One of my favourite ways to save money on groceries is also one of the easiest - I check my bill. Then I check it again. I almost always end up finding a mistake in the store's favour.
I would estimate that about 75% of the time I am overcharged. I don't think it is some sort of dark, covert plan to increase corporate profits, just honest mistakes made by hard working cashiers.
Usually I steer my cart towards customer service and take a moment to go over my bill BEFORE I leave the store. The times I can't wait to get out of the store I check when I get home.
It has become a bit like a detective game, and playing Inspector helps me find pricey irregularities.
Regardless of whether I check right away, or come back later with a problem bill, the store is always 100% accommodating. Without fail the overcharge is refunded with a smile... so I can buy more food from them.
People make mistakes, but that doesn't mean that you should have to pay for them. Check your bill and save even more on your groceries.
Oh yes. I always check right at the cash register if the prices appear right. So many times I've caught prices higher than they should be. Great post. :)
ReplyDeleteKamyria,
DeleteWhen Linda used to come grocery shopping with me she would watch the cash register screen while I unloaded our cart. Her eagle eye caught lots of things that the cashier could then correct right then and there. By myself I find it difficult to unload AND watch the screen.
Sometimes I don't have time, but checking my bill before I leave the store means I can show them the mistakes and get customer service to correct them. It takes a bit longer, but is always worth the extra time. Sometimes it is a difference of several dollars.
I check too. I routinely find errors. I also find it difficult to check and unload. Most of the time, I write the price down on my grocery list as I put it in my cart. I round to the nearest 50 cents, sometimes 25 cents. I keep a running tally of the cost. I am usually within 20 to 50 cents of what my bill comes to. I do weigh all produce, do the math on what it is going to cost. I try to glance at the screen often while unloading. I've caught a few big errors.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons I think there are errors is that the data entry people make mistakes when punching in the codes and prices. I especially notice that sale prices are wrong. I've noticed it especially when produce is on sale. It seems they fail to enter when produce is on sale price and I am instead charged the regular price because that is what the computer cash register plugs in, not the cashier.
This is an excellent post. I've never read this on a blog before. Good for all of us to check our bills and share our experiences on it.
Terri
Returning here to,share an experience just after this posted. I checked a receipts before leaving the store and found they charged me 20 cents more on each can of cat food I was purchasing. I found a manager who happily corrected it by refunding me $4.28. It included the extra tax I was over charged.
DeleteI told someone about the experience and they said that some stores have a policy of giving you the item for free if you find a pricing error, but you have to ask them for it. They wouldn't have given me all 24 cans of food free, but would have given me one can free plus the over charged amount if that store had that policy. Wish I would have known and asked!
I never check the bill all that carefully. Maybe I had better start doing that!
ReplyDelete