Question about Grocery stores and incorrect "specials"

[Eliphas]

Hi everyone

What would one do if they found that, as a single customer within the span of 1 month, have noticed that incorrect pricing on "specials", or the signs themselves, have caused them to take more money from me than should have been?

The Spar in Hermanus Gateway is doing this frequently, I've found that at least twice a month they would have incorrect prices and I'd have to go back to get my money (Unless it was a small amount I would not go back, covid and all makes it not worth the risk to me) but this month has been the worse - on top of the fact that for an entire week they have had a special going on that was incorrect - I come back a week later and find they had not changed it and get charged incorrectly again.

This means every customer that bought it that week, and didn't check their slip is being stolen from. This is surely abnormal if something like this can happen to me so frequently surely then means this store is scoring thousands upon thousands from people who don't check?

I happen to keep all my slips and go through them at the end of the month so I've noticed this over years but now due to this last month of am quite frustrated with how blatantly this store is stealing from its customers. I unfortunately suffer from social anxiety so Its been difficult to try and communicate this to their supervisors, not that they seem to care much.

Should one try to get hold of their managers / email them? If I were not a poor sob I would think lawyers could make some sort of class action again them :l

 

[Quintrix]

This is not America - this is Africa. Class actions is America. In Africa you toi-toi.. Make as much noise in the shop every time you experience this and stand on your point. Make it uncomfortable for them while keeping their head office informed of every incident.

Also tweet while tagging head office and start a story on Facebook in the local community group.

Do the digital toi-toi.

 

[3WA]

It's an effort to fight this battle. Keep track of the cost of each item as you put it in your basket - when you get to the till, you’ll know within a rand or two what the total should be. If there’s a discrepancy, you can challenge it immediately.

 

[Azbubu]

Yesterday I bought two Super M’s from Checkers. It was supposed to be 2 for R20. At the till they scanned for R11.99 each and no discount was applied. Normally I would go to the kiosk to get my money back but in this case the queue didn’t justify the R4.

 

[Daisy Cloudskitter]

Yea seems some shops regularly get away with these 'specials' rip-offs. Also noticed it a few times and ignored for reasons described above, plus it's easier giving them benefit of the doubt ... 'just an error'

@Eliphas; As the supervisors haven't been helpful, next time maybe try taking dated pics of each 'special' shelf banner and the corresponding incorrect till slips. Then send a polite complaint to their head office customer care: https://www.spar.co.za/Contact-Us/Customer-Care.

PR people are usually quick to respond favourably.

 

[Eliphas]

It was 9 days they running that special after my complaint and nothing changed. 9 days of stealing from people D:

I will try some of the suggestions here. Sent a complaint to them already and will try to catch a manager in store next time I go.

 

[Former member 61586]

It's an effort to fight this battle. Keep track of the cost of each item as you put it in your basket - when you get to the till, you’ll know within a rand or two what the total should be. If there’s a discrepancy, you can challenge it immediately.

This is only practically possible if you buy a few items. Not at all possible when you have a trolley or basket full of items. While unpacking the basket/trolley there just isn't time. Unless you want to be the cnt holding up the queue. And the grocery places know this.

 

[Goosfrabba]

My local PnP often has discrepancies with specials and pricing. It doesn't help either that now the receipt is digital so not as easy to check at the till point

 

[MirageF1]

Walking into any PnP or Checkers the past year or 2 once is inundated with large special signs everywhere, in every isle, on the ceilings, at the store entrance, on almost every goods rack.
It's an affront to one's senses and shopping experience.

In reality only a small fraction of these are actual reduced prices.
Often the supposed special prices aren't reflected at the till points.
On a number of occasions I've approached management/customer service and they have apologised and rectified, once even given me 2x the incorrectly priced goods as gesture of goodwill, but in the end nothing is done to ensure this doesn't happen.

I Blame 21C marketing and unscrupulous sales agendas. The store staff who are first point of call have no control over this.

 

[Geoff.D]

You have to check the slips carefully. At PnP, the slips show the original price rung up and then, immediately below that item or at the end of the slip, a discount line reflecting the amount taken off for the specials. We check our specials every time we shop when we get home, and, errors are extremely rare.
The local management has not once failed to make a correction when reported to them.
It is really important that you unpack your basket correctly before items are rung up. Keep specials together then the items appear on the slip together and the discount will show also just below the items rung up.

 

[3WA]

This is only practically possible if you buy a few items. Not at all possible when you have a trolley or basket full of items. While unpacking the basket/trolley there just isn't time. Unless you want to be the cnt holding up the queue. And the grocery places know this.

Perfectly possible with a trolley full of items. Do the addition in your head - after some practice, it’ll happen fast. And no delays at the till - you do this on the store floor while filling the trolley.

I used to have to buy trolleyloads of stuff for work and used to track the cost like this since the total came pretty close to the spend limit on the work credit card.

 

[Former member 61586]

Perfectly possible with a trolley full of items. Do the addition in your head - after some practice, it’ll happen fast. And no delays at the till - you do this on the store floor while filling the trolley.

I used to have to buy trolleyloads of stuff for work and used to track the cost like this since the total came pretty close to the spend limit on the work credit card.

so total in your head is R3000. till says R4000. do you now ask for a printout and go through each item to check?

 

[wonduhboy]

Woolworths (and I think PnP) have a policy that if the price on the shelf (or discount/promo) doesn't match the price at the till, you get 1 item for free and the rest at the lower price.
Happened to me a few a time at WW, mainly with their 'buy 2 for Rxx' promos.

 

[UrBaN963]

I think the standard solution to this sort of thing is to burn down a post office or attack an ambulance.

/s

 

[Geoff.D]

so total in your head is R3000. till says R4000. do you now ask for a printout and go through each item to check?

No. You realise just how atrophied your brain is.

 

[3WA]

so total in your head is R3000. till says R4000. do you now ask for a printout and go through each item to check?

Yes. That’s the point.

 

[Geoff.D]

It is easy. Just add the Rand values. Round up. Forget the cents.
Most items are Rx.99 anyway. Count the items you purchase. That way you will have an idea of the rounding error and can adjust the next item if the rounding error is getting too large.
Never more than about R 10 out at the till and always err on the upside. No surprises and no card declines either.

 

[Daisy Cloudskitter]

21C marketing and unscrupulous sales agendas. The store staff who are first point of call have no control over this.

^ Yep, and the busiest staff at till points are first to be left to sort it.

inundated with large special signs everywhere

^ True. Signs like '50% CLEARANCE SALE' and the above miniscule lettering 'up to' will be only seen by ants crawling on the sign.



Not sure marketing people will ever realise these tactics are getting so OTT they're actually becoming insulting to customers.

 

[isie]

You have to check the slips carefully. At PnP, the slips show the original price rung up and then, immediately below that item or at the end of the slip, a discount line reflecting the amount taken off for the specials. We check our specials every time we shop when we get home, and, errors are extremely rare.
The local management has not once failed to make a correction when reported to them.
It is really important that you unpack your basket correctly before items are rung up. Keep specials together then the items appear on the slip together and the discount will show also just below the items rung up.

Opposite experience We check our slips before we even leave the store (can be a task remembering what each item supposed to coast) - last few months , almost every time we were at PnP and picked up an issue , but yes the customer service guys do refund you if you go to complain- and I have spoken to management to try and fix it - the staff at Customer service know I don't take it out on them , it isn't their fault but it does get annoying and I wonder how many people do not check or see there are lines at customer service and do not feel it's worth the time and or effort.

Except last week didn't pick up anything - but the lady at customer service saw us and came to ask - not visiting me today