Consumer alert here. I've noticed more and more "errors" in the pricing of sale items at grocery stores. Oddly they're almost never in favor of the customer.
Case in point: twice in the last 2 weeks I've bought chicken at the local Safeway. And both times the price has come up higher in the register than what the package showed.
In simple terms, let's say the regular price is $2/lb. A 2lb package is marked at $4. But they're on sale for $1/lb for card club members. So the tag on the package says
"Club price: $2"
Then we get to the register and the price comes up $2.20. But the way it shows up is hard to notice, as they put the regular price on one line then way down on a lower line they show the sum of the "club discounts", so without a calculator, it's hard to spot the discrepancy.
Like I said, I've spotted this twice in the past 2 weeks. The first time the cashier tried to tell me I was a "lower level" club member so I didn't get the full discount. WTF?!? Ended up leaving without the chicken. Second time the cashier tried to tell me it was sales tax. Again, WTF?!? No sales tax on food. Then she nonchalantly said that the price was different in the computer due to the scale. And held her hand out for my money. It's almost as if they're informed beforehand as to how to argue that the price is fine and the customer should just go ahead and pay anyway. The second cashier actually rolled her eyes and said "it's only a few cents".
Now think about the cumulative effect over a year. Let's say there are 100,000 transactions a year. And of those, there are 10,000 incorrect prices involved at an average $.10 advantage to the store. That's a low estimate according to my experience, but you get the point. Now that's only a thousand bucks, right? Well what if you went into that store and helped yourself to a thousand dollars worth of groceries. Do you think the judge would roll his eyes and say, " it's only a thousand dollars, you're free to go."
I don't think so.
Case in point: twice in the last 2 weeks I've bought chicken at the local Safeway. And both times the price has come up higher in the register than what the package showed.
In simple terms, let's say the regular price is $2/lb. A 2lb package is marked at $4. But they're on sale for $1/lb for card club members. So the tag on the package says
"Club price: $2"
Then we get to the register and the price comes up $2.20. But the way it shows up is hard to notice, as they put the regular price on one line then way down on a lower line they show the sum of the "club discounts", so without a calculator, it's hard to spot the discrepancy.
Like I said, I've spotted this twice in the past 2 weeks. The first time the cashier tried to tell me I was a "lower level" club member so I didn't get the full discount. WTF?!? Ended up leaving without the chicken. Second time the cashier tried to tell me it was sales tax. Again, WTF?!? No sales tax on food. Then she nonchalantly said that the price was different in the computer due to the scale. And held her hand out for my money. It's almost as if they're informed beforehand as to how to argue that the price is fine and the customer should just go ahead and pay anyway. The second cashier actually rolled her eyes and said "it's only a few cents".
Now think about the cumulative effect over a year. Let's say there are 100,000 transactions a year. And of those, there are 10,000 incorrect prices involved at an average $.10 advantage to the store. That's a low estimate according to my experience, but you get the point. Now that's only a thousand bucks, right? Well what if you went into that store and helped yourself to a thousand dollars worth of groceries. Do you think the judge would roll his eyes and say, " it's only a thousand dollars, you're free to go."
I don't think so.
