‘Floored': Aussies slam shady new cafe tactic
But this time, a Reddit post has gone viral for the opposite reason – cafes that have no price tags at all.
This sneaky trend, which appears to be on the rise, leaves people blindsided when they reach the counter and realise what they have to pay.
'Prices are not getting displayed on food in cafes and bakeries?' the post in the r/Perth forum began.
'I mean, it's been happening for a few years and I'm sure it's probably an Australia-wide thing.
'I've noticed it with cafes all over the city that they deliberately don't display the prices. You have to ask what that tiny falafel wrap in the window, or small piece of lasagne or meat pie is going for.'
The poster believes that the businesses know people don't like asking for the price, and would rather just accept it when the total is shown on the EFTPOS machine.
'I hate it. It's scammy and frustrating,' they concluded.
According to the ACCC, a retailer doesn't have to display prices, but the customer must be informed of the price of an item before purchase.
Businesses can communicate their prices in various ways, including in-store signage, online notifications, ordering apps, or verbally.
Despite the practice being legal, commenters agreed it was frustrating.
One person even called the tactic 'predatory'.
'When the price is higher than you expected, but you're already at the till, it's harder to speak up,' they said.
'It's so annoying!' someone else added. 'I like to know pricing so I can decide accordingly!'
Another argued that by the time you're swiping your card, it's already too late to change your mind, so called it 'shady' behaviour.
Others recalled experiences of being caught out by this move in the past.
'I was charged $23 for coffee and a small cake. Floored. I paid it but never went back,' one revealed.
Some also shared how they've handled this situation before.
'I once yelled out from the other side of the deli, 'How much is this?' about ten times for different items, just to make a point,' one person commented.
The trend among Australian cafes not displaying prices appears to be linked to ongoing economic pressures, particularly inflation and rising costs.
Many cafes have faced increased costs for supplies, rent, wages, and utilities – making them hesitant to fix menu prices out of fear of frequent adjustments.
'If inflation stays low and as people get used to the higher prices, I think we'll see prices slowly start to be displayed again,' one commenter theorised.
As another simply wrote, 'No price, no purchase'.
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