WWYD - Cashier goofed

[tlbwriter]

It depends. Was it Walmart? Because they owe me more than $25 and I would consider it to be karma paying me back.

 

[bookgirl]

I said keep it, because my general rule of thumb is if I figure it out before I leave the store (I ususally know how much I'm spending and I always remind them that I have larger items in basket if I don't put it on the belt) I always give the cashier a heads up that she forgot something and pay for it or go to customer service and pay. But if I get all the way home I generally will not make a second trip.

However $25 bucks would be a slippery slope for me. On a big ticket item I would probably make a second trip for warrenty purposes or inventory control, but I don't know that $25 dollars would be big enough for me to go. $50 with out a doubt but inbetween would be a harder call.

 

[mjkacmom]

Let me preface this with the fact that I totally believe in karma. If I find money, I try to find out who it belongs to. If I am undercharged for an item, I point out the mistake. I have found a couple of wallets before, and it never crossed my mind for a second not to turn them in. Once I had to contact the person, and I dropped it off at her home.

However, my time is also precious to me. If I wasn't charged for the item, because I never took it out of the cart, I'd be going back. But if it was her mistake, I'm not going to spend close to an hour giving them money (with the round-trip drive, plus the CS line).

 

[GirTheGecko]

I actually sort of had this happen to me. I bought a bunch of fishing equipment at Cabela's and they missed a reel. It was 60-70 bucks. It's a two hour drive for us so I called back and asked to speak to a manager. I paid over the phone, and the manager was thrilled. She sent a very nice letter to me about how nice it was to have someone do the right thing.

Oh, it didn't help our fishing karma. We still haven't caught anything beside weeds.

 

[fairestoneofall]

i look at it this way, how quickly would you be calling them up if they OVERCHARGED you $25?

it doesn't matter if it's your $25 or theirs. the honest thing is that you still owe them $25. i would go back and pay for it (and i have done this in the past).

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

LOL, that happened to me once, my dd wasn't walking yet and was in the stroller, we were in Marshalls and I was looking at the kids shoes for her.
we leave the store, and I look in her carriage and she is holding onto a pair of kids shoes, she must have swiped them off the rack when I wasn't looking! LOL
I took them right back in, they laughed.


that is kind of funny, that poor cashier must have been
when she realized

You have no idea. She was going to be in deep *s* if ya know what I mean!

 

[MushyMushy]

I would, and have, return it to pay for it. I probably wouldn't drive 25 miles out of my way for something less than 10 bucks, but anything more, I'd go back.

 

[MushyMushy]

I would keep the item and consider it my lucky day.

And truth be told - I think that most of the "holier-than-thos" posting that they would return to the store and pay for it - really wouldn't and they know they would keep the item too...they just aren't willing to admit it!

-Diziz

Why is it holier than thou to do the right thing?

 

[Topper]

PAY FOR IT!

 

[nathalee81]

Could someone in retail tell me if something has changed?

When I was a cashier many moons ago (this was even pre-scanner days!)-I was never held responsible for items I may have missed ringing up. I am sure in my five years as being a cashier, I got mixed up and gave someone some free toilet paper (not intentional-but, as I said, this was pre scanner days and we were responsible for ringing and bagging and it got extremely busy from about 5-7 every day). I was held responsible and written up if my drawer was 5 dollars over/under (or if a credit card receipt or check was missing-anything like that).

So, when someone says the cashier will be held responsible for the item, is that really true nowadays?

I will say, due to my cashier past, I will go and return one dollar to a cashier (or a penny) if they give me more change-because I know this directly impacts them and I don't want anyone to lose their job.

However, I am on the fence as to whether one should spend their time and money to go to return an item that is worth ten dollars or so (especially since a PP said not to call since it is hard to get a manager). If it was down the street or something, but 20 minutes away? My vote would still be to call. Sorry, but while it may be an inconvenience to the manager and associate, it is also an inconvenience to me to go back to the store.

 

[brockash]

Could someone in retail tell me if something has changed?

When I was a cashier many moons ago (this was even pre-scanner days!)-I was never held responsible for items I may have missed ringing up. I am sure in my five years as being a cashier, I got mixed up and gave someone some free toilet paper (not intentional-but, as I said, this was pre scanner days and we were responsible for ringing and bagging and it got extremely busy from about 5-7 every day). I was held responsible and written up if my drawer was 5 dollars over/under (or if a credit card receipt or check was missing-anything like that).

So, when someone says the cashier will be held responsible for the item, is that really true nowadays?

I will say, due to my cashier past, I will go and return one dollar to a cashier (or a penny) if they give me more change-because I know this directly impacts them and I don't want anyone to lose their job.

However, I am on the fence as to whether one should spend their time and money to go to return an item that is worth ten dollars or so (especially since a PP said not to call since it is hard to get a manager). If it was down the street or something, but 20 minutes away? My vote would still be to call. Sorry, but while it may be an inconvenience to the manager and associate, it is also an inconvenience to me to go back to the store.

I was thinking the exact same thing. I worked as a cashier at a few places when I was younger, and never had anything deducted from my paycheck for anything I missed, rung up wrong, or any kind of cash balance difference. I was a manager of a fast food restaurant when I was younger as well, and even as a bank teller/manager we never took money out of an employees check, no matter how out of balance anything was. Honestly, it seems like it'd almost be illegal to do so. My experience was in a few different states, so I just can't imagine that an employee getting money taken out of their own pocket is really that common.

 

[muffyn]

I don't think anyone mentioned this.

what about the cashier IF you return it?

I know she made a mistake, but what if it gets pretty detrimental to her if she is called up on it?
reprimand? fired? (you never know now adays)

I just might be more worried about what the repercussions would be , rather than return it. I dunno, feel guilty,,(?) donate somethng , somewhere.

it was not like leaving something IN the cart & you just forgot to put it on the check out, you said she missed it.
but OTOH I guess you could go back & TELL them it was your fault it was under your coat or something, ahh but then the checkout person is supposed to make certain nothing is IN the cart.

(did you see some stores have scanners at the floor area, so they will catch stuff that is on the bottom of the carts & forgot to put it up?)

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I've done this before where I will notice an item wasn't paid for and will either go back or call the store. They always say don't worry about it. So I've stopped worrying about it. Of course, I think this has only happened to me with something less than $5...

 

[hulagirl87]

Why would you return to pay for it? When things like this happen they are just good luck like finding $10 on the ground. Are you going to stand there and ask people if they dropped it? Just keep it cal it good luck.

If a company over charged you do you think they would seek you out for a refund?

Though I'm a horrible, wretched, evil person so don't listen to me.

I'm totally with you on this I wouldn't go back. I would just chalk it up to good luck on my end! evil? maybe, but I wouldn't feel bad about it. And it's weird because I'm such a good person otherwise! I'm getting rebellious in my old age. I've been so good all my life now I'm getting all kinds of crazy!

I had something like this happen once. I went in to return a pair of jeans and then buy some other items. When I got home I noticed that the pair of jeans was in my bag with the other things that I had purchased. I hadn't noticed the cashier put them in the bag with the rest of the stuff, but she must have gotten confused with the things on the counter and just put them in the bag. I wasn't about to turn around and go back to the store as it was not my mistake. Sorry if that makes me a bad person but I consider that a blessing free pants! come on now!

I worked in retail for several years (the Disney Store. cashier, then management) and I'm sure that I accidentally forgot to scan an item at some point. After Christmas sales were crazy!!!! I don't remember anyone in my 8 1/2 years working there ever calling or coming back in to pay for an item that was "forgotten"

 

[N&B'smom]

I'm not holier than though but I am honest. I would absolutely contact the store asap and see how they wanted to rectify the situation.

One time I was leaving the grocery store at night and thought I may have scraped the car next to me a tiny bit while I was pulling out. I wasn't 100% sure though. I pulled back in and sat in my car for 45 minutes waiting for the person to come out so he or she could tell me if the scrape marks were already on their car or if I had done it. The person didn't come out and I had to leave. I then left a note on their car.

They called me that night and said that they didn't see any damage that wasn't already there.

I also had my car door blow open one time into a parked car. I left a note on their car, they called and I gave them my info and I paid them for the damage. Even if it costs me money, I'd rather do the right thing.

 

[Hannathy]

Why is it holier than thou to do the right thing?

I agree.

I find it a sad commentary on our society to see so many people saying stealing is ok. when you take something from a store without paying for it it is stealing no matter how you twist it to suit your conscience.

 

[luvmy3]

I agree.

I find it a sad commentary on our society to see so many people saying stealing is ok. when you take something from a store without paying for it it is stealing no matter how you twist it to suit your conscience.

I was thinking the same thing, and how sad it is that when an honest person does the right thing its looked as 'holier than thou". You know what, I'm alright with that though, I'd rather be looked at like that, than looked at like a criminal

 

[SunnyP4Disney]

I would keep the item and consider it my lucky day.

And truth be told - I think that most of the "holier-than-thos" posting that they would return to the store and pay for it - really wouldn't and they know they would keep the item too...they just aren't willing to admit it!

-Diziz

Wow, welcome to the Dis! Quite a first post.
I don't consider myself holier than thou, but I do believe in the concept of karma. I have, in fact, driven back to the store when I realized they didn't ring up a big pack of short ribs. The manager was grateful I came back, but let me have them for free since I drove all the way back. She said it was nice to see someone so honest. So, it does pay to do the right thing.

 

[pilotwife_02]

I once went back in to the store to pay for a gallon of milk I put on the bottom of my cart and forgot to take off and put on the counter. When I went back in to customer service to pay, they looked at me like I had 3 heads and said "Wow, thanks for being honest". In my head I couldn't in good faith let my kids drink milk I felt I "stole", kwim?

 

[dbogen]

I don't know how I feel about this. If you didn't confuse the cashier on purpose or knowingly take the item without paying, I might just keep it. I also believe in Karma, and maybe I did something good and the karma gods saw fit to "give" me the item....

I still think I might call the store and tell them you realized that an item wasn't rung up and what would they like me to do. I have done that in the past and like others, they tell me just to keep it.