A couple smashed unlimited salad and mains at Harvester, happily stuffed, and politely skipped dessert, only for the £30 all-in deal to balloon to £39 because they dared stay full. The server shrugged: “You didn’t order dessert, so you lose the offer.”
The Redditor smirked, ordered two unwanted ice creams anyway, and vowed to let them melt into a sad puddle if it kept the original price. Manager appeared instantly, the £9 “full-belly tax” vanished, and petty victory tasted sweeter than any sundae.
Customer refuses sneaky £9 up-charge by offering to let unwanted ice creams sit untouched, wins original deal price.
What started as a simple “we’re too full for pudding” turned into a surprise up-charge because the point-of-sale system apparently demands photographic evidence of ice-cream consumption to unlock the deal.
From the restaurant’s side, fixed-price bundles exist to drive volume and reduce food waste, ironic when skipping dessert is suddenly treated like a crime.
Restaurant expert Ryan Egozi of SuViche Hospitality Group notes on handling unexpected charges: “I’d rather comp $100 than $20, knowing that $100 is going to get me back my guest.”
A 2023 Which? report found that 1 in 5 UK diners have been hit with unexpected menu charges, with “meal deal technicalities” among the top complaints.
Relationship expert Terri Orbuch, Ph.D., adds a wider lens: “What starts out as small and easily fixable can turn into more serious problems that are eventually very difficult to deal with.” In this case, the situation was rather simple at first, but then it escalated. Provided that, the Redditor’s playful malicious compliance kept the mood light while still winning the point – gold-star conflict resolution.
The real lesson? Restaurants bank on inertia. When customers push back politely but firmly, managers usually have the override key. As the Which? survey concluded, complaining calmly works 78% of the time.
So next time your deal disappears because you didn’t inhale the pudding, channel this legend: offer to let the ice cream have its own little photoshoot on the table. Waste not, wallet not penalized.
These are the responses from Reddit users:
Some people celebrate the petty revenge and love when the manager instantly fixes the problem.
Some people share their own similar petty or malicious-compliance victories against bad policies.
Some people suggest alternative petty ways to handle similar situations.
![[Reddit User] − Burger King would have deals on cheeseburgers, making them cheaper than hamburgers.](https://dailyhighlight.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/wp-editor-1764322777150-2.webp "Couple Refuses Surprise £9 Charge By Ordering Uneaten Ice Creams And Wins Original Price")
Others discuss why these policies exist or how the restaurant’s system might force the charge.
Sometimes the sweetest revenge is watching logic melt faster than unwanted ice cream. Our Redditor turned a £9 ambush into a masterclass in polite backbone, reminding us all that “computer says no” isn’t the final word when common sense is on the table.
Would you have asked for the desserts to be plated and photographed for the deal, or just paid and seethed quietly? Drop your own restaurant revenge stories below!
