Dilip Kuner
A JAPANESE restaurant in Ibiza is facing a consumer watchdog complaint after allegedly slipping a €12 charge onto customers’ bills – just for providing a hook to hang their handbags.
The row erupted after a diner posted on X that Wakame restaurant added the ‘bag hook’ fee without warning. She claims a waitress insisted on offering the small table hook for her handbag, and after repeated offers she reluctantly agreed – only to find it on her bill.
Consumer group FACUA says the charge is ‘outrageous’ and illegal if not disclosed in advance. The hooks cost barely a euro to buy, yet Wakame claims it began charging after ‘many customers mistakenly took them home’. The eatery says it treats the payment as a ‘deposit’ and deducts it if the hook is returned – unless diners want to ‘keep it as a souvenir’.
FACUA insists restaurants must clearly inform customers of such charges before offering the service, otherwise it could be considered a freebie. Spanish law forbids adding costs for optional extras unless the customer knowingly agrees.
The group has called on the Balearic Islands’ consumer protection office to investigate and issue fines if the practice is found unlawful.
Click here to read more Balearic Islands News from The Olive Press.
