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evlPanda said..
Here's my similar story:
It's our wedding reception. We've provided the usual free meals and I think four or so hours of wines and beers. Everybody has had a really good time.
It's the end of the reception and everybody is leaving the venue. I am one of the last to leave when the staff pull me aside and explain that one of my guests has stolen a bottle of champagne from behind the bar. It was found with the cork broken off, still half in the bottle, and the bottle hidden behind a pot plant.
"No worries," I say. "I'll pay for it and we'll drink it upstairs."
"Ah, that's good of you sir. That comes to... $800." (or thereabouts)
"... say what?"
Someone in my party had pinched a bottle of '73 Cristal. They hadn't even popped the cork properly, but it was opened.
Nobody owned up to it but I eventually found out who it was. We've never received an apology. Haven't spoken since.
It does not excuse the theft, but frankly you should not have had to pay. I assume you paid for the venue and 4 hours of drinks. That should include some type of duty of care from the establishment to secure their own premises. It was a wedding - with free drink and I am assuming a fair handful of people. If they left
their bar unattended with expensive champagne in it - it is their own fault, not yours. It's not like wedding receptions are not known for poor/drunken behaviour.......
Reminds me of a mate at uni that flogged a bottle of scotch from an inner city nightclub many years ago. Had it shoved down his jacket when he left. some guy hassled him in front of one of the bouncers as he left. He was happy to go on with it, but had to put that pesky bottle down first - asked the bouncer to hold it for him......still had the pourer attached....
FlySurfer
> 9 months ago, 29 Apr 2014
