A SEASONED tourist has been left baffled after she was charged over £2,300 for some drinks and seafood despite the bill being just £300.
Nikki’s trip to an infamous beach bar in Greece ended up being a pricey nightmare when she was told they only sell calamari by the kilogram – after she had already ordered just one small plate.
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After rocking up to DK Oyster in Platys Gialos, Mykonos, Nikki and her pals sat down on the sunbeds and ordered five drinks over to their table.
Feeling peckish, they then asked for one plate of mussels and one plate of calamari to share amongst each other.
With their order placed through the waiter who happily accepted the simple request, Nikki and her friends waited until it came out.
To their shock the waiter bought out the mussels but instead of just a single plate of calamari he carried out four.
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The group gleefully ate all the food thinking the bar had been generous with their portion.
When it came time to pay Nikki quickly discovered they were very wrong with their assumptions.
She left a review online titled “hotel and beach area scam” where she explained the expensive misunderstanding.
Her review said: “We put in our order for one steamed mussels and one calamari and when the food came out it was one steamed mussels and four plates of the calamari.
“When the bills came it was €386 (£327) and I went to pay them and the cashier said your total is €686 (£581).
“I asked why so much, and he replied we sell calamari by the kilogram and the minimum order is four plates. They did not tell you about this at the time put in your orders.”
The diner wanted to avoid any arguments after already eating the food so just paid the big bill and swiftly left the restaurant.
But the pricey ordeal was far from over as when Nikki returned home to the US she was shell-shocked by the figure that popped up on her bank account.
“When I got back to the US and checked my credit card activity the hotel had charged my card €2,800 (£2,371),” she continued.
Leaving her a whopping £1,790 out of pocket with no reason given as to why the bill had skyrocketed.
DK Oyster replied to the baffled tourist apologising for any misunderstanding.
But they maintained that the prices were laid out clearly prior to any orders being made.
If you plan to travel to Mykonos I would suggest asking for the price in detail before buying anything at this hotel area
Nikki
They responded on Tripadvisor saying: “I would like to note that our menus can be found in the black boards by the entrance, displaying our prices so that our guests be informed.
“We encourage all visitors to check the menus, and I am sorry for any misunderstanding and inconvenience we have caused.”
Speaking on the huge cost added to the final bill they happily vowed to investigate the matter further.
Nikki had one last message to travellers: “If you plan to travel to Mykonos I would suggest asking for the price in detail before buying anything at this hotel area.”
The bar has gained the unwanted label of being known as a notorious “rip off” restaurant to tourists in Mykonos.
Having only just opened for the summer, complaints from fuming customers have already flooded in.
One holidaymaker vowed never to return to the DK Oyster after they were hit with an eye-watering bill.
The bar was accused of having bully waiters, overpriced food and extortionate drink – including a £40 Coke Zero.
Online comments against the bar are brutal with over 1,300 one star reviews being left compared to just under 500 positive ones.
Dimitrios Kalamaras, the manager of DK Oyster Bar, has previously defended his high prices saying the menu has a wide range of prices.
Others see the restaurant as a stellar opportunity to try some tasty shellfish while overlooking the sea.
Is it against the law to charge such high prices?
WHILE it might be daylight robbery, it’s not illegal to charge high prices for goods and services.
Many customers can be left feeling betrayed when the bill comes in and it ends up being a whole lot more than bargained for.
If running up a tab is due to a boozy blend of poor money management and pricey tipple then the blame often will lie with you.
However, it is illegal for a restaurant, bar or club to not show the prices when ordering.
According to EU regulations, when you buy goods or services throughout Europe a customer must be clearly informed about the total price.
This includes all taxes and additional charges on top.
Places like Greece, who are often plagued by annoyed tourists with bulging bills, have even started to be targeted by a new campaign to crackdown on complaints.
Run by Greece’s Independent Public Revenue Authority (AADE), they are encouraging customers to demand a receipt before exchanging any cash.
Under Greek law, all suppliers of goods and services are obliged to issue receipts to their customers.
It goes on to say that the consumer is not obliged to pay if a receipt is not issued.
Companies in Greece can also be fined if they are found guilty of unfair commercial practices, such as misleading or aggressive marketing communications.
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