How to lose money at clubs and restaurants

[LilAbner]

Has anybody else noticed this, or is it some sort of clash between my patches? 

I have a sim with a restaurant, and he's constantly losing money. Not only until yesterday did I realize what's happening. The guests at the restaurant don't pay their bills! Instead, every time the guests get their food money is drawn from the owner. And then the guests get up and leave without even touching the food. This happens everytime.

The second thing I noticed was when a sim of mine went on a date to a club. they paid for a ticket at the ticket machine and went in. Once inside they didn't buy anything, but I noticed that money disappeared when other uncontrolled guests used the ticket machine.

[J. M. Pescado]

I have a sim with a restaurant, and he's constantly losing money. Not only until yesterday did I realize what's happening. The guests at the restaurant don't pay their bills! Instead, every time the guests get their food money is drawn from the owner. And then the guests get up and leave without even touching the food. This happens everytime.

I have observed this also. It seems to be an effect of when guests try to eat something even though their hunger is maxed out, because, for some reason, you apparently order food when not hungry. An experimental hack is aimed at resolving this issue, by denying permission to attempt to eat at restaurants unless hungry enough to eat.

The second thing I noticed was when a sim of mine went on a date to a club. they paid for a ticket at the ticket machine and went in. Once inside they didn't buy anything, but I noticed that money disappeared when other uncontrolled guests used the ticket machine.

There appears to be a large number of billing-related issues on community lots. The matter is presently being looked into.

[Sagana]

And then the guests get up and leave without even touching the food. This happens everytime.

Do you have a ticket machine and the restaurant podium on the same lot? The above is what happened to me when I tried to do that. Removing the ticket machine fixed it. Then I put the ticket machine back, removed the podium and provided the food buffet-style (not from the buffet, just cooking it and putting it out) and that also worked.

Even when they were hungry, even my own sim when directed, couldn't eat on the lot with the podium when the ticket machine was on. Turning the machine off allowed my sim to eat.

[J. M. Pescado]

I have restaurants running just fine with ticket machine, so it's not apparently consistent.

[Skaven]

The ticket machine in a NL style restaurant caused this behavior for me.  Once I nuked that the guests would eat and pay as normal.  Perhaps it is the order that the restaurant / ticket machine are installed?

[Simlover]

I have had it when I have installed the coffee bar thing, sims order coffee but the $15 deducted from the owners coffers. I have had this with both the ticket machine and no ticket machine and just put it down to a wierd glitch I had.  I ended up getting rid of the bar and jut left an expresso machine there to encourage patrons.

[Sagana]

I have restaurants running just fine with ticket machine, so it's not apparently consistent.

Hm, I didn't patch. Maybe that's fixed (or sometimes fixed) with the patch?