Do You Thoroughly Examine Your Grocery Bill?

Discussion in Food & Drink started by JoanMcWench • Mar 14, 2015.

  1. JoanMcWench

    JoanMcWenchActive Member

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    I recently went shopping for groceries & decided, at the suggestion of a friend, to write down every price before checking out. Now, I shop for five so this was bound to be a frustrating & tedious experience but my friend was right. I got home & compared the two only to find I was overcharged for several items on my receipt. I called the store who apologized & asked me to come back in for a partial refund.

    Have any of you done the same?
     
  2. Squigly

    SquiglyActive Member

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    I always do so at the checkout counter, in case any mistakes were made. It's not always the fault of the cashier, but it's best to point out any pricing issues as soon as possible.
     
  3. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    I only examine the receipt when I get home. So far, the only item that was charged to me unintentionally was this pack of ice candy wrappers, I think the cashier thought that it was part of my purchase. Apart from that, I have no other complaints regarding being overcharged.
     
  4. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    I do like to check my receipt when I get home but more so just to review what I spent rather than checking for mistakes. I usually keep a close eye on the items and the price going up at the cashier and I don't buy too much so I can spot mistakes fairly easily.
     
  5. Lushlala

    LushlalaWell-Known Member

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    I'm one of those people who never check their receipt at all. I never even check my change to ensure it's accurate. I always trust that all is in order. I might start looking carefully, just to be sure.
     
  6. Onionman

    OnionmanActive Member

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    I do it a lot more than I used to. It's not so much about seeing whether mistakes have been made, it's about noting down mentally what I have actually spent money on and how much of an impact certain things are having on the overall bill. It's become a useful exercise.
     
  7. May102014

    May102014Active Member

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    Yes, I always do, I've experienced regarding that. I found out when I went home already that the quantity of what I bought is twice on the receipt. I can't make any complaint because I'm already at my house that time. That was a lesson to me to check the receipt every time I purchased.
     
  8. tipoywizard

    tipoywizardActive Member

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    Yes I always checked my grocery bills. First it is my way to make sure that the grocery store does not overcharged me. I have experiece once before. Second to check the current prices of the groceries whether they have increase or not so that I can plan my next budget. Third to make sure that everything is complete.
     
  9. missbishi

    missbishiWell-Known Member

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    I always used to check my receipts but ever since my local supermarket introduced hand-held self service scanners I don't need to anymore. You scan each item yourself and the details appear on the screen so it's really easy to keep a running check on things.
     
  10. Mockingbird

    MockingbirdActive Member

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    I watch carefully when things are rung up and check my receipt very close prior to leaving the store. Here is why- In New York there are scanner accuracy laws, if a price scanned is not consistent with the price on the UPC card or the ad you are entitled to as much as 10 times the difference in the cost up to a max of $10 but a minimum of $1 what that means is you get the difference back plus the bonus of the fine based on the dollar value of the error. On top of this when the state comes through and checks on the store if they have a certain number of these violations they get a fine thats is $500 for each instance of a violation over the minimal number they are allowed.

    I feel that by doing my due diligence I am achieving two things, I am keeping my budget accurate and I am helping keep the merchant accurate. As part of most stores policy, when they change a price they also check expiration dates when it is applicable, this also keeps old food off the shelves. In the beginning I would catch errors often, now it is few and far between, last one was on batteries, I got the max at $10. It was unexpected but well worth the 15 minutes additional it took to make the report.
     
  11. Jessi

    Jessi<a href="http://www.quirkycookery.com">QuirkyCooke

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    Nope, I really don't.

    I do pay attention when items are being rang up at the counter, though. I don't watch every single item or anything, but if I know there were specific sale items or items that might get messed up, I watch to make sure they go through correctly.
     
  12. Dora M

    Dora MWell-Known Member

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    I don't understand why they gave you only a partial refund when you could clearly prove that you were overcharged. I guess, they would have wanted to go through each item again and compare it with the bill, which is hard if you've already taken your groceries home. It only shows that it literally pays to spend a few more minutes at a check-out and carefully check your bill.
     
  13. Happyflowerlady

    HappyflowerladyWell-Known Member

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    I do most of my grocery shopping at Kroger, and they have what is called a "scan-rite guarantee" which says that if they charge you the wrong price, it is refunded, and you get the item for free. As soon as I have finished at the checkout counter; I step out of the way of other shoppers and look through my receipt. Sometimes, if I am unsure whether i was charged wrong, I will go back to that item in the store and see what the advertised price was actually supposed to be.
    Then, if there are any mistakes, I got in the customer service line, and have the money refunded. Not only have I saved myself from being overcharged, many times i have gotten the item for free.
    I think it is definitely well worth checking your receipt each time you are shopping, unless saving money is of no interest to you.
     
  14. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    I really should be more vigilant about this, but usually I am not. My folks do this all the time and they regularly catch stuff that was not rang up correctly. It's rather peculiar how when they get the price wrong, it's always *over* charging. Just once I would like to see them accidentally under charge for stuff. My cynical side thinks the grocery stores do this on purpose and hope enough people won't notice.

    I suppose you could possibly just keep a running total on your cell phone in a calculator app, so you can compare it when you get to the register - that way if it's really off, then you will know you need to look through your receipts more closely, but otherwise if it's close enough, you don't need to waste your time.
     
  15. JoanMcWench

    JoanMcWenchActive Member

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    Here's why I specifically wanted to talk about grocery bills: Because you buy so many items how in the world do you remember the cost that was listed of each of these items unless you're writing them down? I tried to mentally remember & the only things I knew were clearance items.
     
  16. kana_marie

    kana_marieActive Member

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    I use to not but the time I went shopping I did. It was just to look up the price on a specefic item. When I looked for the tortillas they weren't on they weren't on there. Instead she accidentally rang up the fiifty cent taco seasoning twice. My bill actually came out about 2$ cheaper because of their mistake!
     
  17. lordrenly

    lordrenlyActive Member

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    Not if the amount of it is about the same as the amount that I expected. I usually spend about $30-$40 on my grocery runs and if the price is way above that, then I might be worried and then I will try to double check the receipt. I never encountered a case where the cashier made a mistake but I have encountered a case where I bought an item that was more expensive than what I thought was the listed price.
     
  18. ACSAPA

    ACSAPAWell-Known Member

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    I watch the total on the cash register as items are being rung up so that I can catch mistakes immediately before the receipt even prints. I've caught a few mistakes this way. Better to catch mistakes as they are happening rather than try to fix them later.
     
  19. katherine25

    katherine25Member

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    I don't usually have a problem with my receipts however I always double check them when I get home.
     
  20. LeopardJones

    LeopardJonesActive Member

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    I don’t normally do it, but I should. I have noticed that I’ll sometimes be charged for the wrong item (usually produce) and it’ll be a higher price than what I actually bought. But by the time I notice, I’m already home so there’s nothing I can do. I already comparison-shop so this is the next logical step.