By Maureen

I was in Sobey’s and I bought wraps.  The sale price was $2.49.  It scanned in at $3.19 when I went thru the cash.  I told the cashier and with the SPC I got the item free.  She just checked that the price was what I said and happily gave me back my money and I got free wraps.  This happens quite a bit so I always try to check the register to make sure the advertised or correct prices ring up.  I have gotten quite a few products because of this.

By SweetDeals

This happened a couple of months ago but it’s bothered me ever since so I thought this would be a good way to get it off my chest.

We had run out so I went out to buy some ketchup from Sobeys.  I paid by debit, but was in a hurry and had things on my mind so I wasn’t really paying attention.

The next day, I glanced at the receipt and saw that the total was $13.49 — $10.00 more than the ketchup had cost.

On closer inspection I saw that I had been charged $10.00 for “cash back”.  But I never asked for, or got, any cash back (I never do that).

I assumed it was a mistake so I went back and asked for a refund.  The customer service person talked to the manager-on-duty and gave the $10 back to me, but as she did she said (with a rude look on her face), “just so you know, the cash back request was signed by you.”

In other words, she was implying that I did ask for the cash back and that I was trying to scam them.

Well I freaked.  I demanded to see the receipt and sure enough, when the manager-on-duty brought it to me, it wasn’t my signature.  I showed her my signature from my license and gave them my contact information so they could follow up with me, but I never heard from them again.

I can’t help feeling that I should have called them back the next day and demanded an explanation and apology, or even called the police (isn’t forging someone’s signature fraud?).  But I let it go and trusted they would do the right thing.

Thinking back, I realized that the cashier had swiped my card for me, and that when she handed it back to me it didn’t ask me to confirm the amount — it just asked me to choose which account to use.

So the cashier typed in the extra $10, took my card, pushed the button to skip the part where I confirmed the amount and gave it back to me, hoping I wouldn’t catch on.  Guess I really am as dumb as I look.

I don’t think this is necessarily a reflection of Sobeys… just one bad cashier,  and the manager who should have followed up with me.

 

But it did teach me two valuable lessons: 1) always confirm the amount you’re approving before entering your pin, and 2) always check your bill before you leave the store.

Lesson learned.