This week's Moms Talk Q&A tackles the topic of sales and discounts, and are we really getting a deal at the checkout counter.
At the grocery store and at the mall, signs pop up everywhere to get our attention: 50 percent off, Buy One Get One Free, Clearance, etc.
It's normally easy to navigate through the discounts and make our purchases accordingly. But what do you do when you arrive at the checkout and items ring up incorrectly, are improperly labeled or mistakenly shelved?
Q: At what point are we being taken advantage of as consumers, and most importantly, which stores are the biggest offenders?
A: I pay very close attention to everything I put into my shopping cart. I read the fine print, check the bar codes and UPC numbers, and scrutinize the signs. But even though I'm very careful, I still have been had a few times.
When stores make a mistake, they almost always compensate the customer for it. Especially when it was a blatant issue of misplacement of merchandise. Unfortunately, there has been one store that makes mistakes over and over and refuses to make good on their mistake, and this store is Dollar General.
This store's biggest offense is misplacement of merchandise. They regularly stock shelves with incorrect product, place a sign in the middle and the customer is unknowingly charged another price. This happens to me so often that it's hard to believe it is not done on purpose in this establishment, and I'm inclined to believe it may be one of their national marketing practices.
My new policy is to take a photo and send a complaint to the company headquarters customer service department. Hopefully it will get the attention of someone at the corporate level, and even though it is more work for me, at least I can feel as though I have done my part to avoid being taken advantage of.
Michelle Helms, Moms Council
A: I think with our struggling economy so many retailers are trying to maintain a foothold and stay afloat. As a result, some of there eye-catching tactics can be deceptive or seem that way to consumers who pay close attention. I often refuse to return to a store where prices are marked up and then slashed by 50 percent. Grocery stores are generally run by corporations who have a greater chance of instituting ethical policies.
I coupon and BOGO (Buy one, get one free) whenever I can, but there is only enough time and energy in each day. No matter where I go I have to stand by as my items are being rung up at the grocery store. My husband prefers to check the receipt when he gets home, but that's like double work to me.
Marilyn Wood, Moms Council
At the grocery store and at the mall, signs pop up everywhere to get our attention: 50 percent off, Buy One Get One Free, Clearance, etc.
It's normally easy to navigate through the discounts and make our purchases accordingly. But what do you do when you arrive at the checkout and items ring up incorrectly, are improperly labeled or mistakenly shelved?
Q: At what point are we being taken advantage of as consumers, and most importantly, which stores are the biggest offenders?
A: I pay very close attention to everything I put into my shopping cart. I read the fine print, check the bar codes and UPC numbers, and scrutinize the signs. But even though I'm very careful, I still have been had a few times.
When stores make a mistake, they almost always compensate the customer for it. Especially when it was a blatant issue of misplacement of merchandise. Unfortunately, there has been one store that makes mistakes over and over and refuses to make good on their mistake, and this store is Dollar General.
This store's biggest offense is misplacement of merchandise. They regularly stock shelves with incorrect product, place a sign in the middle and the customer is unknowingly charged another price. This happens to me so often that it's hard to believe it is not done on purpose in this establishment, and I'm inclined to believe it may be one of their national marketing practices.
My new policy is to take a photo and send a complaint to the company headquarters customer service department. Hopefully it will get the attention of someone at the corporate level, and even though it is more work for me, at least I can feel as though I have done my part to avoid being taken advantage of.
Michelle Helms, Moms Council
I coupon and BOGO (Buy one, get one free) whenever I can, but there is only enough time and energy in each day. No matter where I go I have to stand by as my items are being rung up at the grocery store. My husband prefers to check the receipt when he gets home, but that's like double work to me.
Marilyn Wood, Moms Council
