Do bistros in Paris really charge for ice cubes like Segolene Royal?

“In Paris, some bistros even charge for ice cubes. The AIertesInfos Twitter account released the claim on Monday afternoon, backing it up with a photo of the receipt. This shows the addition of €72.80 for four bottles of Perrier at €15 for a 12 liter bottle and, more surprisingly, sixteen ice cubes at 80 cents per ice cube.

In the evening, this tweet was shared by former minister and former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal. Is it Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s fault? Heat, global warming and the bill for ice cubes – that’s it! “, writes the one who will be the columnist for “Touche pas à mon poste” (TPMP), Cyril Hanuna’s show.

The tweet was viewed nearly 700,000 times in less than 24 hours and sparked outrage from several netizens who were outraged that restaurateurs were charging for ice cubes.

However, this receipt is false. This is actually a photo montage of another account that has falsified amounts and merchandise.

fake photo

Netizens were quick to link to a photo posted on Twitter by journalist Nora Hamadi in September 2019. ) and a table, the same red table with a bill or the same viewing angle.

Looking closely, there is a noticeable difference in the font on some information. We immediately notice what has been digitally added or changed from the original check: five €5.50 Perriers have been changed to four €15 Perriers (where “12 cl” has been added), five lemon slices have been converted into sixteen ice cubes and the VAT amount was changed to get a different and exorbitant amount.

Also, as netizens have noticed on Twitter, there is a difference in noise and contrast between the original image and the fake. Finally, it is enough to superimpose two photographs on top of each other to understand the deception.

A simple review of the AIertesInfos account also casts doubt on the accuracy of the information. Uncertified, it claims to be a “journalistic” account. “We broadcast the latest information in clear text from France, Europe and the rest of the world,” you can read in the profile. Between the general serious articles interspersed with conspiracy content.

The profile also says: “Information sponsored by mediavenir alias cerfia”, Twitter accounts are regularly accused of spreading stripped-down information, even spreading real “fake news”.

Theoretically possible practice

This is not the first time a fake photo of a receipt has been circulated on social media. She made a prominent appearance in the summer of 2020, prompting the same reaction. Even then, the media showed that it was a sabotage.

The original addition shared by Nora Hamadi has already sparked controversy. An Arte journalist criticized the 50-cent-per-slice billing for lemon slices at this Parisian bistro in the 15th arrondissement. “Obvious theft,” she ranted on Twitter. Many users commented on his tweet and condemned this commercial practice.

Me Guoyamare, a commercial lawyer, then explained to Le Parisien that “it is absolutely not illegal for a trader to enter additional invoices” and that he “sets the price of the products he sells freely.” However, according to the Ministry of Economy, the trader is required to “always inform consumers of the fixed price prior to concluding a sale without being obliged to ask” by mentioning it on the card or pointing it out to customers before concluding the transaction. For example.

Therefore, in theory, the bistro has the right to charge for ice cubes. However, “at a time when consumer opinion dominates the Internet, it is not certain that these establishments will benefit from such a policy,” Me Guyomar said.