Crime Shimbashi snack owner arrested for overcharging inebriated customers

[thomas]

Desperate times, desperate measures. However, good to see that some of these 'gastronomes' are being held responsible: a "snack" bar operator in the capital's Shimbashi district has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to overcharge customers, including one man whose credit card was billed hundreds of thousands of yen after a night out.

About a week later, he was stunned by his online credit card statement. Charges included a total 669,800 yen (approx. $4,630) from three bars in the early hours of Jan. 28. At the first bar, he was initially charged 11,000 yen (about $76), followed by another charge of 188,000 yen (about $1,300). The second bar charged 275,000 yen ($1,900), and the third bar charged 195,800 yen ($1,350). He has no memory of visiting the second or third bars. [...] He also reported the misuse to his credit card company, but was told bluntly that because the charges had been made using his PIN code, they were his responsibility even in the case of misuse. The man's colleague had also been cleared out of 100,000 yen (roughly $690) in cash that night. [...] In late February, the man contacted a lawyer and requested payment details and other information from the three bars through the credit card company. About a month and a half later, he received responses from the second and third bars, which refused to return any amount, claiming, among other things, "If we give refunds on the basis that people can't remember, it won't be good for our business."

However, there were notable issues with the receipts disclosed by the bars. The second establishment seemingly listed a party of one in the space thought to be denoting the number of customers, while the itemization listed "2 wines" for 40,000 yen (roughly $280) and four of another indecipherable item for 200,000 yen (about $1,385). The third bar's receipt lists a party of one man and two women, charging 18,000 yen (approx. $125) for three "sets" and 160,000 yen ($1,110) for "4 champagnes."

Man discovers $4.6k charge after night out; Tokyo 'snack' bar owner arrested - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- A

mainichi.jp