Beware of Restaurants Charging Extra for Substituted Items

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I recently had lunch at a local burger joint and ordered their double steakburger combo. The girl asked me if I would like to upgrade to chili cheese fries or a salad. Thinking a side salad would be healthy along side my junk food, I ordered one.

When the food arrived, the fries were missing. I had paid for a combo, which included the burger, fries and a drink, along with an additional 99 cents for the cup sized salad (and it was literally the size of a cup). When I asked where my fries were, the manager said the salad had been rung up as a substitute. I informed him that I paid extra for the salad, and he handed over the fries.

Looking at their menu, it clearly states that substituting a salad for fries costs an additional 99 cents. Curious to see what the price of their salad and fries were if bought separately, I was surprised to see the fries were $1.99 and the side salad was $1.89. So even though the salad was 10 cents cheaper than the fries, they had the nerve to charge more if it was substituted.

Sorry, people, but the math doesn't work here. Fast food restaurants are not regular restaurants, where the salads are on full sized plates or bowls. It isn't unusual for their price to be higher than the fries, and only then is it acceptable to charge the customer more for such a substitution.

So if any of you go to your favorite fast food chain, be sure to notice the prices of the salad and fries before substituting them. That way, you can be prepared to fight for getting what you paid for.

Jude Liebermann is a romance novelist, blogger and book reviewer. Contact Jude by visiting her site at www.judesplace.com