"Theft" from minibar

[Guest Sanook222]

Hi everybody.

 

Wonder if this has ever happened to you ...

 

I had a boy staying over while I'm staying in a Pattaya resort and when the housekeeping checked the minibar next day they claimed one whisky bottle was missing. Of course I didn't check when I arrived (stupid of me!) so I can't say for sure if it was there in the first place or the boy really took it.

 

What do you guys think and did you have similar experience?

 

Anyway, thanks for a great forum and apologies if I posted this in the wrong board.

 

Cheers!

[kokopelli]

Most likely the boy took the whiskey bottle but not sure I would refer to it as a theft.

[Boy69]

It's probably the boy.personally never faced such incident boys always asked for permission to take something from the bar coke or water usually.

[Guest Sanook222]

Well, I asked him and of course he denies it. I'm struggling to see the logic in taking it without asking me but then again - logic is different here.

 

Also, I'm thinking if some hotels/resorts staff might do this on purpose to get money from guests but again - doesn't make much sense. I do remember one other time a few years back a hotel charged me for some soft drink I knew I hadn't taken but it was a very small amount. This time it's of course the most expensive item that's missing ...

 

The lesson here, I guess, is to always check the minibar upon arrival.

[Londoner]

I'd be annoyed. Nothing like this has ever happened to me. I'm afraid that it is a case of caveat emptor; if we invite strangers into our rooms, we need to take care that there is nothing available that may be taken. To be blunt, though I lock money , camera etc, away,I'd never before considered the possibility that the minibar would be a temptation. I suppose that all you can do is to check the bar before before and after, while the visitor is still there. Or just accept this this is an occupational hazard that's unlikely to happen again.

[bobsaigon]

Londoner has the solution:  Lock the contents of the minibar in the safe while a stranger is staying with you.    Or, chalk it up to the total cost of the encounter with the boy.   Was that little bottle really very expensive?   

[Boy69]

shit sometimes happened moove on and forget about it.

[Guest Sanook222]

It's not so much about the money but more about the loss of trust/belief in either boy or hotel.

 

I noticed that they have a sign in the room saying that if you forget your passcode for the safe they'll charge you 500 baht to open it.

 

A hotel that'll do that might be capable of anything in my opinion.

 

Anyway, I guess I'll never find out and will eventually have to pay for it ...

[reader]

If the minibar contents are in a separate cabinet, some hotels will lock them on request. If they're out in the open, you could always hide the liquor bottles before going out for the night, leaving only the less costly items on display.

 

There's good advice in posts above.  I think the bottom line comes down to just how memorable was your time with this guy.  If he makes the "definitely want to do this again" category, forget about the loss and move on. If he doesn't make the cut, there are plenty of others who will. And in any case, you're wiser for the experience.

 

[Guest]

I've had exactly the same thing happen, 10 years ago in The Rose Hotel, Bangkok.

 

I was presented with the bill for a bottle of whiskey on check out.   After some consideration, I figured it was either the cleaner or more probably the freelancer I picked up from just up the road.

 

As it was a ~500 baht bottle & I had not been asked for permission, I consider it to be theft, exactly the same as someone lifting a 500 baht note from my wallet.    

The acceptable limit for helping himself without asking me first would be opening a bottle of water or beer in the room, for consumption in the room.   Of course doing so without asking would be rude, but me not offering beforehand would also be rather rude.

 

If I go somewhere with a minibar & will be entertaining,  I always ask for the contents to be removed from my room.

 

Incidentally, I know one person who was tipping the cleaner on a daily basis & he was suddenly presented with a bill for a drink, even though he had not consumed it or had any guests in the room at that time.   The tips to the cleaner stopped for good the very next day.

[floridarob]

 

 

If I go somewhere with a minibar & will be entertaining,  I always ask for the contents to be removed from my room.

 

I

EXACTLY what I do in any hotel with a mini bar ....also gives me space to put something because is usually the only fridge in the room....

[Guest Sanook222]

I will certainly do that from now on. Would you believe this place even has a sign on the fridge saying it's not allowed to use it for "outside beverages". WTF?!?

[a447a]

 

Most likely the boy took the whiskey bottle but not sure I would refer to it as a theft.

If the boy took it without asking and without paying, then clearly it is theft. What else could it possibly be?

 

I'd put it down to experience and just move on.

 

But I wouldn't off him again; plenty of other fish in the sea. However, if I saw him again I'd ask him politely if he knew anything about the missing bottle - just to let him know I was aware he took it.

 

That is assuming it was the boy and not a member of the hotel staff.

 

And what hotel charges 500 baht to unlock the safe?? That's ridiculous. I've never heard of that.

[Guest DThump]

You mean you haven't called interpole yet?

[bobsaigon]

Wouldn't do any good to call interpol right now.  They's too busy looking for the ex-PM.

[kokopelli]

If the boy took it without asking and without paying, then clearly it is theft. What else could it possibly be?

 

 

A souvenir?  Was the boy told "not to take anything from the refrig"?   

[Boy69]

I think it's time to move on to other hotel !

It's totally unacceptable to charge s guest if forget the password of his safety and the fridge saying it's not allowed to use it for "outside beverages" just ridiculous.

[Alexx]

I've got a "mi casa es su casa" attitude with people I invite to my place. So if a member of staff took the whiskey, I'd consider it theft, but if the boy did, I wouldn't. That said, personally I would ask before taking anything unless it was offered to me, so depending on the circumstances it could be considered rude.

 

The OP's real problem is that he doesn't know who's to blame. Move on and make sure you will know next time...

[vinapu]

. Of course I didn't check when I arrived (stupid of me!) so I can't say for sure if it was there in the first place or the boy really took it.

 

 

 

.....appologies if I posted this in the wrong board.

 

welcome to the forum and don't worry about posting in the wrong board, you placed your post where it belongs.

 

fact that you used  quotation marks in "theft" shows me and probably all others that you are decent man.

 

All my remaining hair are grey for long time but I  still  consider worst day on my life when as first -grader I was accused of stealing an expensive pen, which of course turned out to be never taken to school by girl I was sitting with and who accused me  of theft. But that day was true horror for me 7 y.o. and even now typing it 50 odd years later I think my blood pressure is rising to 220/150 at recollection.  

 

Never accuse anybody of stealing unless you are 100 % sure it was a case. ChristianPFC on his blog  recently reported theft by the boy but since all is on camera that's  fair, not to mention he likes the boy and still is willing to see him , next time with better lock I presume 

 

In what you described chances it was premeditated theft are rather 10 not 100 % .

 

First,   we are not even sure bottle was there, somebody above described such a case and I  had the same at BBB Inn when  I noticed an invoice in my key slot on reception for a beer which was not even in the fridge when I checked into room. I just shrugged it off noticing absence but it was not a smart move as one can see. Fortunately  hotel took my word for it and invoice was voided.

 

Second , even if boy took it , it would be rude move not asking for permission  but hardly theft for two reasons :    

 

1. he may not to be as worldly to know that contents of bar are chargeable to occupant  , instead of assuming that whatever is there  is like soap or shampoo in the washroom or free water provided by hotel , disposable thing to be taken if one desires

 

or

 

1a. he may be actually worldly enough to be entertained already in some higher end  hotel where contents of bar were free or he was told by generous patron they they are free so he could assume now is the same case.

 

Second reason and this definitely applies to all boys who were hosted by me is:

 

2. he assumed that whatever is in a fridge is actually yours, I like to stock my fridge with some Hong Thong, can or two of beer , few juices and milk drinks so he may think you do the same.

 

Helping himself is rude but as Z909 noticed above , not offering him a drink is rude as well so we have pot and kettle case.

 

Whatever happened I'd chalk it off to experience and definitely would not ask a boy if he knows bottle's whereabouts.

 

Armed with that BBB experience  if fridge is full I always check contents with the inventory list and report discrepancies.

 

If hosting boy , I'm not shy to tell him what he can drink / mine / and what he can't / hotel's/ and by showing him price list , explain why. Never had complain or face although from time to time boy grabs in the middle of the night drink he should not but it's hardly disaster although I rather give that extra 100 baht to him than to fat capitalists owning hotel.  

 

Uff, blood pressure back to 120/80

[vinapu]

 

 

As it was a ~500 baht bottle & I had not been asked for permission, I consider it to be theft, exactly the same as someone lifting a 500 baht note from my wallet.    

 

 

If the boy took it without asking and without paying, then clearly it is theft. What else could it possibly be?

 

as explained in my post above I definitely don't agree with your statements. It could be a theft but definitely neither   'exactly' nor 'clearly'

[vinapu]

.... if we invite strangers into our rooms, we need to take care that there is nothing available that may be taken. To be blunt, though I lock money , camera etc, away,........

whatever I consider needs to be locked is locked before I leave room. I'd not  be locking / hiding anything in presence of boy in the room even if he would be hidding in the toilet, this would be impolite and invite retaliation like stealing bottle from the fridge, LOL

 

Only case I approach safe in presence of boy is at end of meeting if I need money for him but I tend to be prepared with cash somewhere handy. 

[Guest]

as explained in my post above I definitely don't agree with your statements. It could be ,a theft but definitely neither   'exactly' nor 'clearly'

 

We're politely disagreeing on that point. 

 

Whilst we're at it, if I were in the position of Christian PFC, with a boy stealing cash from my wallet, I wouldn't be seeing him again.   Or at least I'm 99.9% certain I wouldn't.  The remaining 0.1% possibiliity is if he was cute, sweet & good in bed, leading to the brain down there overruling the main one.  That's never happened so far.

 

The one thing I think we all agree on is not making accusations about theft unless we are sure of the facts.  

[vinapu]

 

if I were in the position of Christian PFC.... I wouldn't be seeing him again........  

power of forgiveness perhaps, I'm more sympathetic to his position since one of my best offs last trip was boy who stood me up, perhaps even twice,  in the past 

[reader]

Never accuse anybody of stealing unless you are 100 % sure it was a case.

 

Damn good advice. 

 

Many, many years ago (when I was indeed a young man) I was on one of my frequent trips to the Fort Lauderdale area.  I had brought along one of the popular gay guide books of the day and noted that there was, for lack of a better term, a small sex club operating out of an old motel in nearby Hollywood. Off I went in the rental car my first evening and found the place as advertised. The owner had taken three rooms at the end of a remote wing of the single story building, replaced the beds with old sofas and opened the connecting doors between the rooms. I think there there was a modest entrance fee and a bar where they sold cans of beer and soft drinks.

 

The crowd appeared to be mostly local and young which was fine with me.  I quickly settled in, spotted a cute guy and offered him a beer.   We spent the next hour or so on one of those sofas, doing what came naturally.  As we were saying our good byes, I instinctively checked my pockets.  My cash was there but a folded wad of $25 travelers checks I couldn't find. I asked him, loudly I'm sure, if he taken them and he denied it, inviting me to search him. I declined and left in an angry mood, slamming the door.

 

As I climbed back in the car I noticed my windbreak on the floor by the passenger seat.  A sudden sinking feeling came over me.  I quickly located the checks in one of its pockets.  My first thought was to just get the hell out of there but then I though of the young guy I had falsely accused in front of his friends. I swallowed my pride and returned to the club.  I approached the boy and apologized as sincerely as I could.  He replied in a quiet voice, "I told you I didn't do it, why didn't you believe me?" I had no answer but I turned and looked toward the on-lookers and announced that i had been wrong and that this guy was no thief.  No one said a word.  I left in humiliation, knowing that i deserved every bit of it.

 

I hadn't thought about that for a long time but vinapu's account instantly brought it back.

[Boy69]

If it happened to me I would pay the whisky bottle move on to other hotel and forget about it.it can be a theft from the boy or by other staff of the hotel it can be also a mistake nobody knows, shit happens that's life,don't waste your vacation on this minor issue.