How Much Difference In The Shelf Price vs. The Scanned Price Before You Dispute With The Cashier?

[rastahomie]

I was at the grocery store the other day, and the man in front of me told the cashier that the price wasn't right when his deli sandwich rang up at $2.33. The cashier called the manager, who turned her magical key, hit some keys on the keypad, called the deli manager, hit some more keys on the keypad, turned the key again, and after five minutes of this, the right price finally came up: $2.21. The line was held up for five minutes over a 12-cent difference.

Mrs. Homie says that she's all about the principle of the thing, and though she'd never do it herself, she wouldn't judge someone who disputed if it was even a penny's difference.

What say you, DISers?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well I would be that type of person who would dispute the difference any difference but I also go to the self-checkouts whenever possible. It's also the principle of the thing plus I view it as unfair if something is truly not ringing up correctly for those who might purchase the product after me.

For one of our grocery stores the policy is if the price rings up incorrectly the item is free. It keeps them on their toes and honest too to make sure their products are priced correctly and their system is ringing up items correctly.

For me Walmart is the biggest price mismatch places. Many times they are nice about fixing it and sometimes they are not. One time there was a package of gummy bears (my husband's fav candy) that rang up $1.00 higher than it should have been. The cashier was all sorts of mean and rude when I politely pointed out that I believe it should be X price. She was like "well you need to walk me to where you got these from I need to see it for my own eyes"...ok sure I get it if you don't believe me and I had no problem showing her what I meant but don't be rude about it.

ETA: For me sounds like the process for price disputes could be more efficient in the original post. Back and forth like that seemed to take too long.

 

[Mizzoufan]

It depends on the day my mood. The cashier attitude.

 

[sonnyjane]

I'm shocked he even noticed that. I certainly wouldn't have. Yesterday when I was grocery shopping the woman in front of me purchased something and told the checker that it was supposed to be $5.99 instead of $7.99. It was really busy and he didn't want to hold up the line, so he just said he'd make the adjustment, no price-checking or anything. I think that was a good move.

 

[rastahomie]

For me it would have to be in the dollar range, truthfully. And if I make a big purchase, like a $797 55-inch plasma screen that rings up $798, I'm going to let that slide, too.

 

[Cinderella94]

Probably $1.00.

 

[sonnyjane]

For me it would have to be in the dollar range, truthfully. And if I make a big purchase, like a $797 55-inch plasma screen that rings up $798, I'm going to let that slide, too.

I feel like in my life, everything eventually evens out. For every quarter I'm shorted by a cashier I'll probably find one on the ground. Not worth wasting my time or holding up lines over something that small. If it was a difference of a dollar, I might mention it, but if they needed to bring someone up to confirm it, etc., I'd say forget it.

 

[focusondisney]

Make sure you know your local laws about this. Our county has an item pricing law that states the store must give you the difference plus 10x the difference if the item rings up more than the shelf price. The minimum amount is $1 & maximum is $10 plus the difference. So if an item is priced at $1 but rings up at 1.50, you are entitled to the $.50 plus 10x $.50. So you would end up getting $5.50 back.

The large local grocers I go to are accurate with their pricing so I have never gotten this. But my sister lives about an hour away in a small country area & her stores aren't as diligent. She has gotten refunds with this law quite a few times.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Make sure you know your local laws about this. Our county has an item pricing law that states the store must give you the difference plus 10x the difference if the item rings up more than the shelf price. The minimum amount is $1 & maximum is $10 plus the difference. So if an item is priced at $1 but rings up at 1.50, you are entitled to the $.50 plus 10x $.50. So you would end up getting $5.50 back.

The large local grocers I go to are accurate with their pricing so I have never gotten this. But my sister lives about an hour away in a small country area & her stores aren't as diligent. She has gotten refunds with this law quite a few times.

Wow that's quite an interesting law.

I know with the grocery store I mentioned above it doesn't matter if the item is one penny off if it rings up incorrectly you get the item free. One time when I was in college I got a bag of 90 pizza rolls for free. It was an item that was on sale in their paper that hadn't been programmed in their system to be on sale. Another time I got hot dogs for free because their paper showed both the pork/turkey/chicken and the all-beef. Well the all-beef rang up full priced but according to their paper it should have been on sale.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm actually glad that others are out there holding feet to the fire on bar code pricing. Can you imagine how far off it would be if nobody ever asked? I watch a few of the bigger dollar items as they ring up but never check the rest.

 

[Hikergirl]

In our grocery store if an item rings up for more than it is you get it for free.

 

[dish rag]

I never look.

 

[kimblebee]

When I go grocery shopping I buy what I need, not necessarily the cheapest item. I do look at the receipt when I get home and if something is way off I will go to customer service the next time I'm there. Like a PP said, things even out in the end so I'm not going to sweat paying an extra quarter for something.

 

[loves to dive]

I rarely pay attention when they are ringing up, I'm usually busy fighting with the credit card chip reader. If I did notice it I probably wouldn't say anything unless it was larger than $1. Now in a clothes shop, oh yea, I know how much that dress is supposed to cost and I know how much it's on sale so I'll say something.

 

[MamaBelle4]

I would ask over $.05.

If something is marked $5.95 and I'm charged $6.00 for it, I'm saying something. I'm not paying more than I should be. Sometimes, I'm on a tight budget where I preshop, add the tax and know exactly how much I'm going to spend.

Let me put it this way. Let's say something is on sale from $10.00 to $5.00, they ring it up at $10. Presumably you say something. That's half price!

Now, something else is $1.50, down from $1.75 and rings up full price. But you're stocking up and buying 10 of them. It adds up fast. If I notice it, I say something.

 

[MataHari22]

Maybe it's just the manager in me, but I would bring up any price discrepancies. No matter how little the difference, and I think it's important to tell them, no matter whether it was over or under. If it was my store, I'd want to know. I know when I was the store manager of a shoe store, we had people come in and check to see if your register rang in the correct amounts. It was a state law, and you needed to display the certificate showing it was completed and correct. One thing that also drives me nuts, is when things do not ring in as the right item. Having had to deal with inventory when I ran a restaurant and a shoe store, it needed to be as accurate as possible, not just because it's important to do a job correctly, but my bonuses were contingent upon them being accurate.

 

[dish rag]

Would those that would notice and say something bring up if you were undercharged?

 

[MillauFr]

Would those that would notice and say something bring up if you were undercharged?

LOL Good one. I actually probably would say something if it was a small mom/pop type store and the cashier screwed up. If it was a big store like Costco/Target I wouldn't say anything.

 

[MamaBelle4]

Would those that would notice and say something bring up if you were undercharged?

Yes. I always have.

Usually the system had clearanced the item and the stock employees hadn't changed the sticker yet.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Would those that would notice and say something bring up if you were undercharged?

Yeah I would. To me it's the principle. But there are also times when things are marked one price and ring up another and it's just simply a missed (or not caring) item's price being adjusted.

I snagged some summer tops from Walmart hmm I think it was last September and the tag said $3.00 each but they rang up at $1.00 each. I talked with the cashier and she said it was just that they hadn't gone through all the clearance items yet to remark with the lower pricing.

I've also had it where the item was still programmed to be on sale or they had adjusted the pricing on the shelf if they were raising pricing and they hadn't gotten it in their system fully yet.

For me at least in my situations when I've experienced it they've honored the lower price I'm assuming as a customer service aspect.