Clearance Sale shenanigans

[warrrreagl]

Last night, the wife and I stopped into our local Office Max for some car window paint. En route to that aisle, she found the Clearance Row, and I found a Day Planner there priced at 00 cents. It was on the shelf and had a pre-printed factory price label attached to the shelf for 00 cents (the item codes matched perfectly and everything). So, I called one of the sales clerks over to explain it, and he told me that if the sign said 00 cents, then they had to sell it to me for 00 cents (they had two of them in stock, normally $13.89). He cautioned that I would probably have to call over a manager when I got to checkout, but it would be "false advertising if the manager didn't let it go for 00 cents" (his exact words).

So, my wife dared me. She continued to shop, and I took the two Day Planners to the checkout, where I found a manager actually working one of the registers. I explained to him what the price tag said and what the store clerk told me, and the manager said there was no way he would let it go for 00 cents. When I pressed him further, he agreed to sell me one of them for $1, and the other for regular clearance price ($7.19). When I asked what was the difference between the two Day Planners (why was one of them $1 and the other one $7.19 even though the product codes were identical), he replied, "One of them is blue and the other is black. The black one is more valuable." So I bought the blue one for $1. He also told me that pre-printed price tag errors "happen all the time around here."

To me, that sounds like a racket. You pick up an armload of stuff including several clearance items and head to the checkout. However, the clearance stuff scans at a much higher price than you expected. I think the store is counting on some of the customers to let it go.

Here's what my wife and I have figured out at several stores:
* The checkout person starts scanning stuff WAY before you finish unloading your armload/buggy, and you don't get a chance to monitor the prices as they scan.
* The scanner display is turned crookedly so you can't see the prices very well.
* Some stores have the goofy scan system that "deducts all reductions at the end," so you really never know if something is scanning correctly.
* The offending stores practice this as unofficial "policy" because they're playing the odds that many customers won't take the trouble to challenge the incorrect prices.

The most heinous offenders (in our experience) are the following: Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, Office Max, Office Depot, and Penney's. When we checkout now, we stop dead in our tracks and don't move until we've perused the entire receipt (which is exactly what you'd expect an old curmudgeon to do anyway, right?), and we end up going back to Customer Service about 50% of the time. The only time things work out perfectly are at Wal-Mart when we use the Self-Checkout aisles (a Godsend, in my opinion, until foreign college students discover them).

Thoughts, anybody?

[yellowchef]

I HATE it when they look at me funny for staring at my recipt, or telling them the price was scanned wrong and they need to correct it. They tell me they "cant do anything its on the computer" and I usually ask for a manager. Or today.. (I blame this on the chaos that is always going on in my local K Mart) I walked in and headed straight for the pet aisle. I started looking for my litter, and the cat food I buy and it turns out Purina products were on sale! I normally get Purina food and litter(when I cant find feline pine) and it had a coupon for $1 off and $.75 off on the litter and a $2.50 and a $1 off coupon on my specific type of cat food.. you BET I bought it. I got to the register and the non English speaking cashier told me she cant take them all. I pitched a fit and ended up getting an extra dollar off because the lady scanned it twice. If youre going to pile the coupons up on my bag you better take them all.

Im on a budget I cant just toss my money around, and even if its pennies we're talkin here Im after the principal of the thing. My mom is rubbing off on me shes always going to the customer service counter.

[aurigus]

Now I say all of this, having worked at Kmart for a year in High school and being "Promoted" to working the customer service desk doing returns. So take that into account when replying

Here's what my wife and I have figured out at several stores:
* The checkout person starts scanning stuff WAY before you finish unloading your armload/buggy, and you don't get a chance to monitor the prices as they scan.

Do you expect them to wait there until you finish unloading your purchases?

* The scanner display is turned crookedly so you can't see the prices very well.

They should be displaying this to the customer. If it isn't turned correctly, it is probably because the cashier has it turned so they can read it.

* Some stores have the goofy scan system that "deducts all reductions at the end," so you really never know if something is scanning correctly.

My Giant Bonus card works that way. I don't like it either.

* The offending stores practice this as unofficial "policy" because they're playing the odds that many customers won't take the trouble to challenge the incorrect prices.

I don't think this is the case. Usually this happens because there are 1000s of products to keep up to date in the computer with their correct prices. Sales come and go, prices drop, and the computer does not get updated properly. They could probably be more agressive in going after this, but as you said it probably doesn't make sense for them financially to do this. Most people do not catch the price errors.

One thing that was particularly annoying at my particular store is that the section managers would forget to take sale price signs off of merchandise. The customer would then come to me with the mistake. I have 10 people waiting in line, so I'd have to take the customers word for it.

The best cheap miser story I have is this lady that came back with her receipt, claiming that the register miscalculated her tax. She claimed it was 1 cent off. I explained to her how money is always rounded up (thats how all stores do it) but she did not take it. I got sick of arguing with her, and gave her a penny out of my pocket.

It comes down to this, the stores are there to make a profit off of you. If you don't like the policies of the store, stop going there

By the way, working at the returns desk the day after christmas is probably one of the worst experiences I've ever had.

[vox_rox]

Originally Posted by aurigus

It comes down to this, the stores are there to make a profit off of you. If you don't like the policies of the store, stop going there

By the way, working at the returns desk the day after christmas is probably one of the worst experiences I've ever had.

The bottom line in regards to the bottom line, and perfectly succinct as well.

It's true, stores need you to buy stuff, that is the reason they are there. However, since price tags left and scanning is now almost the only checkout method used, there is huge potential for error, both accidental and purposeful. Although I doubt that K-mart and the like have any real need to con anyone, mistakes happen. However, in Canada anyway, the mistake must always be corrected in favour of the consumer, if the consumer can demonstrate that the scanned priced was higher then the price listed anywhere else by that retailer, whether it's a tag in the aisle, as clearance tag, or even a price in a flyer.

So, it really is important to know what you're buying, and how much you're expecting to pay for it.

Peace,

Pierre

[warrrreagl]

Originally Posted by aurigus

Do you expect them to wait there until you finish unloading your purchases?

Yes, I do. Usually, they grab the front end of my stuff and start scanning it while the customer ahead of me is still trying to fit her wallet back into her purse and hasn't even picked up her bags yet. I always worry about that person grabbing one of my things, and I don't think it would kill a cashier to wait 10 more seconds while the previous customer clears out.

Another thing that is equally annoying is the customer behind us who thinks he can speed things up by standing practically on top of us while we are checking out. I don't have a problem with them laying that little divider bar across the conveyor belt and putting down their stuff, but back the fuck up and get off my ass. When my wife and I shop together, we delegate our checkout roles as follows: she moves ahead and handles all the payment details; I stay way back from her and provide a blockade between her and the goofbag behind us who will probably die if he isn't able to check out 3 seconds faster.

Originally Posted by aurigus

The best cheap miser story I have is this lady that came back with her receipt, claiming that the register miscalculated her tax. She claimed it was 1 cent off. I explained to her how money is always rounded up (thats how all stores do it) but she did not take it. I got sick of arguing with her, and gave her a penny out of my pocket.

In my experience, if two folks are arguing over a penny, then they are both equally cheap. I bristle mightily at the cashier or manager who will not give in to my arguments over a few pennies while simultaneously rolling their eyes as if I'm the one who is a cheapskate. Congratulations to you for giving her the penny.

[aurigus]

Originally Posted by warrrreagl

Yes, I do. Usually, they grab the front end of my stuff and start scanning it while the customer ahead of me is still trying to fit her wallet back into her purse and hasn't even picked up her bags yet. I always worry about that person grabbing one of my things, and I don't think it would kill a cashier to wait 10 more seconds while the previous customer clears out.

This kind of boils down to my "summary statement" - the stores are there to make money off of you. And time is money.

I notice this too, and it is slightly annoying, when I'm still putting receipts or money back into my wallet, I havent picked up the bag yet, and they are filling up the next bag on the rack. It certainly doesn't make you feel good, but this underlines my statement that they are there to make money off of you and not to be your friend.

Also, waiting 10 seconds might work for you, but for every person who is quick getting stuff onto the conveyer belt there are 2 that are slow as molasses. Not to mention the people who have more things than even fit on there!

I don't know if this would work for you, but I do remember people who would have a hand basket, and just give the items to me one-by-one and watch the price as they rang up.

This kind of goes along your main topic of stores having shady dealings when it comes to sales. One thing that Kmart used to do, and still does for all I know, is only stock a certain amount of a big sale Item. They know that demand will outstrip the supply, that is what they are betting on. The sales are there to get people into the store. They might even be loss leaders, just to get people into the store. They know that only a few people fill out raincheck forms (do they still even do that?).

[Grancey]

Originally Posted by aurigus

They know that only a few people fill out raincheck forms (do they still even do that?).

Absolutely. I am a regular when it comes to requesting a raincheck. The managers and customer service personnel are always pleasant and accommodating with my request when an item has been sold out.