Charging for clean chopsticks illegal, say advocates
- Source: Global Times
- [02:03 March 16 2010]
- Comments
By Fu Wen
Consumer advocacy groups in 22 cities are calling on restaurants to stop the practice of charging diners for sanitized chopsticks, cups and other utensils by arguing it should be free at all times, and that it is illegal.
The consumer groups in Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai wrote an open letter to the catering industry Monday, which was World Consumer Rights Day, the Beijing News reported Monday.
Many restaurants provide pre-wrapped tableware but diners are not always aware that they must pay 1 ($0.14) or even 3 yuan ($0.43) extra if they break open the seal, until the bill comes.
The Kenmei Fried Shrimp Restaurant in Beijing provides pre-wrapped tableware and charges 1.5 yuan ($0.22) for each set.
The manager surnamed Liu told the Global Times Monday that the restaurant buys the tableware sets from a company so they need to charge fees from customers who use it.
"It is common to charge diners for the tableware in many restaurants so we normally do not mention the fee before they use it and most customers accept it. But we will provide free ones if customers insist," said Liu.
The letter said consumers are often forced to pay the extra fee, but it is the responsibility of restaurants to provide clean cutlery under food safety laws.
The restaurants should not pass that cost on to consumers, the letter said.
But most end up paying the extra fee because they don't want to lose face in front of friends or colleagues over a few yuan.
"I prefer to use free tableware but I do not want my friends to think that I'm cheap and frugal," said Zhao Long, 23, a college student at Tianjin Sports University.
But some customers are determined to protect their rights.
A Beijing customer surnamed An sued Dashike catering company in August 2009 for being charged 6 yuan ($0.88) for 4 sets of tableware, the Beijing Times reported earlier.
The court ruled in An's favor. The company returned 6 yuan to An and also paid 30 yuan ($4.4) in compensation.
Chen Debin, owner of a Chinese fast food restaurant in Beijing, told the Global Times yesterday that his restaurant does not charge extra for disinfected tableware.
"One of the most basic functions of a restaurant is to provide a clean and nice dining environment and disinfected tableware is part of it," said Chen.
But Chen also admitted that the tableware fee probably would not disappear in the near future because customers have high hygiene requirements.
