Just a clarification. In order for you to get a product ‘free’ with a coupon, the coupon must state that it will pay the tax as well. I was getting $3.00 Purex coupons last summer and waiting until the product went on sale for $2.99. When I used the coupon it was discounted to $2.99 but I still had to pay .39 cents tax because the coupon did not pay the tax.

It sounds to me that the problem you were having was in regards to the company who made the mascara you bought at a Shoppers. If that is the price they’ve asked for that product, or the price that is scanning when the cashier swipes it, that is not the fault of Shoppers. Have some patience for the employees who are trying to help you.

Firstly, who your manager is and how they train their employees matters VERY MUCH. The SDM I just gave my two weeks` notice to had extremely bad management and cashiers got conflicting methods of standard operating procedure daily. Merchandisers were only treated a little better because they didn`t have as much opportunity to tell the customers that they didn`t know how to help them without calling the manager (or assistant manager) because they`d been inadequately trained.
This isn`t to say that all SDM`s are this way. I`m still working at the other Shoppers Drug Mart because the management style at the other is completely different. There are ALWAYS enough staff at hand, which means customers aren`t made to stand aside for an hour or more waiting for the one merchandiser they have there at the moment to help them, and the cashiers are advised ahead of time by their superiors about what promotions are being offered and told where the current flyer is if they need to check sale prices for a customer. The cashiers are also given their 3-month reviews with CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, so they are better able to aid customers if a problem arises. And if a cashier isn`t doing something right in front of a supervisor, it`s pointed out ASAP.
Unfortunately, some managers believe that the way to train a cashier is to tell them if they don`t figure out what they`re doing wrong on their own, they will be fired. This creates a very stressful situation for a cashier. Of course they`re going to be paranoid about calling their manager to make sure what they`re doing is okay if they have their job threatened daily and aren`t being told how to do their job better.
Another thing I should mention is that ALL SDM`s are separately owned, which means they are all unique. Each of them has different stock, different sales, and different management style. You certainly can`t lump them all together.
A lot of points the other posters have put up here are very true as well. Sometimes a sale item won`t ring in at sale price because of any number of reasons (such as the person using the program to alter the prices on the store computer screwed up). Whenever a customer comes to my lineup and tells me that they were overcharged, I personally look through the flyer to see if the item was supposed to be on sale and if I am unable to find it in the flyer, I then call a merchandiser and ask them to get me the tag for the item. If the tag shows that the customer was indeed right and they were overcharged, I do a refund for them and then do a price-override scan while apologising to the customer on behalf of the store that they had to come back. I also ask them if they`d like to speak to the manager to leave a comment or suggestion so that we can better serve them in the future. But that`s just because of my common sense and having the luck of having a good manager at one of the SDM`s I`ve worked at and still work at. It is also true that cashiers have very little power over even the smallest things (like giving a refund if it`s over 15 dollars or it`s been more than 30 days since the item was purchased). We are also not allowed to leave our till, and it`s not because we`re too lazy to come out. It`s because we`ve been told we can`t leave due to the risk of other `customers` stealing merchandise or even receipts so they they can try to scam the store out of money.

Long story short, us cashiers have it kind of rough. It`s not an excuse for us to be rude to customers, that`s definitely not what I`m trying to say. But not all cashiers are terrible and not all SDM`s are terrible either.

Oh, and while I’m at it. Just because you have a bad experience with ONE cashier doesn’t mean the entire chain of stores across the board is “A HORRIBLE PLACE TO SHOP”.

Geeze, if I happen to think you’re being a bitch to me does that mean your entire family is a bitch? NO.

Stop and think about how you are treating the cashier before you go off on a tangent. If you don’t agree with something they are arguing with ask them why they are saying that. If you are still not satisified then ask for a supervisor or manager. Stop taking your crap out on the cashiers. We have rules they need to abide by. We don’t just decide to make them as we serve customers.

Let me tell you this, you’ll get further by being polite then by arguing. Our time is as valuable as your time!

I would’ve done the same thing as you Laurie. But i usually check my recipts on my way out or in the car before I leave.. i woudl ahve gone back in there and raised all kinds of hell on them.

Shoppers has mislabelled items before and nearly got away with it if I hadnt checked my dads recipts.. He gets sooo incredibly angry when cashiers call him a liar or refuse to check the prices again..

Several times he’s just had his things refunded [and taken his business else where] or if before he’s boughten them he would just leave the cashier and the items leaving her/him to fix the mess.

http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/01262.html

I have noticed that you have to really check your receipts with shoppers, I have been scammed numerous times on items that were supposed to be on sale.