Supermarket "Deals"

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DerKaiser

Registered User
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1,443
Just letting off steam here, don't have a personal consumer complaint.

Yesterday I was shopping in one of the major supermarkets and availed of a "2 for 1" and a "2 for €5" deals on separate items which individually cost €4.

Neither processed correctly and I was initially charged the full amount (€16 for 4 items rather than €9 on special deals), so I returned and was given a full refund of €16 i.e. I got the items for free. So no complaint on the specific issue.

This is far from rare, however, and not limited to any single supermarket in my experience.




My beef is this:
  1. The frequency with which this occurs is an absolute pain, I'm often home before I realise the error
  2. How many people don't notice this
  3. Who is the watchdog responsible for this type of thing (they must not be too vigilant)
  4. Does the supermarket correct all instances of the error
On point 4, I would expect most shopping is done with club cards. A mountain of data exists within the supermarket systems. It should be quite easy to go back over errors when reported and refund any errors not detected by the customer.

The problem is, this has never happened to me.

Where I work we have a team of 5 people in the data management section who seem to be constantly reviewing for automated errors and posting cheques to customers for miscalculations happens occasionally. It just makes me wonder why others sectors are not audited/regulated for similar errors as zealously.
 
I have learned to always check my receipt before I leave the supermarket to ensure any special offers have been honoured. I agree it is often the case that they haven't been.
 
DerKaiser said:
I returned and was given a full refund of €16 i.e. I got the items for free. So no complaint on the specific issue.
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Sounds like you should go back repeatedly and avail of the freebie for as long as it's going. They'd soon correct it if it was hurting them in the pocket.
 
Also, keep an eye on the 'xx% extra' deals, that turn out more expensive per weight than the normal versions.
 
I noticed recently when shopping in a major supermarket that some of their own-brand items have a UK/sterling deal printed on the packaging (e.g. 2 for £2.50), which of course isn't honoured or recognised here - confusing and annoying.
 
liaconn said:
I have learned to always check my receipt before I leave the supermarket to ensure any special offers have been honoured. I agree it is often the case that they haven't been.
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+1

Lidl & Aldi seem to be more switched on than the others in this respect though.
 
I have learned to always check my receipt before I leave the supermarket to ensure any special offers have been honoured. I agree it is often the case that they haven't been.
Click to expand...
+1

I also keep the special deals together at the end of my goods so that
a) I've fully unpacked and can check the register as they are being recorded and
b) They are all together on the receipt so a quick look at the bottom of it before I leave the cash desk will confirm that the deals have been processed correctly. No searching for the different deals here and there on the receipt
 
emmt said:
+1

I also keep the special deals together at the end of my goods so that
a) I've fully unpacked and can check the register as they are being recorded and
b) They are all together on the receipt so a quick look at the bottom of it before I leave the cash desk will confirm that the deals have been processed correctly. No searching for the different deals here and there on the receipt
Click to expand...

Best tip on AAM so far this year :D, thanks
 
Just to share a personal experience.

I bought a tent early last year from Tesco's. It was only €40 and Mrs PH and I wanted to give camping a go. (-2 degrees in late May is not funny but that's a whole other story).

Anyway, the tent went through the till at €60 so I went up to the customer service desk to explain the error and off they went to check the label. When they came back they agreed the mistake and offered to refund the difference. Now, I have a relative in the UK that works for Tesco's so there was a lingering memory of being told that Tesco give you the item free if you are overcharged, so quite innocently I asked about this.... and was given the item free.... Bargain...!!!

Turns out their policy had actually changed and now they only give you double the difference, but serves them right for not informing their staff of this....

Just goes to show, you should always look out for and question the errors.
 
PetrolHead said:
It was only €40 ...Anyway, the tent went through the till at €60 so I went up to the customer service desk to explain the error and off they went to check the label. When they came back they agreed the mistake and offered to refund the difference. .... and was given the item free.... Bargain...!!!

Turns out their policy had actually changed and now they only give you double the difference, but serves them right for not informing their staff of this....
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Double your difference was €40, the price of the tent - so maybe they did know the policy had changed...
 
I wasn't aware that Tesco's refund policy had changed? Last time I was overcharged (about 4 weeks ago), I got the price of the item free.
 
orka said:
Double your difference was €40, the price of the tent - so maybe they did know the policy had changed...
Click to expand...

Double the difference means I should have got €40 back and paid €20.... whereas I got the whole €60 back.

Anyway, it may just be that that is the policy in the UK and here they give the full value back. Either way, it's always best to be cheeky and ask for as much as you can and negotiate down from there.
 
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