visited the restaurant, and demanding a free meal as compensation. Moore received two identically-worded emails in July and December 2011. The email reads: “I had dinner with three friends last Saturday and unfortunately, the service was terrible and just extremely rushed too”. It goes on to suggest “just a complimentary meal for one please - in order for me to restore faith in your brilliant brand”.Moore checked the reservations on the dates the customer claimed to have visited and found no bookings under their name on either occasion. Meanwhile Moore receive another email this month, again from someone claiming to be a disgruntled customer, claiming to be unhappy with the veal and plaice they were served. But neither dish was on the menu during the period they were complaining about and again there was no evidence of a booking under the supposed customer’s name.
Has your business been targeted by fake complaints? Share your experiences and help alert other businesses here!
Follwing a couple more stories I've been told by phone about possible scams - including one about fake dry cleaning bills from a customer who claimed staff at a high-end restaurant had spilt wine on his tie (they hadn't) I am thinking about a possible feature on fake complaints.
If you have any stories I'd love to hear them. I will be happy to keep the names of the people complaining etc anonymous, just to be on the safe side!