After days of rain the sun came out and I decided to go for an outing. On my way home I stopped at a large garden centre that has nice rest rooms. Needed a coffee and a short rest too; got a latte and put down the right amount in cash.
The assistant immediately went ballistic and said cash was not acceptable. Had she been nicer I'd have got my card out, her belligerence got my back up and I decided to stand my ground and said: Its legal tender.
We don't accept it! I picked up the coffee and walked away. Sat down at a table and took a few sips only to be confronted by a man saying I could not have the coffee. He grabbed it, returned my money and accused me of being rude (I wasn't). I was stunned that they went full retard and created such a scene.
Shame I'm not on social media; if anyone wants to leave their thoughts on the Burford Garden Company (I'm in the UK) FB page feel free. Disgusting way to treat an old lady (anyone, in fact). We need to make a stand; so many are now excluded because they don't have cards or smart phones.
I would love to get a flash mob to go in, get full meals with drinks etc., try to pay in cash and walk away if they get stroppy. In the meantime I need to find out if they are legally entitled to refuse cash.
(Edit - this commentary is for the US, I'm not aure what the UK laws are.)
Here's the thing about "legal tender for all debts, public and private"...
The debt has to exist. If you want to hire a contractor to build a house, but the contractor doesn't accept cash, the contractor can simply refuse to build the house. No debt exists. If the contractor builds the house and THEN refuses the cash, the contractor simply keeps the house. No debt exists.
If a coffee shop wants to take back the coffee, they can do that. They're assholes, and idiots, but they can do that. If they want to call the police, and say "we sold a cup of coffee but the customer won't pay via our preferred method" the police will say "well there's the money that you are owed, sitting right there on the counter, pick it up and stop calling us."
Again, this is how it works in the US. I would assume it's at least similar anywhere that fiat currency exists.
UK police are so woke they would probably arrest me for causing a disturbance.
Oi! You got a license for causing public disturbances? And you need a permit to defy the legal orders of a fully certified coffee shop cashier.