Heated Exchange Over a $250 Restaurant Cancellation Fee (crime, neighborhoods)

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by redplum33

A reasonable expectation of privacy exists.

I highly doubt it. For starters "reasonable expectation of privacy" is very hard to apply to social media. Just ask the countless examples of individuals and businesses who have had their direct messages shared publicly with no avenue for recourse. Maybe even more importantly, she reached out to him on the business account as the owner of the business. So I don't know how she'd begin to argue that her individual right to a reasonable expectation of privacy was violated.

[AtkinsonDan]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

^^ I'd suggest you read the relevant case law about that.

Privacy law is about protecting sensitive details. Had she shared sensitive details, privacy might apply but instead she posted nasty messages on social media. I don't think the customer invaded her privacy by sharing those messages on the internet. I don't believe the messages in question measure up as sensitive information.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by AtkinsonDan

Privacy law is about protecting sensitive details. Had she shared sensitive details, privacy might apply but instead she posted nasty messages on social media. I don't think the customer invaded her privacy by sharing those messages on the internet. I don't believe the messages in question measure up as sensitive information.

I wasn't referencing that to you, but to the response above yours. I'm pretty sure the courts have ruled that once you send a message like that to someone, you lose your REP. REP is established by the courts, not by someone's random opinion.

[AtkinsonDan]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

I wasn't referencing that to you, but to the response above yours. I'm pretty sure the courts have ruled that once you send a message like that to someone, you lose your REP.

Ok, so we are on the same page.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by AtkinsonDan

Ok, so we are on the same page.

All of you guys can be on the same page, but you're still wrong.

[msRB311]

there's no privacy anymore with these situations. People video encounters they have like this with people and post them online and yes people screenshot texts, emails with people/businesses and post them on social.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by redplum33

All of you guys can be on the same page, but you're still wrong.

I'm open to being wrong, so feel free to post your source on that. Otherwise you're just talking out of your culo, as usual. Nothing new there.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

I'm open to being wrong, so feel free to post your source on that. Otherwise you're just talking out of your culo, as usual. Nothing new there.

Contact a lawyer and ask them to explain it to you.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

I'm pretty sure the courts have ruled that once you send a message like that to someone, you lose your REP. REP is established by the courts, not by someone's random opinion.

There are numerous rulings along those lines. I remember this one from Rhode Island in the news several years ago ("The high court ruled that a person does not retain a reasonable expectation of privacy on text messages sent to another person’s phone."). There are even more examples of DMs being shared publicly on social media and those DMs going viral (remember Adam Levine?). The other layer is that "Jen Royle" didn't send those messages to the customer from Jen Royle's personal account. "The owner of Table" sent them to the customer from Table's business account. There's a big difference in terms of expectations of privacy between two individuals sending messages to each other and a business sending messages to a customer.

She can absolutely sue him for damages to her reputation from the screen shots going viral. She can sue for whatever she wants. But I doubt any sensible attorney would advise that she pursue such a suit because it's unlikely that any court would rule in her favor.

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by msRB311

A cancellation fee is one thing...but a $250 one? It's polite and good form to let them know if you need to cancel, but charging a fee seems obnoxious. Is the restaurant incapable of getting any walk ins if someone cancels or filling the spot with someoen else? Is it reservation only? Most restaurants operate fine on reservations and walk ins these days...not to mention take out but I'm guessing table doesn't get many take out orders.

I can see it being annoying if someone is a no show but it doesn't seem right to charge a no show $250! Things happen in life. A reservation at a restaurant shouldn't be that much of a commitment, my gosh.

My dentist charges $50 if someone cancels within less than 24 hours. I thought something about that seemed kind of rude as well. There's something about it that just seems tacky. I can get another dentist...just like someone else can go to another restaurant. These places need customer business more than customers need them. Not cool IMO.

I think it depends on how far before the time the reservation was for that the cancellation occurred. 48 hours before, the restaurant should be able to find someone on a wait-list, if they are booked. An hour before, not so much. If the restaurant is not operating in sold-out conditions there is less justification for a cancellation fee than if they actually lose money from having an empty seat in an otherwise-full restaurant.