Editor’s note: Recently in The Voice, the announcement was made of the death of the conductor of the column, Ask Grandpa, which provided readers with 503 weeks of sage advice, humor, and continuity. Below is the repeat of the April 22, 2021 column. The Voice will continue to offer previous columns. We invite special requests of previous columns.
Grandpa,
I have heard of some ridiculous things that some do when it comes to taking food home from parties. You have printed some things in your column. But nothing I have read or heard has ever topped this one!
My former neighbor, with whom I have kept in contact, asked me to throw a surprise birthday party for his wife. He asked me to call a nearby chicken joint and have a fried chicken buffet style dinner delivered to my house. He said he could not pay with his credit card because his wife would see the bill and it would spoil the surprise. He told me that if I could use my card, he would pay me back in cash. The place needed a credit card to guarantee payment. So, I set it up, gave the place my credit card and asked that the food be delivered approximately 90 minutes before the party was to start.
When it was 45 minutes before the party and the food had not yet arrived, I called to check on the delivery. The place told me that I had already been to the store and picked it up! I am not the one who picked it up. I called my former friend and got no answer. When guests began arriving, I had nothing to serve. When the guest of honor and her family never arrived, I knew exactly what happened! And I told everyone that did arrive what the story was.
Several days later, one of the guests told me that my former friend was laughing about how easy I am to be fooled. What do you suggest I do to get my money back? That meal cost me almost $100. Can I sue the chicken place for allowing it to happen?
Grandpa says: Thank you for including your contact information in your E-mail. I was able to call you and advise that you contact the police. That is theft, credit card fraud, and possibly a whole host, no pun intended, of other crimes. I don’t think I have to admonish you to never trust that man again. Don’t even trust him enough to ever speak to him again. Do your talking through an attorney who can advise you on how to file a small claims court suit.
Even if you never recover your money, you did the right thing to allow me to publish your story so that others are aware of this type of scam. While talking to the attorney you can ask him the legal question about the chicken vendor. If you are looking for an answer in the realm of ethics, I would say to please do not chase down the vendor. He provided the food as ordered and in good faith. Many times customers who ask for a delivery get impatient and go pick up the order. It is common business practice to accommodate a customer’s last-minute changes. How was that business person to know that your former friend was a fink when you, who knew the man, did not know he’s a fink?