Well, I feel like a jerk! (A little long...sorry)

[crochetstepmom]

I needed one more Caron One Pound for my brother's birthday gift next month. So, I checked Joann's website this morning and saw quite a few sales going on. I decided to go there instead of placing an internet order. I wanted to see the colors in person, and I wanted to try some cotton yarn. I've never bought that before, so I definitely wanted that to be a live purchase. I also had a couple of other things on my mind that I wanted to see.

 

When I got there, I quickly realized that the sale prices on the internet didn't necessarily match up with the prices in the store. I had to quickly change my purchase plans, but that wasn't a big deal, though. I didn't NEED anything except the one skein of white Caron One Pound. I'm not even starting on the other things until after Father's Day. I had time to wait for them to go on sale.

 

Sugar and Cream was on sale for $2. I got three of those for a purse. Then I got a pack of new hooks, some purse handles, and a circular crochet hook. When I got around to the Caron One Pounders, there was a sign that said that they were $5 each. I thought...Cool ...they were $5.24 on the internet! I got 2 each of 4 colors for a gift for SIL in August, then I got 2 more white for my brother's gift. I was happy .

 

When I got to the check out, the One Pounders were ringing up as $6.99 . I certainly wasn't going to pay $6.99 each for them when I could come home and order them for $5.24 (like I said, I don't NEED them today.) I told the guy about the sign that said $5, and he asked me to take him back there to show it to him. (He was nice about it, though.) So I did, and sure enough, there was the sign. He said something about it must be a system data problem and apologized. As he rang up each skein, he manually took off $1.99. My total was still almost $90. I thought that it was a little much, but then again, I did buy $50 worth of Caron One Pound, plus all of the other stuff (and we have very high sales tax in TN.)

 

So, when I got the yarn loaded into the car, I still felt that something was wrong. I checked the receipt and saw that he had charged me for 2 of the circular crochet hooks instead of 1. It was $8.99. So I took the bag that had those things in it back into the store, and the same guy was now helping over in customer service. When he saw me, he asked, "Is there something else wrong?" I told him about the double charge, and he credited the second one to my card and apologized. I said that it was fine, and that I was sorry to be so much trouble. Then he smiled and said, "That's probably why they don't let the managers work the register that often. It seems we always mess things up." We both laughed, and then I finally left.

 

On the way home, it occurred to me that the reason he was so shocked that the One Pounders were $5 was that it must have been a mistake. That sign wasn't supposed to be up. He was the manager, so he knew that, but he had to sell it to me for what the sign said. So, I felt badly because I think I got a deal that I wasn't supposed to get.

 

THEN...and this is why I feel like a jerk...I told my husband about it when I got home, and I showed him the receipt. That's when I noticed that he only charged me for 2 of the Sugar and Cream when I got 3 of them. So, not only did I possibly get 10 skeins of Caron One Pound for $1.99 less that what I probably should have paid, I also got a free ball of cotton....and I had insisted that he credit back the double charge for the circular hook!

 

Well, I think I am going to mail a check to the store for $2 plus tax to pay for the cotton yarn. I think that would be the right thing to do.

[texasredhead]

I wonder if you were at Joanns? Last week the one pounders were $5. Here's a tip for JoAnns...look at the tiny print on the bottom right hand corner of the sign,,,it gives the dates of the sale. Once in a while, the people who take the signs down and put the new ones up Sunday morning might forget one here and there and that is why it doesn't ring up right. Glad it worked out well for you. It does pay to notice what prices are ringing up because if the computer isn't programed right the clerk probably won't know. In the olden days of retail, we had to learn the ad and know what the sale prices were supposed to be!! Now I am dating myself:lol

[crochetstepmom]

I told my husband that I thought that sale for $5 was last week! You just confirmed my suspicions. I didn't see a date on the sign, even in the tiny print...and neither did the manager. He was looking very closely at the sign, because he was in disbelief.

 

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that it was a mistake. My dad owned grocery stores when I was a kid, and that used to always happen to him. (This was pre-computers and only hand written signs...I guess I am dating myself now ) When the weekly ad changed, some of the stock men would usually forget to take down at least one of the old signs, but Dad had to sell the item to the customer for what the sign said. Then he would have someone take down the sign.

 

So, if the ad changed last Sunday...that sign has been up all week. I suppose that I am the first one who noticed it.

 

I still feel badly. I like to get a good deal on things, but not if I feel like I am cheating.

[Titus2woman]

Don't feel bad~you have a plan to do the right thing! I just know your honesty will make someone smile.... (((((HUGS))))) sandi

[misssmaggie]

 

Well, I think I am going to mail a check to the store for $2 plus tax to pay for the cotton yarn. I think that would be the right thing to do.

 

That't what I would do. Thanks for sharing !!!

[RoseRed]

If the store screws up - you get lucky.

 

True story - in Feb. for Amber's bday I took her and her bff to the pharmacy to pick out Webkins. Her bff gets a box of Webkins cards for $2.99.

 

LAst week, we were in the pharmacy and Amber wanted to get the box of cards. Well - there are 38 packs of trading cards in each box. Each pack is $2.99. They added it up and lost over $100 on that sale.

 

The lady that runs the doodad dept. was really upset that the store lost that much money but her answer to me was - "it was our mistake - we have to pay for it." Which is usually how store policy goes.

 

I would call the ball of cotton an aggravation fee for needing to fix 2 mistakes in a simple purchase.

 

If the store left the sign up then they should honor it - regardless. oops on them.

If you get rung up twice - fix the purchase.

 

Why do you feel like a jerk? From the sound of it - it seems like you were very polite about the mistakes that this man made. Much more so then most people would've been.

[Chiscrochetcrazy]

I agree with Rose Red on this one I'm sure there have been times we all over paid & didn't notice. The guy messed up his bad not yours.

[beth eathorne]

if you had set out to be dishonest that is one thing but if there is a sign up that says one price then that is what you should pay.

[Michaels Gram]

I can appreciate you wanting to be honest and I feel the same way but here's my story and I'm sure many others will agree with me. When I went to the supermarket years ago I never checked my receipt carefully until I started to notice all the mistakes made on the "sale items" that rang up with the right price and weren't taken off at the end. Many times I had to make another trip back to get things corrected. Finally I decided that I would check out and stand to the side and check the receipt and if I see a discrepancy I can get it corrected right away. They don't feel bad cheating us and I hate to say this but I think a lot of it is on purpose. So if you got a bargain on a $2 or $3 skein of yarn consider it a gift from all of us that have been bilked throughout the years.

[Aggie May]

:cheerPlease dont send the cheque for $2 plus tax, if you feel strongly about it, phone the store and tell them you are donating the money to a childrens charity and do that the next time one comes your way, or make something for charity and donate that.

 

:thinkAnyway, just imagine how many times you have paid more than you should for something and you have not even noticed until it is too late to go back and do anything about it.

 

The shop keeper did not have to sell you the yarn at $5.00 if the real price was $6.99 because the goods belong to them and they can withdraw them from sale any time they like and change the sign to the correct price.

 

:thinkNow, that is how it works on NZ but, most times, they will sell the item to you at the lower price, simply because it is good PR for them and it makes the customer feel good.

 

:eekI dont like shopping at the Supermarket on a Sunday night because that is when they change all of the "Specials" so the price on the sign does not match the price on the till because the "Specials" dont start until the next day. I have been caught out a few times now so I am a bit more careful.

 

:angryWhat does annoy me a lot is when they run out of an item and fill the shelf with something else which is not the "Special" price then they leave the "Special" signs in place.

I have been caught out a few times like that so now I read the signs carefully to make sure the item on the shelf is in fact the "Special" item.

If it is not, I usually find someone to tell and make sure they remove the signs while I watch.

 

In NZ, the price of petrol has gone through the roof and so has the price of Dairy foods.

We are great producers of butter, cheese & milk but the prices of these essential commodities has gone sky high, simply because the producers can get higher prices overseas.

 

:DWe have become very "Special" shoppers and have discovered that some of the "Store brands" are not so bad after all such as the tinned tomatoes which were 69cents compared to the fancy brands which were up to $2.00.

Sometimes the "Store brand" is exactly the same, just with a cheaper label.

 

Enough of my babbling on.

 

Have fun.

Colleen.

[Empress Busy Bee]

I pretty much agree with Rose Red on this.

I don't understand why you feel like a jerk. They were all his mistakes, not yours. He was nice about fixing the two.

 

The shop keeper did not have to sell you the yarn at $5.00 if the real price was $6.99 because the goods belong to them and they can withdraw them from sale any time they like and change the sign to the correct price.

Actually in the US they do have to sell it to you if it's got a sale price on or under it even if the sale is over. It's their mistake.

I got cereal that way once. I didn't set out to get a cheaper price. I was there, I needed cereal, it was on sale. The lady rang it up for around two dollars more. I couldn't afford it at that price and the sign clearly said a cheaper price. After she had someone check, she sold it to me at the cheaper price.

[namffoc]

Stores are required to sell you something if the price says that is what it is. That is why weights and measures is in place. If it truly was not on sale then they should take down the sign AND give you the sale price. I wouldn't pay for the extra ball of yarn simply b/c that was their mistake. If you would have caught it in the store you would have paid for it then just like when you caught the overring. I wouldn't mail them a check, I don't think the store will go under for that one ball of yarn. However, I guess I'm not as honest or feel guilty when stuff like that happens.

 

On an aside: A few months back we were loading our groceries into the car and I grabbed a sack that had several travel deodorants, hairspray, toothpaste, etc. I knew it wasn't ours but it must have been left in the bagging table by the previous customer and we got it. I shrugged and took it home and used the stuff. A few weeks later, I bought a new hair brush and comb and some hair ties. The total cost was probably 3x what the travel stuff would have cost us. I never got home with the comb, brush, hair ties but I also didn't go back and ask for the stuff as I felt it was probably karma from taking the stuff that wasn't mine in the first place.

[sahm2g1b]

I have had something similar happen in the grocery store. I ended up calling them and letting them know, and then the next time I went to the store, I reminded them of it, and then paid for the product that was missed. But, I called them first before I made a special trip. I don't know that I would mail them a check because you don't know if they will credit it the way it's supposed to be.

 

Don't feel like a jerk. It was just one of those things that happen sometimes. Congrats to you on being such an honest person. Most people would not even give a 2nd thought about keeping the unpaid for skein.

[appy_lover]

As far as signage at Joanne's I have several times gotten the price on the sign that was still up after the sale was over. I figure that they should have taken the sign down, and they always do after they give me the price. The girl at one of our stores told me that they have a problem with signage, and that I should not feel bad at all. Guess what, I don't.

 

As far as paying for the cotton, that is up to you. I agree that paying for it is the honest thing to do, but I would call ahead and ask what they want you to do. That way they can give you the exact amount with tax, or they can tell you to keep it guilt free. I would also wait until the next time that I had to go into the store, and save myself the postage.

[crochet2tqt]

Tell ur-self that the extra yarn skein was a gift for ur troubles. By the sound of ur stay ur deserved it for the horrible service