Smart Shopping Tip - Watch the Scanner
Learning to watch cashiers scan my groceries took practice. First of all, I'm usually still loading up my groceries onto the checkout conveyor belt when the cashier begins to scan my items. A few quick flips through the magazines also distracts me. Then I'm busy keeping up with the cashier as I load my grocery basket with my bagged items.
With all this activity, it can be tough to watch the scanner, but a lot of costly mistakes can go unnoticed, that is until I get home.
Getting behind someone checking out can give you time to load your groceries onto the belt before the cashier begins scanning them. Avoid feeling rushed by the cashier. It's not your fault if they are busy. Just take your time and load your cart while keeping your eyes on the scanner. If you can't get a good view of the scanner, ask the cashier to adjust the angle.
Keeping your eyes peeled to the scanner has dual advantages. First, it will keep the cashier more alert. Secondly, it will allow you to stop the checkout process if an item is recording the incorrect price.
Keeping the store circular nearby is also helpful in disputing an incorrect price. You can also ask the cashier to stop ringing while you accompany an employee to the aisle to check the price of an item. In fact, you can ask the cashier to stop ringing things up anytime you feel you need to review a scanned price. Staying in control of the checkout process will ultimately pay off.
See More: Money Saving Grocery Shopping Tips
I have religiously watched grocery store scanners for years and can tell you firsthand that I always find at least one mistake per shopping trip. Giant and Giant Eagle are the biggest culprits — I was once charged for 59 heads of broccoli, paid the cashier and almost walked out of the store before I looked at my receipt which should have charged me for ONE head of broccoli. If you are buying items on sale, be sure they ring up the sale price. I have questioned the manager on several occasions when the scanner price does not match the store sign and I have always received the sale price or the item for free. There is truly a scanner scam in grocery stores today and we all need to wake up at that check-out line. If you multiply the mistakes made on your checkout by the number of customers that travel through the store the figures are staggering and grocery store are pocketing that profit at our expense.
Also with the scanners if a product is scanned with the incorrect price $10.00 or less the item is free.
check out signage on doors/tills but you have to ask for it.
My husband caught an incorrect price at a hardware store last weekend. We went in to buy a ladder and some other supplies. The ladder rang up for $10 more than was listed on the sign. He went back to the isle, checked the price and he had been correct. When he got back to the cashier, she called for someone in the department to double check. When they called back, they said yes in fact it was the higher price. We immediately went to the isle thinking that the person must have looked somewhere else only to find that the price sign taken down!! We called for a manager and he gave us the originally posted price.
Something I found useful on a trip to WalMart once was my cellphone.
taking a picture of the item and item price displayed can save you a lot of trouble.
This is so annoying, i’d rather they not even put a sign up or a cheaper price.
This is fraud at its finest and the worst part of it is that they thing we are idiots.
I’m so sick of this bs the gov’t should really get it on this and place huge fines on stores who do this, only way to stop them from this scam.
So easy to fix just before putting up a sign enter it into the computer.
F them.