Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
Personally, I want to believe pricing errors are not intentional ““ maybe an employee forgot to take down a sale sign or they accidentally put it up in front of the 10oz can of coffee instead of the 18oz one. Unfortunately, that may not always be the case.
One of the biggest retail names in the nation has been sued for what has been alleged as “˜deceptive advertising and pricing schemes.' It's another example of why shoppers need to watch the register when it comes time to check out.
Walgreens was hit with a lawsuit by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster after his team of investigators found pricing problems in eight drug stores.The team went to Walgreens stores in five cities, and items rang up incorrectly in every one of the locations they visited. Of the 205 items purchased, 43 rang up incorrectly. This means that overcharges were occurring 21 percent of the time.
According to the Attorney General, the number of overcharges is enough to establish a pattern of deceptive pricing, and Walgreens has been sued by the state. As of yet, Walgreens has not commented on the suit.
But this isn't the first time the company has been in hot water over its pricing practices. According to an ABC News report, the retailer paid $1.4 million in penalties in California after several counties sued it for pricing problems. Then in March, Walgreens reportedly paid $300,000 to settle a similar case in Wisconsin.
Shopping isn't done until the receipt is reviewed
The takeaway for consumers is that reviewing your receipt after every shopping trip should be a priority. You may not be concerned about a few cents difference, but the Missouri investigators found discrepancies of up to $15.
While some shoppers may prefer to sit down with their receipt and compare it to their shopping list or ad at home, I recommend everyone give at least a brief review of their receipt while in the store. It only takes a minute to skim the receipt and look for any obvious problems.
Then, if you find a discrepancy, you can immediately head to the customers service desk to get it corrected.
State law is on your side
Many states have laws that make it worthwhile to correct pricing discrepancies even if they are only for a few cents.
In Michigan, for example, the 2011 Shopping Reform and Modernization Act gives shoppers 30 days to notify stores of a scanning error. If they have been charged the wrong price, the law requires stores to refund the difference between the advertised price and the scanned price plus a “˜bonus' of between one to five dollars.
Connecticut takes a slightly different approach and gives its shoppers the item for free if they are overcharged for an item of up to $20. In the event a price scans below the advertised price, customers are entitled to pick up another item at the same lower price.
While the Michigan law applies to most retail products, Connecticut's price scanning law is only good on commodities such as grocery food items. Other states may have different laws governing pricing policies.
At SavingsAngel, we will be watching the Missouri case closely to see how it might impact future pricing practices at Walgreens and other stores. In the meantime, we advise all of you to watch your receipt closely to ensure you are getting every deal each time you shop.
SavingsAngel is VIP-level savingsfor busy people.
The bestcouponerssave hundreds of dollars every month at the grocery store. However,couponerscanend up living very extreme lifestyles to get those savings. For over five years, SavingsAngel.com has equalized the playing field ““ giving extreme savings to busy families who don't have the time or ability to be a full-timecouponer. Each week, SavingsAngel.com's team of more than 70 angels combines over 2,000 products on sale at local grocery and drug stores with an enormous database of over 2,000 different manufacturer coupons. These combinations result in our members getting access to over 300 products each week for 50% off or better. Simply log in, choose the deals you want, print or clip only the coupons you need, and save hundreds of dollars a month at regional and national stores. Our angels will personally work with you to craft a plan that will help you buy healthier food at lower prices ““ helping you keep $200 to $400 in savings each month.
