A MAN is fighting to get a refund after paying £640.55 for a round of drinks at a bar in Grantham High Street.
Rob Ley, of Barrowby Gate, Grantham, says he only ordered two pints of lager when he went to Infernos with friends during a night out.
He said: “I’d had a few drinks, we called in there and I ordered two pints of lager.”
Short of cash Rob decided to pay the bill on his bank card.
He said: “I looked down, saw 6.40 and thought it was about right for two pints so I put in my pin.
“It was a dark and noisy environment and I didn’t notice that the decimal point had moved across.”
The actual amount Rob paid was £640.55.
He carried on the rest of his evening unaware of his pricey purchase.
It was not until the following Tuesday when he checked his bank statement that he saw the transaction.
He said: “I scanned down, did a double take and then broke out in a cold sweat.
“That amount of money is a mortgage payment.”
Rob contacted the owner of the bar Maria Karlsson, who looked into the issue.
He said initially she was being nice and polite and checking with her bank and accountants to try and trace the purchase of May 13. But nearly two months later there has been no resolution.
He said: “I told her that I needed my money back but she told me it is hard times for everybody. But I can’t forget £640. It’s a huge amount of money to find. If it wasn’t for the fact I’ve got a bit saved I could’ve missed a mortgage payment.
“It’s gutting and very embarrassing. I always take cash out now.”
Maria, who also owns Taboo, in Grantham’s Market Place, said she tried to help Rob as much as she could and offered him a free night out at Infernos while they attempted to resolve the problem.
But she added: “He doesn’t have a receipt or any proof. I feel for him if there’s been a mistake.”
“But the only way I can check the amount he bought is with a receipt. I can’t just reach down in my pocket and give him £600. I believe he did spend that money in the club. I do have that amount in transactions going through. Champagne in Taboo, for example, costs from £80 to £1,000.”
Maria said it is not the first time that someone has claimed to have paid too much for alcohol in the bar.
She said: “We always say to check to amount and verify it with the pin.”