WalMart Consistently Overcharges Me: Anyone Else Having Same Problem?

[rbajai]

I hate going to WalMart, but we have one just a few blocks from our home. So occassionally we shop there for a few items. However, it seems virtually every time I go there to buy something, they overcharge me in one way or another.

Usually, the register rings up at least one item at a slightly higher cost. But today, the cashier charged me for three cans of Bush's Baked Beans (no pun intended here, they are simply the most delicious beans around) when I only bought two.

Moral of the story? ALWAYS check your receipts VERY CAREFULLY before leaving the store.

Now I have heard that overcharging customers is endemic in WalMart stores. Do they do this on purpose? Does anyone know? Because if I find out they are, that's IT. I would instantly put it on my favorite customer complaint website, the Ripoff Report (http://www.ripoffreport.com). And I would never shop there again, even for little stuff.

[greenbriar]

1. don't go there

problem solved

[INdemo]

12. Not well trained

the cashiers aren't well trained, and with the price scanners they just dont pay attention..I find this at some Grocery Stores especially ...I dont like shopping at Wal-mart because every dollar spent there (for the most part) is boosting China's economy..

[Mutley]

22. That is not necessarily the case...

It can be very difficult to keep track of stuff like that when a line of 5-20 people are standing there giving you the look of death whilst tapping their feet and checking their watch every five seconds. Try working in retail sometime -- it can be very difficult and stressful (especially at WalMart, UGH those poor people).

[samdogmom]

2. This is a serious problem and WalMart should get in trouble.

In the meantime, you should go back and insist on a refund. I think they have to refund the mistake plus $5.00. And, I think they have to keep a log of it for state/federal inspectors.

[ima_sinnic]

3. they are overcharging the entire planet in the long run

just say no to Wal-Mart

[Gruenemann]

4. WalMart is evil on many levels

Don't go there, no matter how convenient it is. If it's so close to where you live that you can't keep from going there, you should consider moving.

[myrna minx]

5. A local grocery store would have price differences

scanned into the computer. I noticed that when I would buy several cans of cat food, some cans would be .50 and other would be .51. I think they bank that a customer isn't going to march back to the store over a few pennies, but to the grocer, those pennies add up to big bucks. It's so dishonest.

[dragonlady]

11. I believe there's a simple explanation for this

I've noticed that when the price is "3 for 89 cents" for example, the computer will print out .30 and .30 and .29 as the items are scanned. That's just how it has to do the math to come up with the correct price.

[Atman]

6. Don't consistently shop at WalMart

Avoid them like the plaque. Go into a WalMart only if you are stuck in East Bumfuck and have literally -- literally -- no other choice. They are evil.

[Walt Starr]

7. I don't shop at any store connected to the Walton family

so I have no way of knowing.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

29. John Boy is a fascist mole!

.

[SheilaT]

8. Since I never go to WalMart

myself, I can't comment on whether or not they overcharge. But I do understand that their prices are not necessarily the lowest in town.

[cynatnite]

9. I check my receipts everywhere...

Walmart is very close to us and we do go there on occasion. It's not nearly as much as we used to since I found cheaper stores to shop at.

Many stores will overcharge for one reason or another. Many times it's an honest mistake, sometimes it's laziness and others it's pure greed.

I always watch them as they scan my items to make sure it's the price it's supposed to be. I'm always aware of these things because our budget is so tight. Usually I can catch it, but many times a person has to double check the receipt.

[Tunkamerica]

10. Not to ruin the tone

..but as a former and sometimes current cashier, ringing things up twice happens. If you're experienced (or care enough) it isn't a hard mistake to realize and correct. If, on the other hand you work at a soul sucking place like Walmart the cashiers probably just don't care. The same is probably true for the stockers and the guys who scan the prices into the PDT's. It's not a conspiracy its the malaise of the employees.

And no, they don't have to refund your money plus $5.00. In fact, I'm not sure they "HAVE" to do anything. It's just good customer relations to make good on mistakes.

[Mutley]

24. Thank you!

And welcome to DU. I was feeling rather alone in my defense of retail workers.

[hvn_nbr_2]

13. The big chain supermarkets do that too

I've been checking my receipts from grocery shopping for many years now, and there's a clear pattern. At all the big chain supermarkets, more than 95% of the scanning errors are in the store's favor. And 100% of the bigger errors are in the store's favor.

That's another reason that I like Trader Joe's. Before they got scanners a couple years ago, when the checkers manually rang up every price, in 20 years I never caught them in a single mistake. It was amazing. Since they got scanners, they actually have more errors than the supermarkets, but the errors are about 50% in their favor and 50% in my favor so it balances out, and it indicates honest mistakes, not deliberate overcharging.

[Gormy Cuss]

19. Massachusetts had strict laws on scanner errors.

The state required individual item pricing (i.e. stickers) until recently and the sticker price had to be honored if the scanner rang up a higher price. Some chains would give you the item for free if it scanned incorrectly. The accuracy of the scanners was quite good.

Trader Joe's is such a great store. If only I could do all my shopping there.

[rbajai]

25. Waaaa, Trader Joes.

I miss Trader Joes. We used to have one very close to us before we moved to another state. They have such awesome, unique, healthy, and cheap products! I remember getting a HUGE bottle of pure maple syrup for less than $5. That is an incredible price. Now I'm stuck with Log Cabin, which isn't so bad - but not at all as delicious as the real thing.

I KNOW that if they put a Trader Joes in my city it would be extremely popular. Even more so in Austin. But apparently, Trader Joe wants to remain a small chain, and has no plans for a big expansion as far as I know.

I miss Trader Joes!! :cry:

[hvn_nbr_2]

27. Trader Joes expansion

They did a rather big expansion, starting about 15 years ago, but seem to be moving more slowly lately. I remember going thru serious Trader Joes withdrawal when I moved from southern California to northern California, but within a couple years after that, they were starting to expand into Norcal. Now there are lots of them here.

I just looked at their website to see where they have stores now; they seem to be mostly in blue states or battleground states. Interesting. Not really surprising, given how people here on DU like them so much. I wonder what freepers think of TJ's?

An interesting aside: TJs has apparently become noticeable in the scheme of large grocery retailers. I recently did a Harris Poll online survey about grocery shopping, and the survey listed TJs as a supermarket along with Safeway, Albertson's, and all the other major supermarket chains, in questions about shopping at supermarkets. I always used to have to write it in as an "other" where I bought most of what they were asking about.

[tlsmith1963]

35. I Miss it, Too!

The nearest Trader Joe's in my area isn't there anymore. They had such great food, too. TJ's was really different, not like other stores. Oh, well--there are some other stores that are sort of like it in my area.

Tammy

[cassiepriam]

14. It is common everywhere! CHECK YOUR RECEIPT ! nt

[G_j]

15. the price of a can of beans is nothing!

compared to .. sweat shops...environmental distruction..union busting.. interfering with local governments... sexual discrimination... etc..etc..

just say no

[yankeedem]

16. What is Bartcops law?

If someone makes a mistake that makes them money, expect them to make the same mistake again and again.

[Mr_Spock]

17. WalMart is like Faux "news", don't go there, don't watch that.

I believe there are some things too evil to support.

[sepia_steel]

18. NEVER give wal-mart your money. eom

[Mutley]

20. That last time I purchased something at a WalMart was

around last Christmas. I purchased a refill pack of razor heads as a small stocking-type gift for my SO and they charged me for two. This sort of thing can happen completely by accident. I've been a cashier and I know that sometimes if you don't move the UPC out of the scanner quick enough it will scan it twice or more. And when you are really busy, your line is quickly filling up with pissed off looking customers, you might not notice it.

EVERYONE: BE KIND TO PEOPLE WHO WORK IN RETAIL; THEY HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT JOB!!!! Thanks.

[marbuc]

21. As a former cashier

and as another poster mentioned, double scans do happen, and in most cases are not intentional. Other overcharging comes when the sale price has not been entered into the computer. Cashiers often do not pay attention, because they are not expected to memorize prices. They can only assume the computer is correct unless someone says otherwise.

[donheld]

23. They over charge us all

Through corporate welfare etc. That's why i never go there.

[pitohui]

26. no not consistently & they'll fix it promptly

i always check my receipts before leaving the store -- any store -- not just walmart

walgreen's used to always have several items priced wrong in their computer, i think the clerk used to dread seeing me coming because she knew i would always have the ad in my hand, but they have better programmers now

it's pretty rare for walmart, to be honest it has been QUITE a while since it happened there

both fix it quickly & courteously if it's pointed out

if you leave the store & have to come back to get it fixed, they'll still fix, walmart & walgreen's both will, i think you have 30 days to get it fixed if you want cash back instead of a gift card

[Blue Belle]

28. I remember watching a 60 Minutes story on how Walmart...

Will have a product advertised at a certain price, but won't change the sale price in the computer. This story ran about 5 years ago... but I remeber how they went across the country to different Walmart stores and found this lack of price altering consistant in every store - but they only do it to a few items. They're banking on you to not pay attention to your receipt. It's just another on a long list of reasons not to shop there.

[pitohui]

30. was that walMART or walGREENS

because walGREENS did that in my area for yrs until the expose came out in the news

i got to be pretty notorious for blocking up the line at walGREENS while they fixed my receipt ea. week

[Blue Belle]

31. No... it was Walmart...

because the Walmart Smiley was prominently featured in the segment. Although, I'm sure Walmart isn't the only retail chain that does this.

[elare]

32. Your country needs this policy ...

1. THE ITEM FREE SCANNER POLICY
Retailers will implement an Item Free Scanner Policy as follows:
1.1 On a claim being presented by the customer, where the scanned price of a product at checkout is higher than the price displayed in the store or than advertised by the store, the lower price will be honoured; and

(a) if the correct price of the product is $10 or less, the retailer will give the product to the customer free of charge; or
(b) if the correct price of the product is higher than $10, the retailer will give the customer a discount of $10 off the corrected price.


read all the details at:
http://www.retailcouncil.org/membersonly/govrelations/codes/scanner_acc/scanner_accuracy02_eng.asp

The stores involved actually do abide by this ... we've received several free items because of this policy, although scanners do seem to be a bit more accurate these days.

[tlsmith1963]

33. I Stopped Shopping There

I am so disgusted with how they do business, & they are total Bush supporters. But if you live in a small town & Wal-Mart is all you have, what can you do? I am lucky to live in a big city with *lots* of Targets! :)

Tammy

[wicket]

34. I've never spent a dime in that fascist store

And I never will.