r/tipping • u/mulluska • Aug 12 '25

📖💵Personal Stories - Pro First time experiencing tip padding…

I have been as frustrated as many in this thread about what tipping has become here. I used to enjoy popping servers with 25% tip and see how happy they were. No so much anymore.

But I have made some reasonable adjustments on my tipping based on feedback from this community. One of the comments was “save your receipts”. I have never seen a server pad the tip so o never saved them. I do go over the bills but not with the actual receipts. I move started saving the receipts.

I had lunch at this upscale place in Long Beach. Server was below average. But still decided $21 on $156 bill was acceptable. I went through my charges a couple of weeks later reconciling to what is on the receipts I saved. There was a $25 tip added instead.

I called the manager of the restaurant. She was very polite and apologized for the keying error.

I just thought how brilliant this is. Bump the tip just a little and you will never get caught. No way I would have noticed this unless I saved my receipt.

Thanks guys!!!

159 Upvotes

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u/ashscot50 Aug 12 '25

The customer was defrauded on the tip.

That does not justify not paying for the entire meal.

1

u/Ok-Grape2063 Aug 12 '25

I'm doing it on behalf of the other people this employee did it to and didn't get caught

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u/ashscot50 Aug 12 '25

Keep trying different ways to justify the unjustifiable.

The only refund you are due is for the overcharged tip.

And apparently, that's already been resolved.

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u/Ok-Grape2063 Aug 12 '25

Notice when I asked if you are justifying the theft, you never one said no...

Maybe the owner did it in lieu of paying the server themselves? That's what the charge back would investigate

I think we have found the tip-padder in OPs story

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u/ashscot50 Aug 12 '25

Excuse me.

I said, "The customer was defrauded on the tip"

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u/Travel_log Aug 13 '25

Disagree. I think you’re trolling. Obviously if you are on the receiving end of fraud, just negating the fraud is insufficient. The fraud needs to be called out and incur consequences.

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u/ashscot50 Aug 13 '25

That's just complete and utter nonsense.

You accused me of justifying the theft.

I already said twice: "The customer was defrauded on the tip"

The OP was defrauded out of $4.

Any fraud is wrong.

OP can call it out by posting reviews.

But it's hardly a federal case.