Aunt Fang specially took a picture of the bill and the restaurant's tissue (picture provided by the informant). According to the Yangcheng Evening News, reporters Pengkun Shuai and Chao Tan reported: A box of 200 tissues in the supermarket costs no more than 4 or 5 yuan, while a box of less than 50 tissues in a restaurant private room actually costs 15 yuan! On July 7, citizen Aunt Fang informed the Yangcheng Evening News that she was having dinner with friends at Minnan Manor in Haizhu District of Guangzhou, and when settling the bill, she found that a pack of tissues cost 15 yuan.
Aunt Fang told the reporter: "I had dinner with friends at Minnan Manor in Haizhu District. There were five people in our private room. When we received the bill, it showed that we spent a total of 439 yuan, and one box of tissues actually cost 15 yuan." When she consulted the waiter, the response she received was: "Whether you use it or not, you still have to pay 15 yuan." Aunt Fang told the reporter that there were at most twenty sheets of tissue in the box, and they were leftovers from others. The server also specifically stated: "The tissues can be taken away, but the box cannot."
Response: Employees will inform the price before consumption
At noon on July 7, the reporter came to Minnan Manor, where the dining hall was full of customers. When the reporter asked the hall manager about the price of the tissues, the hall manager said: "The tissues in the hall are free, but the tissues in the private room cost 15 yuan."
When the reporter asked Mr. Shen, the manager of Minnan Manor, why a box of tissues costs 15 yuan, Manager Shen explained: "The tissues in the hall are free, but the pricing for the tissues in the private rooms includes service fees, wear and tear of the tissue box, etc."
After verification by Minnan Manor, a box of tissues contains 50 sheets. The reporter saw that the box used to hold the tissues was embroidered with the words "Minnan Manor" on the surface, and the material was ordinary plastic.
Regarding the statement "whether you use it or not, you still have to pay," Manager Shen denied it: "If consumers inform us in advance that they do not need the tissues we provide, we will not charge them."
Although Manager Shen claimed that employees must inform consumers of the price of the tissues beforehand as required, Aunt Fang said: "When we went there, no one reminded us. During the meal, we naturally saw the tissues placed next to us and used them directly, assuming they were free."
In response, Manager Shen responded: "It is possible that some new employees did not inform consumers as required."
Lawyer: Contrary to the Contract Law, can refuse to pay
Regarding this, Zhu Yongping, the chief lawyer of Guangdong Datong Law Firm analyzed: "When consumers consume in a restaurant, both parties have already formed a service contract relationship. According to the Contract Law and the Consumer Rights Protection Law, the restaurant and consumers must follow the principles of voluntariness and equal negotiation, and fairly and reasonably treat the service contract."
Zhu Yongping expressed: "If the restaurant does not inform beforehand and does not post the price, consumers can refuse to pay; if they pay, they should pay according to a reasonable price." If consumers encounter such a situation, Zhu Yongping suggests: "First, you can call the consumer association hotline; second, you can file a complaint with the price department."