Laura Brumpton, 34, and her husband Alan Brumpton, 37, were charged a whopping £618 for two hotdogs at a Christmas market in Nottingham – but the vendor is yet to refund them the correct amount
A family from Scunthorpe has shared their outrage after claiming to have been charged over £600 for what they dubbed ‘the UK’s most expensive hotdogs’ at a Christmas market.
Laura Brumpton, 34, and her husband Alan, 37, were enjoying a festive outing in Nottingham when they decided to treat their kids to two hotdogs. But the couple got the shock of their lives when Alan, without glancing at the amount, tapped his phone on the card reader, and ended up being debited a whopping £618 instead of the expected £18.
The remorseful stallholder promptly acknowledged the error and reassured them of a £600 refund, but Laura reveals that they’re still awaiting the reversal of the accidental charge. The irked mum took her dismay to TikTok, sharing a video of the hotdog vendor processing the refund which has since racked up more than four million views.
In the video, the viewer hears the apologetic vendor announcing the £600 refund, with Laura displaying the eye-watering receipt. TikTok users chimed in on the incident, with some arguing for a complete reimbursement due to the hassle caused, while another humorously remarked it was still a ‘bargain’ for Christmas market fare.
Fellow TikTokers also seized the opportunity to remind others to ‘always check’ before tapping to pay. Reflecting on the pricing shock, the North Lincolnshire local commented: “They were the most expensive hotdogs ever. I was very shocked. I just couldn’t believe it. £18 just for two hotdogs is a lot of money as well.”, reports Wales Online.
“My husband just got his phone on apple pay and just tapped it. I don’t even know if he looked at it. Just a habit of tap and she was like ‘oh my god, I’m sorry’. It was £618. He checked his bank and it went straight away. I thought it would bounce straight away. I did think there was a £100 limit. I jokingly said ‘does that mean we get free sausages for the rest of the year’. I thought ‘if I don’t laugh about it…'”.
The mum-of-two disclosed that the vendor had vowed to refund the overcharge after realising her blunder but they’re still waiting for the cash to land back in his account. Despite the mix-up with the payment, their children, 14 year old Ryley and 10 year old Florence, relished the sausages nonetheless.
Laura, who runs the cleaning business Isle Clean, said: “The vendor was very apologetic. It was an honest mistake. She said ‘I can give you a refund. It should take about an hour’. But it’s still not there now. It’s a lot of money to be missing just before Christmas as well.”
“It’s just typical of our family. We have a lot of bad luck. And around this time of year. It’s a bit of a thing – don’t go out the house because anything could happen around Christmas.”
“We were still charged for the sausages. I thought, especially because it was for the kids, I thought they’d at least get a free sausage. It was just a very expensive family day out. The kids actually said they tasted good.”
Social media users swiftly highlighted the ‘inconvenience’ caused to the impacted parents. One concerned user commented: “I can’t believe she didn’t refund the full amount for the inconvenience and error.”
Another chimed in with a touch of sarcasm: “£600 is a bargain for two hot dogs at a Christmas market.” A different individual expressed shock at the price tag, saying: “£18 for two hotdogs is crazy.”
Meanwhile, other commentators suggested vigilance, advising people to ‘always check’ totals before making payment. One such user advised: “This is why you should always check what they’ve typed in before you put your card on the reader.”
Someone else remarked: “Imagine not looking at the machine first to check.” Echoing the sentiment of caution, a separate user questioned: “What about the people that don’t notice if that happens.”
