Being Over/Undercharged at the store

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Calya

Senior Cook
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Messages
266
Location
Canada
Lately, I have been noticing that I have been getting charged incorrectly for purchases. Sometimes it is in my favor and sometimes it is not. I usually say something as my conscience won't let me sleep if I don't. The waitress at the restaurant we went to even made the wrong change for a $20 bill. She gave my friend five, $5 bills for a 20! Or course, she was given the extra $5 back.

When you are undercharged for an item or items, do you say something? Or do you walk away?
 
Wellll... if my hubby finds out I did this, I will NEVER hear the end of it. But last year we had our fence replaced to the tune of $1600. The neighbor paid for their half of the fence to me. This was July last year. As of January of 2008, I still had not seen a bill from these guys. DH was quite happy with this and was content to leave things as they were. I on the other hand believe that this type of stuff will come back and bite you in the rear if you do not do the right thing. I told DH that we either refund the neighbors money back or we contact the fencing company.

Sooooo... I quietly contacted the fencing company and asked him to send me an invoice (DH does not know that I did this and I will eventually tell him one day that I did.). The fencing guy knocked $100 off the total bill for good karma and I paid for the work. Talk about an opportunity to have $1600 work and materials for free!
 
You did the right thing Sattie. I too believe if you are not honest, it WILL come back to bite you in the butt. I also believe if you do the right thing, You will be rewarded!
 
We sold our car through auction once... and the auction-house sent us two cheques, both for slightly different amounts (I think one was $4,300 NZD and the other was $4,500 NZD)

I banked them, kind of figuring one wouldn't go through. But they both did - so we effectively recieved twice what the car was worth.

I got in touch with them and wrote them out a cheque. They were very nice about letting me give the smaller amount back. However, I was always a bit miffed that they didn't seem particularly grateful - if that was my business, I sure would be!

I want to be a 'good person', and I have values I want to live up to - but I have to work hard at it in situations like this. I must admit I was VERY tempted just to keep the money.
 
Last Friday night SO and stopped to pick up dinner at KFC. She ordered a BLT chicken salad and the register showed a total of $4.73 (approx). I then ordered a chicken dinner. The register still showed the same amount and the clerk asked for that amount for all the food. I told him that wasn't right. He couldn't figure out how to fix it and called a senior guy over to help. He couldn't figure out how to get the right total either. He told me to just pay the $4.73, it would be easier that way. I paid and left.

If I'm over or under charged I always speak up.
 
Just remembered another one - my husband, before we were married, tried to buy me a giant teddybear. They usually cost around $100, but the one he liked didn't have a pricetag and the barcode wasn't scanning. The lady at the till searched and searched their records for the teddy - and the only item with a similar description she could find was a minature version priced at about $6. So after more fruitless searching, she just gave it to him for $6!
 
You did the right thing Sattie. I too believe if you are not honest, it WILL come back to bite you in the butt. I also believe if you do the right thing, You will be rewarded!

Thanks Mama.... Reward or not, at least my conscience is clear!

Stassie... boy, what a screw up! But you did good! Yea, the fence guy did not seem very greatful either, actually had the gall to call me two days later wanting to know where his check was at. I was like dude!!! I called you! You'll get yer money!
 
I always say something. I think it was just a couple weeks ago I gave someone back what they "overchanged" me. And it was significant.
Being overcharged though....... that I probably wouldn't notice. Not if I was buying a bunch of items.
 
:) When I was about 21 I went to the bank to get travelers cheques the woman gave me a few hundred more than what I paid for I gave it back to her. I am honest as well unless it happens when I'm not counting the change back but then I wouldn't know it anyway.
 
many waitresses have money taken out of their hard-earned paychecks if they "mess up"----glad you are so honest, Calya........I once found a loaded wallet and I do mean loaded with $$$ and credit cards in a pile of lingerie-----I knew how I would feel if had lost a wallet full of that loot and possible identity theft.....and turned it in immediately to security........she ran in about 10 minutes later so panicked it was hard to watch.....hyperventilating was a more descriptive word......I was so glad to witness her relief and happiness......definitely believe in good karma
 
I'm a "numbers" person. Buck says it means I'm a "counter." Whatever it's called, I almost always know, within a few cents, what I should pay for anything. Having said that, when I'm overcharged or undercharged, I'll know it. I always speak up, one way or the other.
 
many waitresses have money taken out of their hard-earned paychecks if they "mess up"----glad you are so honest, Calya........I once found a loaded wallet and I do mean loaded with $$$ and credit cards in a pile of lingerie-----I knew how I would feel if had lost a wallet full of that loot and possible identity theft.....and turned it in immediately to security........she ran in about 10 minutes later so panicked it was hard to watch.....hyperventilating was a more descriptive word......I was so glad to witness her relief and happiness......definitely believe in good karma

I left my purse in the shopping cart in a parking lot and did not even realize it till several days later. After backtracking my steps, I realized where it might be and called the grocery store. Sure enough they had it and told me where the kind stranger had found it. When I went to pick it up, it was ALL there! I have not given up on the kindness and the ability of people to do the RIGHT thing!!!! I was amazed tho, I really expected stuff to be missing.

I don't carry a purse anymore....
 
Wow, what a great bunch of people! I am also a stickler for this - doesn't feel at all right to compromise my honesty for a few bucks. Like Mama says, it'll come back and bite you for sure. I know people who rationalize this, though - I used to date a guy like that. He was prematurely gray (and looked older than dirt) and even though he was too young, he'd always ask for a senior discount at the movies. I wasn't old enough, either, and refused. So we bought separate tickets. We didn't date for very long. That seemed like an indication of poor ethics/character to me.
 
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