Throughout 2009, I've noticed an increasing trend at fast food drive throughs. Even though the big menu advertises a super low price for a combo ($3.79), when I'm done with my order they will do two things:

1) Ask me if I wanted that medium or large (combo is priced for a small)
2) Go ahead and ring me up for a medium combo

They got me the first time with #1 last spring, but I've been on the lookout for their tricky questions since and I respond, "small".

Lately, though, they've just been opting for #2 and I have to correct them... "Why are you charging me $4.63?" then they say, "oh well I thought you wanted medium."

Has anyone else noticed this? I think its a deliberate strategy.

1/9/2010 1:32:02 PM

"OH MAH GAWD KING KANE HAS GOT THA URN!!!"

"PUPPIES JR, PUPPIES!"

1/9/2010 1:32:52 PM

I have noticed this before, and it pisses me the fuck off.

1/9/2010 1:33:08 PM

Bojangles in the Charlotte area is doing this bullshit. They've started ALWAYS asking if you want medium or large. And if you don't realize that the actual combo size is small, then you always say medium and they bump you up in price.

1/9/2010 1:37:55 PM

Fucking capitalists

1/9/2010 1:39:26 PM

The brier creek Wendys and bojo tried #1 and walnut st mcdonalds tried #2 on me... There are more but I don't remember them all

1/9/2010 1:41:54 PM

The few times I go, if they ever ask me I just say "whatever the smallest one is" . Thankfully since college I'm probably only at a fast food restaurant 1-2 times a month though.

1/9/2010 1:43:24 PM

I wish 60 Minutes would do a story on this crap!!!


Are there any burger flippers out there with the straight scoop?

1/9/2010 4:48:12 PM

all Wendy's try #1

1/9/2010 4:50:34 PM

You gotta get medium at least, preferably large

With small you get like 6 fries and 4 sips of drink

Not nearly enough for my fat ass

1/9/2010 4:53:06 PM

I don't spend less than $7-10 at fast food joints...shits gotten expensive

1/9/2010 4:54:02 PM

yeah those $3-$4 combos are $3-$4 for a reason

they dont fill a motherfucker up

1/9/2010 4:55:21 PM

Quote :

"Ask me if I wanted that medium or large"

They do word that in kind of sheisty way

I try to get them back a little bit...I always ask them to go easy on the ice so I get dat extra drank

1/9/2010 4:56:54 PM

I been asking for just a little ice for years

sometimes they reverse fuck you and give you like 2 cubs

Just give me a normal amount, not a full cup

1/9/2010 4:58:24 PM

If they ask if you want a medium or large say "neither"

Their mind will be blown.

1/9/2010 4:58:53 PM

Just tell them from the start. "I want a small #1 combo."

1/9/2010 4:59:30 PM

Here are your 64 calories of non-MGD Slave

1/9/2010 5:00:10 PM

If they try #2, I get back at them by waiting until I get to the window before I correct their "mistake"... When they're in the middle of trying to handle the next car's order - I'm like, "oh I'm sorry I did not say I wanted medium" and then it throws a monkey wrench into their smooth flow and they waste $texas as they try to ring me up again etc.

Either that or they just ring me up at the small price and give me the medium sized items anyway This happens 99% of the time... Serves them right for trying to rip me off.

1/9/2010 5:00:26 PM

all this furor over 43 cents !!!

1/9/2010 5:03:04 PM

It's the principle. I don't like getting punked.

1/9/2010 5:04:21 PM

Agree to disagree

1/9/2010 5:05:21 PM

Quote :

"I don't like getting punked."

You're not getting punked. You're being intellectually lazy by not reading more than just a single number from the window and then being whiny about reality not conforming with the incomplete picture you've created for yourself. It's not like the variations in pricing aren't listed on the menu.

1/9/2010 5:08:08 PM

frequently they are not listed on the menu, my friend. nor am i being intellectually lazy.

If the only advertised price is for the small size and I order that menu item without modification, then they are upgrading my purchase without authorization when they charge me for the medium size.

1/9/2010 5:12:40 PM

just stick to cookout or dollar menus.

1/9/2010 5:19:10 PM

Quote :

"I have noticed this before, and it pisses me the fuck off."

1/9/2010 5:22:29 PM

i generally either order a la carte or say #2 combo with a small coke.

its not that hard.

1/9/2010 5:29:21 PM

RAWR RAWR RAWR

1/9/2010 5:32:34 PM

TURNS OUT COOKOUT STYLE MEANS YOU WANT TO LIKE DOUBLE THE COST OF WHAT YOU BUY- BEWARE!!!

1/9/2010 5:36:14 PM

cookout charges me extra for a damn tomato slice and a lettuce leaf.

i never go there.

1/9/2010 6:11:54 PM

How dare they charge for something not included in the original price!

Communist bastards!



Its idiots like you that give the fast food industry a headache.

Not everyone wants lettuce or tomato on their burger. So instead of putting it on all of them and charging more, they take it off all the burgers, lower the price and then charge a little more to add it for the people that want to add it.

You obviously have no clue how a business operates.

[Edited on January 9, 2010 at 6:15 PM. Reason : /]

1/9/2010 6:13:40 PM

No, I have great respect (great respect) for Cookout because they informed me that my tomato slice and lettuce leaf would cost me extra.

They didn't advertise a burger for $1.50, then give it to me with an unsolicited tomato and lettuce, and charge me $3.79.

There was no bait and switch at Cookout. Also, they have great shakes.

[Edited on January 9, 2010 at 6:15 PM. Reason : s]

1/9/2010 6:15:09 PM

Ive never had this happen at any fast food place.

Obviously some of you dont know how to fucking order properly.

1/9/2010 6:17:08 PM

You probably didn't even notice, which is their goal, of course. I'm sure that most people aren't as detail oriented as me and just assume that the higher than expected price is due to tax. I'm sure that a lot of people don't even listen to the total price.

1/9/2010 6:18:20 PM

Oh no, I would notice.

If I order something that is say $1.69 and it comes to $3, I am going to know they added something.

Once again, I have never heard of this happening to anyone I know, and it hasn't happened to me either.

Learn how to order.

They are probably just doing what their manager wants them to do.

Its called "upselling"

When they say "medium or large" just say I want the special or the small.

Obviously the medium and large are going to be fucking more. Thats why they are asking you this.

When you just order a burger and they say "fries or a drink?"

You dont fucking assume you are getting one for free do you?

Once again, learn how to fucking order properly.


[Edited on January 9, 2010 at 6:22 PM. Reason : m]

[Edited on January 9, 2010 at 6:22 PM. Reason : .]

1/9/2010 6:20:36 PM

When they first started doing this a couple years ago, I did have it happen to me once but I made them correct it at the ordering station before I pulled up to pay. I went to Bojangles, ordered a specific number, and they upsized it without me asking. When they gave the price (no screen here), I asked why it was so much and it was because she had rung me up for "medium" or whatever instead of regular (i dont know what terms bojangles uses). The lady actually said "oh i'm sorry, everyone just orders the medium usually." Luckily I noticed the price. I'm guessing the girl was either stupid or was working under some underhanded rule from the manager. I'm sure a lot of people there were paying more than they expected.

1/9/2010 6:28:14 PM

Technically you aren't getting ripped of per say

You are paying for a medium, and getting a medium, whether you ordered it or not.

Now if you were paying for a medium, and getting a small, then this would be something entirely different.

1/9/2010 6:31:25 PM

^^ exactly. I know perfectly well how to order, and I order properly and never overpay. However, I believe that these situations are set up deliberately by the management with the accurate expectation that the average consumer will either not notice or be too embarrassed/intimidated or apathetic to correct the cashier.

^ It may not be a rip-off in the strictest sense, but it is underhanded in my opinion.

[Edited on January 9, 2010 at 6:32 PM. Reason : s]

1/9/2010 6:31:38 PM

I thought this was going to be a lafta thread

1/9/2010 6:53:21 PM

it's only shady to you because you assume you should get a medium with your order.

1/9/2010 6:55:30 PM

I actually prefer the small size which was the medium size of 15 years ago

1/9/2010 7:03:50 PM

I thought this was going to be a lafta thread

1/9/2010 7:05:57 PM

Welcome to obese america. It's just another way for them to get your money.

Wendy's does this CONSTANTLY. I always say a "SMALL size number # with a tea"

1/9/2010 7:10:12 PM

Underhanded?

Fast food?

No fucking way.

1/9/2010 7:13:12 PM

a bunch of cheap bastards in this thread....no wonder you never get laid (besides the mega size women).

[Edited on January 9, 2010 at 8:22 PM. Reason : w]

1/9/2010 8:20:18 PM

i stopped eating fast food 3 months ago.

so i don't care what those places do.

1/9/2010 8:21:50 PM

maybe u people shouldn't eat so much fast food

ever think of that?

1/9/2010 11:09:39 PM

come on man were in our twenties

1/9/2010 11:12:02 PM

Quote :

"Once again, I have never heard of this happening to anyone I know, and it hasn't happened to me either."

You've never been to Wendy's then b/c they do this shit all the time.

1/10/2010 6:21:46 PM

i haven't had these problems before.

1/10/2010 6:23:59 PM

Whenever they ask me if I want medium or large, I say no thanks.

Confuses the hell out of them

1/10/2010 6:36:35 PM