Ciudad Juarez.- The Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) has enabled the WhatsApp number 55-8078-0488 to report unauthorized tip charges in restaurants and bars.
This service can be used to report cases such as requiring minimum consumption and/or a tip, as well as failure to display, not respecting or unjustifiably increasing the prices of products in this type of commercial establishment.
To file a complaint, the provider’s name, address, street, number, neighborhood, municipality, state and postal code must be sent, the federal agency reported.
Whether in a bar or restaurant, tipping is not a mandatory charge, it is a voluntary gratuity. There are also cases where the restaurant or bar lists a suggested tip, usually 10 percent, but consumers are not required to cover this charge. If it is required, it can be reported. Likewise, they cannot request a minimum consumption.
However, there are cases where the problem of the explicit demand for tips is generated by the waiters to the diners and not by policy or intention of the business owners.
In addition, restaurants are required to clearly display prices, including taxes; to provide proof of purchase at the time of consumption, as well as to receive and provide their services to all people without discrimination, according to Profeco.
The federal agency fines businesses significant amounts for anything that induces or encourages customers to make this additional contribution; in fact, it is even prohibited to place a jar or container with the legend “tip.”
The Federal Consumer Protection Law, in Article 10, establishes that: “suppliers may not apply coercive and unfair commercial methods or practices, nor abusive or imposed clauses or conditions in the supply of products or services.”
That is to say, tipping is completely voluntary, and cannot be included in the bill for any service, nor can the user be forced to pay it.
Complaints can also be sent through their social networks: ProfecoOficial (Facebook) and @AtencionProfeco (X, formerly Twitter). You can even make the complaint by email [email protected]
Profeco itself invites establishments to clearly display their prices, including taxes; not to require a tip, as it is voluntary and should not be included in the bill without the diner’s prior consent.
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