Does Walmart post this? If so, the clerk was wrong. Time to see the manager.

But first, please tell us how you make your own laundry detergent!

The clerk doesn't allow it? Meaning the checkout person, I assume.

There'd be a request that the person ask another staff person to check the price on the shelf: in case of such a dispute, most stores routinely have another staff person check the price on the shelf. If s/he refused, I'd say that most stores agree to such a check, why won't their store do it, then demand that it be done. If s/he still refused, I'd say, "Fine - I'll go check it myself, to be sure that my claim is correct ... and if it is, if you still refuse, I'll be asking to speak to the manager". That will block her/his line, which prospect will trouble her.

If she has a staff person check the price and my claim proves correct, in almost all cases the checkout person will make the change. In case the price proves, on my having checked, to disagree with the price on checkout, if the checkout person still refuses, I'd request to talk to the store manager, and if the clerk refused, I'd be getting somewhat louder, but with logic courteously presented, as I insisted. If the checkout person still refused, I'd be going looking for some other staff person (which would leave my checkout line blocked), or interrupting another checkout person's routine with a request ... becoming a demand, accompanied by the claim that their posted sign was false, to justify my claim to speak to the manager.

Some of the persons waiting in line for the original checkout person (and another, if the first wouldn't accede to my request, becoming a demand) would be upset at the holdup ... and others would have the attitude, "Go for it, buddy" ...

... in either of which case, the store loses.

Don't forget ... public relations is important to them, and to have many customers hear a claim that one of their claims o be customer-friendly was false would get some of them rather upset.

A measure of patience, accompanied by courtesy - but be persistent.

By the way - do you have any more "Sam's Club" stores in TO (you are in TO, aren't you?)? One that was in operation in London for maybe two or three years closed down a while ago, and I heard tha they were closing all of the "Sam's Club" stores in Canada: am wondering whether that's a fact ... and, if so, tthe reason.

Had you heard anything about that?

Have a great weekend.

ole joyful

Hi Old Joyful!
I'm in Kitchener, and ALL the Sam's clubs in Canada.....the majority of which were in ON, closed. I really, really miss them.

They admitted they couldn't compete with Costco. I liked them better than Costco....

I should know the scanning practice in my grocery stores, but I don't. That's where I find the majority of mistakes. I know for a fact that our WalMart has the policy you were talking about, where if it scans higher than the advertised shelf price and it's under ten dollars you get it free. It happened to me recently when I spoke up and said, the price should be such-and-such. The clerk immediately verified it and told me that I'd get the product for free. I was pretty happy. I meant to go back to the store the next day and see if they'd changed the price in their system but I forgot!

Most places I've seen make it a limit of one item though on the adjustment.

Joyful, I know you enjoy playing with the store people to get a rise, but methinks you overestimate your power a bit. I don't see that you'd hold up a line while you go to check. Most stores here, and any store I managed, would simply void the sale, put the items aside and take the next customer. Interrupting another cashier to try to stop them from waiting on their customers? Uh, how would YOU feel if someone said quit waiting on joyful, I want to complain to you. As a cashier they'd likely refer you to customer service and a good cashier wouldn't miss more than a beat or two. If you got TOO beligerant that would be handled too.

The claim that a sign is "false" of course is difficult to prove. Especially on a pricing mistake. There was a local store however who got caught with false claims. They were selling choice beef represented as Angus. Caught several times but nothing done. False advertising requires proof that there was willful intent to mislead. A mistake doesn't meet that proof burden.

I've been on both sides of the retail situation. I've seen questionable signs, or more appropriately termed confusing signs and people scream false advertising and demand compensation even though the sign, albeit confusing, did say what the store said it did. I've been in situations where I've questioned prices, signs and the like, but I'm probably a lot more compassionate than many since I know what it's like to be in the other persons' shoes. You don't go lecturing cashiers to change store policy. That's assinine. You don't ask a cashier to do what is only allowed of management or possibly corporate. Yelling at a cashier in any circumstance is deplorable. Any customer in my stores who got rude with a cashier of mine got a nice little lecture on etiquette before I'd even listen to their complaint. After I made it clear to them that there's channels to go through, and usually they acknowledged their mistake we could proceed to their concern. I kicked one guy out of my store under threat, er warning that if he didn't leave I'd call the police. Nobody puts a 17 year old cashier of mine into tears and gets away with it.

The one store I worked at had a policy of a free purchase if we didn't offer a receipt. Plus there was a red star printed on the receipt paper and they'd win something if they got one. What stunts people would try! It was entertaining. And they'd try it over and over! And of course they'd threaten to do this and that and more. It really was entertaining. Push in front of someone and leave, throw the money on the counter and leave, then come back and claim they didn't get their receipt. I'm still waiting to hear back from all the attorneys who were going to be contacted!

If people went in and worked in retail a while, they'd understand that it's a bigger job than most think. And there's not the profit margins on everything that many people think either. And one thing that IS false advertising is "the customer is always right". If it were true, stores couldn't stay in business because too many customers feel they should get everything for free, reduced price, buy one get 10 free and of course everything should come with a lifetime guarantee and double your money back if you don't use it in 10 years. Back to my point, constantly changing prices aren't the easiest to deal with. And people rearranging price tags isn't easy to deal with. And there's a certain number trying to play games, and cause trouble in stores too. Scanners helped with the price tag switchers on products but not for the shelf tag switchers. And of course there's people who drop things back onto a shelf or in a cooler and people scream they found it there, so they should get it for free. Well, that doesn't work that way either.

Most all stores here let you watch the items being scanned and I can see if a price is wrong. That's good. Happy shopping all. Keep your cool. You'll generally get better results. Is it really worth getting worked up over?

Cynic, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! Everything you said is spot on. I work part time at the Home Depot as a cashier, and it is amazing to me what people will do just to save a few cents. I have seen everything from people claiming that the tag was the wrong price to people actually cutting a upc code from one product and gluing it to another. People come in wanting an item for the sale price from two weeks ago, looking through a whole stack of lumber to find one piece that is broken to get it for free, tearing bags of mulch to get a discount, and claiming it was cheaper just yesterday. As a cashier, I have no problem changing the price for someone when it is a few dollars difference, but when 1 out of every 5 customers claims that the price is wrong, then I must check into it as I will get written up for discounting so much merchandise. I know that many have legitimate claims, but when one becomes mean, rude, obnoxious, or acts like I am doing it on purpose, then I must question their motives. I wish people would remember that I am just doing my job and that I do not know the price of everything in the store. And about holding up the line, we are taught that if someone leaves the line, we are to suspend the sale and continue checking so customers do not have to wait in line. Again thank you for understanding!