Pub fines woman Rs. 3,400 for not creating 'good vibes'
In a surprising turn of events, a woman and her friends found themselves facing an additional charge of 300 yuan (Rs. 3400 approx.) at a pub in China. The reason? Their perceived failure to create "a vibrant enough vibe." The incident occurred at the Boom Shake bar in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. The woman took to a Chinese social media platform to share her experience.
The woman booked a VIP booth
The woman and her friends reserved a VIP booth, which cost them 3,800 yuan (Rs. 43,500). However, upon arrival, they found that the booth assigned to them was too small, but they chose to stay. To their astonishment, when the bill for 4,988 yuan (Rs. 57,000) arrived, it included an extra bottle of wine and an unexpected charge of 300 yuan (Rs. 3430).
She was charged for lack of vibrancy around her booth
Staff justified the added fee as a "punishment" for the perceived lack of vibrancy around their booth. The woman told Pear Video, "He said we were fined as the vibe around us during the last hour there was not vibrant enough." "I was speechless. We went there as consumers, not to work to create a vibe. Why should we be penalized?" the woman exclaimed.
'Vibe fine' meant for staff, not for customers: Management
The woman voiced her complaint, and in response, the management explained that the "vibe fine" was meant to be imposed on staff, not customers. "I guess the waitperson was unhappy with this, so he charged the fine back to the customer," the management representative told the woman. The woman retorted, "This is the problem of the waitperson, not our company."
Customers initially paid the fine, but later filed a complaint
An argument erupted as both sides debated who should bear the responsibility. The bar management remained firm, and eventually, the group settled the bill. However, after lodging multiple complaints with the company and the local market supervision authority, the waiter named Li reimbursed the woman with 1,480 yuan (Rs. 16,900), for the "vibe fine" and the extra bottle of wine they had not ordered.
'I am naive and not mature enough': The waiter
In a moment of reflection and external pressure due to the woman's complaint, Li admitted that the incident occurred due to his own naivety and immaturity. Expressing his sincere apologies, he said, "The incident happened because I am naive and not mature enough."
Instances like these are not isolated incidents in China
This is not an isolated incident; consumer rights violations in China have become a frequent topic of conversation. Just recently, a man from eastern China was overcharged by 1,000 yuan (Rs. 11,450) after treating his friends to a meal at a restaurant. Initially, the restaurant denied the allegation, but the truth came to light when surveillance footage revealed the actual number of dishes consumed.
