A northern takeaway boss turned detective on the streets of York after one of his customers tried to claim a ‘fake refund’ for their order.
Connor Calland, the owner of EborCibus Pizza in York, decided to take matters into his own hands and play detective after a fraudulent diner tried to get their meal for free by saying it hadn’t arrived.
After being contacted by Deliveroo on February 17 to be informed a customer had complained that a meal, ordered two days before at a cost of £23.49, was not delivered, Mr Calland turned to somewhat unusual means in a bit to outsmart the cheeky customer.
Image: EborCibus Pizza
Having been told by his staff that the order, consisting of a 12-inch ‘Solar Goat Pig’ pizza with mozzarella dippers and buffalo blue chicken loaded fries, had indeed been sent out, Mr Calland was on a mission to discover the truth, reports The Hoot.
Determined to get to the bottom of the matter, he decided to get involved himself – visiting the customer’s address and rifling through their bins in search of evidence.
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But it doesn’t end there. Having discovered his ‘proof’ in the form of containers covered in buffalo sauce in the bins outside, he boldly knocked on the door and demanded a written apology of ‘no less’ than 750 words.
Despite being told by a housemate that the customer was not in when he knocked, soon after demanding his apology Mr Calland received a grovelling email blaming ‘peer pressure’.
Taking to Facebook to share details of the incident, Mr Calland explained that these fraudulent claims cost his independent York business between £50 and £150 a week.
However, he has since said that after rifling through the bins he hasn’t had any more fraudulent refund requests.
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The independent York eatery specialise in Detroit and New York-style pizzas, as well as serving a range of different burgers, fried chicken and loaded, dirty fries.
Launched just before the Covid-19 pandemic forced the UK into lockdown in March 2020, the business has been through some trials and tribulations – initially setting up at the Jolly Sailor in Cawood before moving to spin their dough at The Crooked Tap.
Not long afterward, the hospitality industry was forced to close – giving EborCibus Pizza the choice of adapting or giving up.
Switching to a delivery service, they found a kitchen at The Knavesmire pub that summer. Eighteen months later, they’ve now secured a permanent home in The Mount at York and host regular pop-ups at Crooked.
Fraudulent claims of undelivered orders such as this, termed ‘fake refunds’, cost businesses hundreds of pounds every year and appear to have grown in frequency since lockdown.
To follow EborCibus Pizza and see more of its delicious-looking food, check the eatery out on Instagram here.
Andy Burnham introduces new rules to tackle ‘rip-off’ parking charges
Daisy Jackson
City centre parking is at a premium, especially in a city like Manchester – but we’ve surely all made honest mistakes when paying and been slapped with eye-watering fines as a result.
Well now, Andy Burnham has announced a new Private Parking Code of Practice, which will clamp down on ‘rip-off’ private parking charges.
It will also make it easier for drivers to challenge unfair charges, capping charges for ‘smaller slip-ups’ at £20, and scrapping charges altogether on appeal for ‘honest mistakes’.
The new Code will get drivers a guaranteed five minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave once their session ends.
Under the new Private Parking Code of Practice laid in Parliament today, you’ll be able to appeal to have all charges scrapped for honest mistakes like stopping briefly to check directions, and for situations like a medical emergency, breakdown or broken ticket machine.
Then charges will be capped at £20 for other mistakes such as forgetting a parking permit, entering the wrong vehicle’s registration or forgetting to confirm it in the machine when parking.
The Code also freezes the maximum parking charge at £100. Operators who don’t comply risk losing access to DVLA data, meaning that even if they issue a charge, it will be far more difficult to identify the registered owner to pursue payment.
Data shows just under 17 million private parking charges were issued in the UK last year alone.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your numberplate wrong shouldn’t end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat.
“These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I’m putting a stop to them.
Andy Burnham introduces new rules to tackle ‘rip-off’ parking charges. Credit: Unsplash, Samuel Isaacs
“We are introducing clearer rules, longer grace periods and lower charges for genuine mistakes, while going after the deliberate scams that rip drivers off.”
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner said: “Parking should be straightforward, not another everyday hassle. These changes mean drivers get a fairer deal, protected time to park and leave without fear of being unfairly charged, and confidence that private parking providers are held to a higher standard.
“It’s yet another step forward in this government’s plan to take the stress out of everyday life and ease the pressure on people’s pockets.”
Minister for Consumer Action, Kate Dearden, said: “Nobody works hard for their money just to be deceived by a dodgy trader, and this is exactly the kind of everyday rip-off this government is going after.
“By making it easier to take action against car clocking, we are protecting consumers’ hard-earned money and supporting businesses that play by the rules.”
A Greater Manchester neighbourhood has been named one of the ‘coolest’ in the UK
Clementine Hall
A neighbourhood in Great Manchester has been crowned one of the coolest in the country – and this time, it’s not Ancoats.
Every year, we wait with bated breath to see which UK neighbourhoods have made the cut in Time Out’s annual ranking of the coolest places in the world.
But, as it turns out, Britain is just so damn cool that we’ve earned a list of our own.
In its latest guide, ’11 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the UK’, Time Out has rounded up the places across the country that are really making a name for themselves.
Images: The Manc
And one neighbourhood here in Greater Manchester has made the cut, and although you’d immediately think of Ancoats that has made its way to similar lists before, this time there’s a newbie on the block.
Coming in at a very respectable fourth place, Stockport and the Underbanks received a glowing report in the coveted list.
Images: The Manc
Are we surprised? Not one bit.
We love Stockport for its flourishing food scene, cool community vibe and ever-growing roster of independent businesses – not to mention its brilliant mix of old-school charm and new-school cool.
It’s a place that feels like it’s constantly evolving, without losing the character that made people fall in love with it in the first place. And clearly, Time Out agrees.
Images: The Manc
Kyle MacNeill, contributing writer, said: “If you live anywhere near Manchester, you may have heard this one on the rumour mill: ‘Stockport is The New Berlin’. It’s a gag, alright: the humble market town hasn’t got a club, let alone the most hedonistic nightlife scene in the world. But it is true that SK is rapidly becoming the place-to-move-to for the Second City’s creatives, thanks to cheaper rent and some serious suburban tenacity.
“The Underbanks, a cobbled high street once home to hat-makers and hosiers, has been transformed into a bustling hub of forward-thinking vendors, while various local institutions have embraced Euro-style cafe culture, midcentury decor, sustainable fine-dining, small plates snacking and chic drinking dens. All of which, actually, come to think of it, is very Berlin… “
High praise indeed, you can read the full list of the UK’s coolest neighbourhoods here.
Georgina Pellant -
26th May 2022 
