so.........what was your decision, after all? :)
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so.........what was your decision, after all? :)
I accidentally did this once as a teen (16 y/o about 8 months into my part-time job). I was a cash-trained CSR, but I would jump on cash if it got busy. It was Christmas-time so the line was insane. In my haste, I accidentally did this exact thing - hit $35.XX instead of $65.XX on the debit/credit machine. Since it was a till everyone could be on, it wasn't found out until it didn't balance at the end of the night and they went searching for the discrepancy. All that happened to me was they mentioned it, and had to write-me up, but I wasn't forced to pay the difference. I believe it is the cost of doing business that these things happen. If an employee does it frequently, then okay, but going back to the customer is a little over the top.
They used their member card to get the phone #. Once you sign that form you are giving them the rights to use your personal information such as address & phone #.
I, however, don't think you should be asked to pay it back.
ahh..i see...it was entered in the Debit machine wrong but scanned correctly.
that, to me, makes a difference. I will have to assume he didn't notice the price difference when he was completing the debit transaction?
I consider myself a very ethical person, so I was wondering if I should comment here. Actually, I feel the purchaser should not be responsible to pay it back. Stores have insurance for profit loss etc, furthermore, with such a high priced speciality store, I would imagine they didn't suffer a loss at all since they likely received it for the price it was sold at.
Having said that, I didnt know there were stores that still entered debit prices manually?? Most places the cashier just presses debit and the amount transfers to the debit machine to be paid. Perhaps the cashier made the error of hitting $30 cash prior to hitting debit? thats the only think I can think of that would make it cash out without full payment.
I think its a learning experience for the cashier, I am sure a cashier wasn't made to pay it back. I'm not sure they can even do that. I don't think it was right for them to contact the OP at home to ask for them to pay either. I think as consumers we should have piece of mind when we shop, when we pay and get our purchases home our end of the bargain is complete. It's no different that one of us getting a SCOP, that happens when an employee fails to do their job of correcting prices on shelves or fails to adjust a price to sale price. In the end we get items for free many times and no different that this situation the store is "out" but rules are rules. If the person paid what they thought was right, they did their part. It's up to the store to fix it..... just like SCOP.
I worked as a manager at a store that did Western Union. I had 2 incedents where I had a staff memeber do a transaction so terribly wrong (we're talking a couple grand), and I had to track down the money myself. Embarassing... YES. But I could in no way write that off or pay it myself, and there are laws against making the staff pay out of pocket. But for something like $30, the managment should have considered writing it off and disciplining the cashier IF it was a situation where she mistakenly punched in the wrong #'s. But I thought all their tills were connected to the debit machine to avoid stuff like this?
Hmmm... I was just reading all these comments thinking 'what would I do?'
Truth is, something like this happened to me recently. I purchased a mattress, my parents paid for $500 of it... and I paid the rest. I went to pay the 'balance' and was told the whole thing was already paid. Ok, off I went on my way... and got a phone call about half an hour later, saying the last sales person entered the payment as full payment instead of as $500.... I had the receipt saying it was paid in full, but what did I do? ..I went back and paid it..
Was I upset and inconvenienced? Yes.
Yes, I realize we are talking hundreds of dollars, vs $30 or less. And I do feel like the store should have taken the small amount and written it off. I don't feel like $30 warrants a phone call to the customer. But, that being said, since they went out of their way to figure out who purchased it, I would likely just go and pay it. I imagine they were embarrassed to call you in the first place.... I wouldn't go too far out of my way though, would just call the store, tell them to make a note of it, and I will come in next time I am in the area.
If you feel strongly about it, I would certainly call or inquire to head office regarding their policy for employee mistakes (ie. is the customer held responsible?) But I likely would not mention the situation (unless asked) until I knew what the outcome would be (as others have said... everyone makes mistakes, I don't want to get anyone in trouble for a small/silly mistake)
In a situation like yours though, you would have had to know before leaving the store that there was a mistake. You knew there was suppose to be a balance still. Thats where the difference is with the OP's situation, they thought they paid in full when they were buying it. They paid what was asked of them and left. Thats why I don't feel they are responsible for the mistake.
It strikes me that people keep saying they arent responsible. however... when cashing out a cashier will usually tell someone the total, ask how they are paying it, if the customer says debit, they can clearly see what the total amount to be paid is on the debit machine. you have to press ok to accept the charges. therefore i find it extremely difficult to fathom that a discrepancy between the vocalized total and the total on the machine was missed.
just a thought.
More often then not, I hear the total, which is all I listen for, knowing debit machines are usually automated to the tills I rarely look at it, I usually enter my debit info while tending to 3 kids and getting my things into my cart. Sometimes I'm also on the phone and drinking a coffee at the same time, looking at the debit machine is on the very bottom of my priority list.
I know of at least one store that manually enters the amount in the debit machine. Bulk Barn. I know there are others as well but I can't remember what stores they are.
I know of people that have gone home with their purchases and then returned to the store when they realized that the price they were charged was more than the shelf tag read. Should the store be obligated to honour SCOP in this case since the bargain is complete when you get the products home? Just wondering what your opinion on this is. :)
I don't think the store should have called the customer over $30, but since they did, I now know about the mistake. I would feel bad but I would pay it back in my convenience (ie. next time I am in that store).
I would be really annoyed if I got called to go back to a store for a mistake on their part.. I never check the total on the debit machine , I just presume its correct.. if they called me.. I think I would go back on but Ièd be ticked and I would expect a store credit of some sort for my time and gas.. I would also be REALLY ticked that my bank would give them my contact information... lol the more I think about that.. I am getting angry I am thinking I would be so annoyed that they invaded my privacy for $30 Ièd probably not go in..