A simple brunch booking turned into a nightmare for one diner, leaving her fuming and thousands of others questioning the reliability of popular eateries.

What began as an exciting plan with friends quickly spiralled into a frustrating ordeal, leaving her with more than just an empty stomach.

The saga has since gone viral, sparking outrage and raising important questions about how far some businesses are willing to go with their promises.


A 27-year-old PR worker from Sydney, Lucy Finter, shared her frustrating experience with a popular restaurant on social media, claiming she had been scammed after paying a $500 deposit for a booking that fell through.


Finter, now living in London, had organised a 'bottomless brunch' for herself and 12 friends at a well-known Bondi restaurant on December 29.

She had confirmed the booking the day before, even receiving an email confirming the reservation.

However, when Finter and her friends arrived, they were met with a completely closed venue.


'I show up on the day to this venue, to the place completely shut, the fans are going, the tables and chairs all packed up,' she explained.

At first, she assumed something had gone wrong or that the owner had experienced an emergency.

She didn’t name the restaurant, saying: 'I wasn’t that dumb' and claimed they weren’t replying to her messages anyway.


Despite the inconvenience, the group managed to find another venue nearby for their brunch.

Finter was left embarrassed, but worse still, her $500 deposit remained unrefunded.

Despite multiple attempts to contact the restaurant, including phone calls and social media messages, she had no response.


'I reported them to the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) and left a nasty a** review,' she said.

However, the restaurant replied on social media, claiming that this wasn’t their usual communication method.

'Communicate me my $500,' Finter demanded.


After her social media post about the incident went viral, Finter said the restaurant owner finally contacted her, promising to 'look into it' and offer a refund.

She was told to expect an immediate refund, but that communication stopped there.

Finter later shared that she had been visiting family in Australia and was particularly stressed about the $500, saying: 'I am also thankful I hadn’t asked all my friends to transfer me when I paid the deposit because then they would have been tied up in the mess too.'


Ultimately, Finter was able to recover her money by filing a dispute with her bank.

Describing the entire ordeal as 'stressful,' Finter said, 'I have never had a business accept a booking, ask for a deposit, completely shut then go radio silent.'

She added: 'If they hadn’t taken my money, it would have been a different story, but to take $500 and then not respond to me for two weeks is incredibly unprofessional and unfair.'


Her video attracted over 260,000 views, with many viewers offering advice on how to handle the situation.

One social media user suggested: 'Go down there. Walk in and in your very best Karen voice, demand to see the manager!'

Another advised: 'Take them to the NSW civil and administrative tribunal. I would bet the second they get notified of the application your money will be refunded.'


The restaurant has not commented further since the incident.

Watch her follow-up video below.




Have you ever experienced a booking nightmare like this, or do you think the diner was overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comments below.