I was charged £500 for cancelling a restaurant booking despite giving two days’ notice – my warning to others
A WOMAN has hit back at a restaurant that charged her £500 for cancelling her booking despite giving two days’ notice.
Lorida Quiambao was left stunned when she received an email that informed her she had been charged a late cancellation fee even though she had notified the restaurant 48 hours in advance.
The woman from Melbourne, Australia had booked a table for six to celebrate her birthday at the lavish restaurant Navi in Yarraville.
But on Thursday Lorida felt unwell and decided to cancel the reservation for the meal that was supposed to take place on Sunday.
She was left in shock when she received an email informing her she was being charged a cancellation fee of over £500 ($1000).
Lorida took it to social media and slammed the restaurant’s act as “ridiculous.”
She wrote in an angry post: “I understand cancellation fees. I’ve worked in hospitality before.
“They will probably book that table and make the money.
“No restaurant or business should be allowed to charge these kinds of cancellation fees as an offhanded thing.”
Navi offers a set menu with ingredients sourced from small producers and local farms.
The £500 fee is for the restaurant’s £90 set menu which has been charged six times for the six people attending the meal.
Lorida said she was surprised by the fee because the restaurant’s website states that 48 hours notice is required to cancel a booking.
But in an e-mail she received, the restaurant clarified that for bookings of five people and above, is required a notice of five days.
A spokesperson for the restaurant told 7News that chef and owner Julian Hills has attempted to call Lorida to explain the policy and offer a refund.
Hill wrote online: “We only have one table of six, which is one-quarter of our restaurant.
“If we fill the table, which we make all efforts to do (including contacting those on our waiting list and sharing on socials) we refund.
“I’m a small business and can’t afford to take the hit of a quarter of my restaurant missing without ample time to fill.”
The restaurant has taken to social media to try and fill the booking.
In an update post, Lorida explained she was on her way to the hospital when she got a call from the restaurant and was not able to talk.
She claimed that she has not been contacted since and explained she would have been more understanding if she had been charged a “reasonable” cancellation fee given that she had notified the restaurant more than 48 hours in advance.
“It was never my intention nor is it to actually rubbish this restaurant, because honestly their food was really good,” she added.
She concludes by saying that the restaurant has filled out the booking and refunded her.