A patron in California was outraged after realizing that a bar they frequented had allegedly been misleading them, prompting them to alert others. According to the claim, bartenders at a venue called Sideways Bar in El Cajon, San Diego, were altering tip amounts after the customer had already left.
The customer said they visited the bar a few weeks earlier and paid by credit card, leaving a cash tip. When the charge later posted, it showed a $10 tip that they insist they never added. At the time, they chose to let it go because they had no evidence. “I was a bit confused but without proof and possible user error I didn’t really do anything. If they did steal the $10 from me they needed it more than i do,” they wrote.
Even so, they returned to the bar on another occasion. Although a different bartender was working, they stayed cautious in case it happened again. According to the customer, it did. Before leaving, they photographed the receipt. The original receipt showed an $18.50 total with a $4 tip. Later, a Venmo email confirmation reflected a $22.50 charge, indicating the tip had allegedly been changed to $8. They believe this shows customers are being scammed.
Not wanting others to experience the same issue, the customer shared advice on how to avoid it. “Pay cash (duh). Bring a uniquely colored pen with you so changes would be really obvious. Write out the tip amount and total amount like ‘four’,” they suggested. They also addressed the staff directly, writing, “Beware if you go here and if you’re one of these bartenders you are vile humans.” Their frustration is understandable given the situation.
People Reacting to the California Bar’s Alleged Scam
A lot of people felt upset on behalf of the customer and they wanted them to do more than share a simple post. “That’s theft. Report them,” one person wrote. This made the customer reply, “To whom? Edit: for the million people giving me the advice to contact my credit card company I have obviously already done that. ‘Report’ in my mind was to some sort of authority and if anyone thinks I’m reporting this to the cops (or the FBI like one person mentioned) No. I’m not going to do that. Thank you to those who have actually given me the good advice of reporting to ABC and Weights and Measures.” Another person then replied, “If the owners don’t return it, you could report it to police, however that small amount wouldn’t result in much more than a stern talking to.” Police might be a good choice.
Some people even claimed that the owner of the California bar is a horrible person as someone said, “Looking at Google reviews, it seems they are struggling for money and raised their prices considerably. The owner is all over the reviews calling people liars and telling them to go elsewhere.” Even the customer described the owner and wrote, “They are less than receptive and pretty horrible in review replies. I don’t think it’s worth my time. I did leave google and yelp reviews so I’m sure they will see them.” Another person said, “Had the owner of this place at my workplace. She is a complete [expletive]. 100% the worst type of Karen.” Yeah, talking to the owner probably won’t help.
