When I go to the grocery store, or anyplace where you have to put your purchases on a conveyor belt for the checker to scan, I try to get the cashier's attention and ask them to hold off on starting the scanning process until I'm finished unloading my cart and can watch the prices come up as my items are scanned. If Jeff is with me, he's always acted embarrassed when I do this, and usually ended up unloading the cart so the cashier can get started and I can watch the scanned prices...which worked out well for me as far as the cart unloading, but it always irked me that he dismissed my assertions that the scanners are wrong quite often.
I don't think I'm asking too much to want to pay the price marked, be it regular, or sale. And I'm pretty good about noting prices when I shop, so naturally, I'd like to pay those prices. Nothing irks me more than getting out of a store, checking my receipt, and discovering that I've been overcharged...don't get me started on why this should even be happening in this day and age - aren't barcodes, scanners and computers supposed to make it super simple to change the prices? And if you print out a sale sign, with the sale price, why isn't the price changed in the computer to reflect this? Like I said, don't get me started...
Anyway, back to my vindication. Jeff and I zipped through Target the other day, and my lazy self decided to see if Kind granola (pretty much the only brand I'll buy, as it seems to be the lowest in calories) was on sale, as I didn't want to heat up the kitchen by making my own. It happened to be marked down, huzzah! So I grabbed a couple of bags and off we went to the register. Now, we shopped in my patented-in-my-head-only way of buying just what we could hold in our hands, as the instant I get a cart in Target, all bets are off and that cart is filled with things that I didn't know I needed. I said all that so you'd understand that I had time to toss my stuff on the conveyor belt and be at the register quickly, without my usual spiel. As Jeff wasn't busy unloading a cart, he got to watch as the granola rang up at regular price. Naturally, I stopped the cashier and had her correct it, which wasn't a big deal - she was nice enough, and I know it's not her fault. But boy howdy, you should have heard Jeff go on and on about this once we left the store. It's like it was BRAND NEW INFORMATION to him:
My first time using a gif on the blog...everyone: OOH, AAH!
While it was good to see the light bulb go on with him regarding my scanner obsession, and yes, I enjoyed my vindication, I couldn't help but wonder why he doubted me in the first place. Doesn't he know I'm always right?? Bwahahaha!
Oh I love it when the husbands FINALLY see how right we always are :) What's wrong with them? Don't they know that we know everything?? :) Hehe
ReplyDeleteI know, right?!
DeleteThis made me laugh right out loud. I so hate having to go back to the store for a refund, but I will do it if the overcharge is significant.
ReplyDeleteI also shop at Tarjay the way you do. It's amazing how MUCH stuff they have that I didn't know I needed!
I'd hate to see the two of us go to Target together. We'd shop so well and talk each other into buying ALL THE THINGS that we'd have to declare bankruptcy! ;)
DeleteLOL
ReplyDeleteThat scanner thing doesn't work that bad here. I don't have to check the price on the scanner because it's always right. But if it wasn't I would be just like you.
My pet peeve is that when I haven't finished loading my products on the conveyer belt, the next one already starts putting their stuff on it. That really annoyes me especially when I don't have enough room left for my stuff.
Wait wait wait - your scanners are always right?? Now see, that just proves my point...and makes me feel like stores in the United States are deliberately trying to rip off consumers!
DeleteOn that conveyor belt issue, I block it with my cart and body. No one is unloading their crap until I'm done unloading mine. Wait until I set down the divider, people!
I am going to do use that cart/body trick too.
DeleteI work at a DIY company with stores and all prices are changed automatically when they are for sale and the right price is scanned. Same goes for grocery stores, all is done by computers.
So it CAN be done. U.S. stores just don't do it right all the time...or often enough that I (and others, see the comments below) notice the errors.
DeleteOMG, I had no idea that mispricing was such a frequent occurrence, how dumb of me to trust the barcodes! Thank you for the warning. I do pay attention to sales, but never even bothered to notice if they were being run up properly.
ReplyDeleteAs to low cal granola I finally found a great brand that went promptly out of business: Ola Granola. But there is another kind I like with Elizabeth in the title, though its hard to find outside of health food stores. Lower cal than Kind and tasty too. But, alas, pricey. Always a catch...
Purely Elizabeth granola (curiosity made me Google it) - sounds yummy! I will have to look for it.
DeleteWe were at the grocery store yesterday and I can't remember what I said now about the store, but John said "I should have believed you" and it was like - after all these years. why would you doubt me when I state a fact?? LOL Have you not learned????
ReplyDeleteMen.
LOL - for real!!!
DeleteOkay, first off I have to say I love the .gif! I have the .gif app on my phone and am the queen of sending them via text.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am also the queen of watching the prices when I shop - I am on a pretty frugal food budget - $75 a week for the three of us (well, Hannah and Jacob do tend to eat out a few meals a week) and I know the price of everything in my cart. Tony used to load the groceries while I stood and watched everything go through - lately I've been trying to get everything on the belt as fast as possible, never thought to tell the check out lady to wait until I was ready! Totally going to do that :D
Good to know I'm not alone with the price watching! Also, there's a .gif app??? Nice!
DeleteI check the scanner too and yes, they are sometimes wrong on sale items.
ReplyDeleteI can't leave Target spending less than $200.
ReplyDeleteI swear, it's either $15 or $200 with me.
DeleteFirst, I say that 'brand new information" thing ALL THE TIME! It's one of my favorite Friends quotes. Also, you are a much better person than I am, to actually pay attention to the checker and the prices. I can only imagine how much I've been overcharged all these years of not being watchful. And lastly, it always cracks me up when my husband doubts me, or just doesn't give me credit for something and then sees it in action himself. It is, indeed, like brand new information. LOL! Glad you got vindicated! :)
ReplyDeleteAhhh, Friends quotes. I use way too many of them in my daily life. PIVOT!!
DeleteThis was funny, even if I don't have a husband. If I did, he would have to know that I was always right :)
ReplyDeleteI never thought of asking the checker to wait until I get up there to watch. I always feel like I'm in a race to get my stuff unloaded so I can watch the prices.
I know that race feeling at the check-stand all too well!
DeleteAt least your dogs know you're always right...
Hahaha. I think Noah sometimes questions my sanity. And of course the queen only thinks I'm right if I agree with her point of view.
DeleteOh I share your conviction on this subject! At our local grocery store if something comes up wrong in price, it's free! I've gotten a few free things like that.
ReplyDeleteI think our stores would go out of business if they had to do this - or maybe they'd finally get their pricing correct!
DeleteLOLOL!!!!!!! Love this post!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Roz!
DeleteThe question is how long will he remember his light bulb moment and the information that he seemingly now understands???
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm sure I'll have to remind him again at some point... ;)
DeleteHa! YES to both: I also am anal about paying the sticker price (apparently, some people don't really care...guess money grows on trees for them) and get all huffy puffy if it's rung up differently (I thought it was an "asian" thing, but guess not! Lol); and also I wonder why my husband doesn't "get it"-- I am ALWAYS right. I'll say or suggest something and he'll ignore it UNTIL another MAN says the same thing and then it's "Why don't we try this", or, "We really should do this, so & so said" If I tell him I said the very same thing months before, he'll say, "No you didn't.". I don't have the energy to argue. Guess I'll just have to be satisfied with knowing I was right all along...
ReplyDeleteSisters in sticker price, unite!!
Delete