I've had that happen on my bank card before - the amount it looks like I paid is higher than the amount I did on the card (because I tipped cash). When the actual transaction cleared, it was the right amount. It may still be shenanigans on the restaurant’s end, but I wouldn't put it past banks to pull that shit just to make you "accidentally" overdraft.

I called my bank to check to make sure. I was pretty sure that this wasn't their practice, or I would have noticed it by now. They confirmed that they don't do that, any additional preauthorization is on the part of the merchant.

Also, I was at another high end restaurant and wasn't quite sure of the balance on the debit card, then they told me that my card had been declined. I gave them a credit card, but checked my balance, and there was just enough to cover the cost. I suspect that they tried to preauthorize the 20 percent over and it wouldn't go through.

It isn't unusual for merchants to "reserve" a set amount on a credit or debit card if they get authorization before you know how much the transaction is. Example -- you pull into a gas station and swipe your card. The gas station's system is set up to request authorization for a set amount that it's pretty certain you won't exceed -- say, $75. The bank then places a hold on that $75.

Then, when the transaction actually reaches the bank for, let's say, $25, the bank pays the $25 and releases the hold on the rest.

So my guess is, the bank authorized (bill + 20%). But only because the restaurant asked for that amount to be authorized.

$75, Fred? I've never heard of a gas station requesting authorization for anything over $1.

$75, Fred? I've never heard of a gas station requesting authorization for anything over $1.

I heard this a lot, actually - it can be a real problem if you're using a debit card and don't have a lot of float.

There are several ways to do it, Kathy. I think the $1.00 authorization is becoming more and more common because of the possibility for the situation Frank described. The bank places a hold on the higher amount (and subtracts it from the balance), the customer subtracts the actual amount from the balance in the check register, and suddenly the account is overdrawn according to the bank.

Okay, so I've finished my salty letter. I would have been pissed but okay if the guy hadn't lied and claimed it was the bank. I wonder if I should mention that my (bougie-ass) family switched to the Four Seasons for brunch because the other Ritz Carlton started to suck, and imply that the whole brand is going into the toilet.

For sure you should.

It's their own damned fault for claiming to be the "gold standard in luxury service"

after deliniating all of the issues, the final words are:

I know that this letter has been lengthy, but wanted you to know the extent of my concerns – that the restaurant is content to offer substandard food during Restaurant Week, the restaurant encumbers additional funds without the patron’s consent, your manager does not honor his commitments, tells blatant falsehoods to avoid responsibility, and your staff does not answer their phones. The Ritz-Carlton claims to “set the gold standard in luxury hospitality worldwide”, but the service that I received was far below that.

I did not write this letter to get a free meal or services, I wrote it because I hate bad customer service, and I particularly hate to be lied to. Without that, I would have simply thought poorly of the Ritz-Carlton and not returned. However, service doesn’t improve if patrons don’t let managers know that their staff missed the mark. Someone else can benefit from my bad experience. If you would care to discuss these issues, I can be reached by email at sowilo@gmail.com.