Man in Chongqing left to foot S$230 dinner bill after 9 friends leave without paying
A social gathering in Chongqing, China took an unexpected turn when one man was left behind to deal with a restaurant bill after the other nine diners left without settling the cost.
The incident took place on 4 Dec at a restaurant in Jiulongpo District, where a group of 10 friends had gathered for a meal. The total bill amounted to 1,262 yuan (about S$230).
Source: The Paper
However, after the meal ended, nine of the diners left the premises, leaving only one man, identified as Mr Zhang, at the table.
When staff asked him to pay, he refused, saying the gathering had been organised by a friend who was supposed to settle the bill. He also claimed that he was unable to cover the cost himself.
Source: The Paper
Unable to reach the other diners, the restaurant owner called the police for assistance.
Written undertaking signed after police mediation
Following police mediation, Mr Zhang wrote and signed a handwritten undertaking on the spot, pledging to settle the full bill by 6pm the following day.
He also left his national identity card with the restaurant as collateral.
Source: The Paper
The undertaking reportedly included his personal details, the dining location, the amount owed, and a statement that he would bear full legal responsibility if payment was not made by the agreed deadline.
Despite this, Mr Zhang did not make payment as promised. He later said his friends had not transferred their respective shares and questioned why he should have to bear the full cost alone.
It was only on the afternoon of 13 Dec that Mr Zhang contacted the restaurant and paid the outstanding amount in full.
Restaurant entitled to demand full payment, lawyer says
Legal experts said the restaurant was legally entitled to demand full payment from Mr Zhang.
Under the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China, a group meal is treated as a shared debt, allowing the restaurant to require any one diner to settle the full bill, regardless of any private agreement to split the cost.
By signing a written undertaking to pay, Mr Zhang further confirmed his payment obligation. Backing out without a valid reason may constitute a breach of contract, giving the restaurant grounds to take legal action.
Where there is no clear agreement on who should pay, diners bear joint liability and the cost is typically split equally.
Liability may only be adjusted if there is clear evidence that one person agreed to treat the group, or that an individual’s consumption was significantly different from the others.
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Featured image adapted from The Paper.
