Should I pay a deposit before eating a buffet? Should I collect the money?
Wuhan Evening News (Reporter Xia Jing) I went to eat a buffet, and when I entered the shop, I was told to pay a 100 yuan deposit in addition to the meal. If there is no waste, the deposit will be returned after the meal.
Recently, some citizens called this newspaper to question the illegal behavior of the restaurant in collecting deposits.
The reporter learned from interviews that the law does not clearly stipulate that merchants cannot collect "deposits", but if they want to collect them, they must be informed before consumers consume.
At 12 o'clock noon on the 10th, the reporter came to a seafood buffet restaurant. The original price of seafood buffet for one person at lunch was 278 yuan, after discounted 188 yuan.
The staff of the merchant informed that they must pay a "deposit" of 100 yuan before eating.
The restaurant staff explained that the "deposit" was collected to eliminate waste. After the meal, consumers who did not waste can refund the deposit in full.
The reporter then went to a cafeteria in a large shopping mall in Qiaokou. The original price of the evening buffet in the restaurant was 79 yuan, 60 yuan for activities, and a 20 yuan "deposit" for dining.
The restaurant staff explained that if there is no wastage of food, the deposit can be refunded in full.
"In fact, merchants charge deposits, but they are worried about waste. We can understand this." When the reporter interviewed multiple consumers, most of them expressed their understanding of how merchants charge deposits.
Ms. Wei told reporters that the purpose of collecting deposits is to promote on-demand food, to save food, and to restrain consumers' wastefulness. She can accept deposits.
However, some consumers questioned this. Mr. Zhou said: "I will not waste as much as I eat and take. I am forced to collect a deposit. I feel bad. If a restaurant collects a deposit, I will not consume it. "Mr. Zhou said that businesses can use other methods to combat waste. For example, consumers who waste food cannot enjoy preferential prices, and consumers who do not waste food can be rewarded, such as cash coupons.
"Currently, there is no law that prohibits merchants from collecting deposits, but deposits are not something that merchants can collect if they want." According to Yu Gang, a lawyer from Hubei Hanwu Law Firm, consumers must be clearly informed that they must collect deposits and collect deposits What is the purpose of making consumers clear and self-selection.
In real life, some restaurants have no legal basis to change the deposit into a fine.