The announcement of a 10% service fee by Subway to support workers' wages has raised a wave of controversy and discussions.
Customers are expressing their furious and raising concerns about the fairness of this additional charge.
The controversy began when a Reddit user @bologna510 shared a picture of a notice allegedly displayed in a Subway store, detailing the service fee.
According to the notice, the 10% service fee is intended to support the hourly wages, insurance, and benefits of the team members.
Subway claims that this measure is necessary to cope with the rising costs of running the business while keeping the prices of their products affordable for customers.
The Reddit post is attached with the caption "Went to Subway for the last time” which quickly gained attention on social media.
Many people argued that such additional charges, often referred to as "junk fees," should be illegal.
They emphasize that the displayed price should include all costs, without any hidden fees.
Some users also express their anger over being forced to pay a service fee at Subway, a fast-food restaurant known for its self-serve model.
What the f**k is that? I'm not paying any additional fee for Subway, one user said.
A 10% tip at SUBWAY is unacceptable, this is so freaking insane, the second replied.
More and more restaurants are arbitrarily adding different fees to customers' bills. I'm sick of always having to worry about eating out, another wrote.
If you're keeping the cost of your f**king products affordable, so why do you have to charge another fee in the form of a service charge on customers' bills? Are you kidding me? Someone said.
Remarkably, the discussion also touched upon legal aspects.
In California, a new rule has been issued to fight against such fees.
The California Consumers Legal Remedies Act will ban these 'junk fees' from July 1, 2024.
The law aims to increase transparency for customers, ensuring that they know the exact amount of money they're being charged by restaurants, hotels, delivery apps upfront, etc.
Speaking about the law, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said: “These fraudulent charges leave customers completely unaware of what they are being charged on their bills.
"Junk fees cost Americans tens of billions of dollars every year."
"In states, 'drip pricing' is also being banned, which is as advertising a price lower than the actual price a consumer would pay for a good or service.”
