Flatbread faux pas: Elderly man in China pays RM3,550 for snacks worth RM3.20, forgets for 8 days, shocking social media

The plight of an elderly man in China who paid a bakery 5,555 yuan (RM3,550) for six flatbreads which should have cost him just five yuan (RM3.20) has shocked mainland social media.

An online stir was created when the owner of the bakery in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province, Zhang Dayong, issued a search notice for the over-paying customer via several media outlets on Aug 27.

Zhang said he was shocked to discover a WeChat payment of 5,555 yuan (RM3,550) on the morning of Aug 21. His flatbreads only cost one yuan (65sen) each, and his daily income normally peaks at 2,000 yuan (RM1,278).

He realised instantly that one of his customers had typed in the wrong amount when making a digital payment. With no access to the payer’s information other than the name of the bank via which the payment was made, Zhang decided to wait.

“I thought whoever made the payment would soon come back to claim it,” Zhang said.

However, three days passed and no-one showed up, so Zhang became anxious.

As well as seeking help from the local media, Zhang went to the bank in an attempt to identify the customer, but they would not disclose his details. He also reported it to the police, who told him to wait.

It was not until Aug 29, eight days after the incident, that 83-year-old Zhan Guowen finally showed up.

Zhan said WeChat payment customer service had called him that morning to point out his mistake and it was then when he realised he had paid far too much for the “buy five get six flatbreads deal”.

Bakery boss Zhang said he was relieved after returning the full 5,555 yuan (RM3,550) to Zhan, including the five yuan he was supposed to pay.

“This is fate. It cannot have been easy for an elderly man like him to experience all this,” Zhang said.

On why he insisted on returning the money, Zhang said: “I can’t betray my customers. It is thanks to them that I was able to open this shop.”

His honesty and persistence have won applause online and mainland social media has been astonished by the fact that Zhan went so long before discovering his mistake.

“This elderly man must be super rich. Is he still single?” one person joked.

“One time, I almost paid 55 yuan for a five-yuan bottle of water, and I received a notice saying I have insufficient balance,” said another.

“The shop owner is a great person, and the elderly man is so lucky,” said a third person. – South China Morning Post