Pay Attention When Checking Out……Your Groceries
With so many different deals and items at the major grocery/discount stores, it’s amazing anything rings up correctly during checkout. Do you pay attention to each item the clerk scans? It’s probably a good habit to get into, considering the great possibilities for errors. Although the savings may seem minimal, they can really add up.
Just this weekend, I noticed (after the fact) that I overpaid for items both at Target and Shoppers. Of course, I didn’t realize the error until I was at home looking at the receipt, when it was too late to do anything about it. Ironically, both of the items I was overcharged for were items I only purchased because they were on sale. Total, I was dooped out of $4.00—nothing to cry too much about, I know. However, it really got me looking at the big picture. Imagine the savings to a major store that incorrectly prices random items and likewise, the added cost to the consumers.
I’m sure everyone has rolled their eyes at the person checking out in front of them when they complain at that nearly every item they purchased is priced wrong. I’ve decided to be one of them and eye the monitors as my items tally up. It takes two seconds to tell the clerk an item is overpriced and more than likely they will change it no questions asked. But as soon as you walk outside the store, it’s too late. Even if you realize you were overcharged in the parking lot, you’re probably not going to go back in the store to recoup your $4 because you’d feel stupid and cheap.
Even know this practice will not turn you into a millionaire, you can at the very least feel confident your getting what you intended at a price you intended to pay. After all, $4.00 is equal to 2 cups of (normal) coffee, 1 gallon of gas, 1 gallon of milk, 1 magazine, and almost enough for a pillow on JetBlue Airlines. All are items we go out of our way to buy, so why not go out of our way to save the same amount? $
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Comments
I’d rather have customer service correct the mistake as well. It’s their mistake, my money, and doesn’t punish the people behind me ![]()
@Jenna: I had no idea it was that much. Seems like a lot when its all so automated you know?
@Revanche: I agree. That’s exactly what they are there for. You can tell a lot about a company that has either great customer service or poor.












Statistics show that the store makes a $5.00 to $7.00 mistake in the store favor for every $50.00 you spend. Add this up over a lifetime. I check my reciepts before I leave the parking lot that way I don’t hold up lines but I go back to customer service and get the cash.