Cai Png Stall Overcharged Man As Styrofoam Box Was Used to Calculate Overall Prices

A man bought two dishes and a meat from a cai png rice stall, and was dissatisfied with being charged $9.20. He took to the internet to complain about the stall’s random charging. The stall owner, however, claimed it was all a misunderstanding.

This dispute occurred last Friday (30 June)around 2 pm at a coffee shop at Block 163, Gangsa Road, Bukit Panjang.

Here’s how a pack of cai png became a viral story.

Cai Png Stall Overcharged Man As Styrofoam Box Was Used to Calculate Overall Prices

A netizen recently posted on the Facebook page Complaint Singapore, complaining about the random charges at the mixed vegetable rice stall in the aforementioned coffee shop.

In the post, alleged that the box has clear markings of $6.20, but was charged $9.20 instead.

Shin Min Daily News managed to get in touch with the Facebook user, Raven Qiu.

Mr Qiu, a 35-year-old clerk, said that his cai png comprised minced meat with preserved vegetables, two portions of fries, and a portion of white rice.

Initially, he thought that preparing five to six dollars would be enough, but when the stall assistant checked out, the total was $9.20.

“The one who collected the money was an auntie. I didn’t think it could be that expensive, so I asked her about the price again. She insisted that there was no mistake, so I had to pay and leave.”

But like what a wise man once said, always check your cai png when you’re on the way home.

And Mr Qiu did just that.

Realised It was $6.20 Instead of $9.20

Halfway through his journey, Mr Qiu still felt something was wrong. He opened the lunch box to check and found that the stall assistant who had served him earlier had written a “6.20” mark on the styrofoam lunch box with her fingernail.

“So I went back and told the stall owner. Instead of apologizing or refunding me, they argued with me, saying there must be another pack of rice. In the end, under my insistence, they refunded me $3.”

When Shin Min Daily News visited the cai png stall on Sunday (2 July 2023), the head chef, 35-year-old Mr Kang, revealed that he was the one who served Mr Qiu and marked a “3” and “6.2” on the lunch box with his fingernail.

He explained that he initially planned to calculate on the lunch box, so he first wrote a “3”, but finally decided to cross it out and directly write the total “6.2”. He believes that the staff responsible for collecting money misread it, which led to the misunderstanding.

“This is definitely our mistake, but it’s all a misunderstanding. My colleague didn’t open the lunch box and didn’t see what he bought. When the customer came back half an hour later, we immediately refunded him $3.”

He said that they have been operating there for many years, with clear prices listed, and it’s impossible to charge randomly. “If other customers have doubts about the price, they can directly inform us and confirm with us.”

That sounds like a legit mistake until you hear what Mr Qiu said.

Accused of Being a Ghost After Getting Refund

M Qiu claimed to have been treated rudely.

He  pointed out that when he retrieved the refund and left, he heard someone shouting “Hantu” (Malay for “ghost”) in Malay from behind, which made him very angry.

“They initially refused to admit their mistake, never apologized to me from beginning to end, and were so rude. I was really angry. This is the second time I’ve patronized, and it’s also the last time!”

However, Mr Kang denied the allegations and emphasized that he was deeply sorry for the mistake in the calculation and hoped that the incident would be resolved soon.

“I have already told the management about this, and we will be more careful in the future.”

Always check your lunchbox, folks. You never know when you might find a secret message that could save you $3. And if you ever hear someone shouting “Hantu!” behind you, don’t worry. You’re not being haunted. You might just be in the middle of a rice stall saga.