Do I have to pay $60 for an item at the checkout when the sticker says $29.95?
My friend went to WalMart the other day to buy a present for her nephew's birthday. She found an item he'd been wanting for a long time at an unbelievable price (it's usually around $60)! The sticker said $29.95, and so did the stickers on all the other boxes of the same product. At the checkout, she paid with her debit card and was on her way out of the store when she thought "whoa! I just paid way more than I should have for all the items in my cart."
She went back to the same checkout line and the lady said "Take it to Customer Service. There's nothing I can do here." Customer Service sent a kid down the aisle to check the prices on all the boxes of this item. The kid came back saying that all the stickers said $29.95. The Customer Service lady scanned several of the boxes ... all scanned in at $59.95.
Should my friend get the item for the sticker price displayed on all the boxes, or should she have to pay the $59.95 they scanned in at? Is this a deceptive sales tactic?
Answers:
I am a Customer Service associate at a Walmart. Whenever a situation like this happens, I allow the customer to purchase the product at the sticker price, after verifying that the customer has a legitimate complaint (some do try to pull fast ones, some lie, most DO NOT read the signs), then immediately contact the department manager or a store manager to inform them of the price discrepancy, so that it can be fixed. Unfortunately, not all Walmart associates deal with their job the same way I do, and every Walmart has their different ways of dealing with things of this nature. In your case, if you were not allowed the ticketed price, you are entitled to a full refund. Bring your receipt to the service desk, and if you can spare a little time, demand a manager and explain the problem. If you want to keep the item, this option could be beneficial to you.
Usually no. But if you want a valid answer you need to put in what state you live.
TO BUTLERBAR BOB:
I suggest you actually read the statute. It does not (yet) apply to this situation. Unless you have specific knowledge that Wal-Mart 'KNOWINGLY' perpetrated the events.
It is a deceptive sales tactic, but not illegal. The store's policy should determine how they act in this case. Many stores will give you the cheaper price if they mis-label the product, but not all.
well no store has to sell anything at a wrong sticker price..its called a human error. would it be good for walmart to see that to you for that amount? yes it would bring you back to shop there. but they dont have to sell it to you at that price. and your friend can return it but she really should be looking at the prices that scan rather then waiting until she walks out the door. i learned that along time ago.
they have to sell you the item at the stickered price. You can get anything in the store for whatever the sticker on it says. I bought one of the shelves from WalMart one day because all the items where gone and it still had a sticker on it for a dollar, so they had to sell me the shelf for a dollar.
It sounds like a legitimate stocking error. The store should have allowed the purchase at the lower price, then pulled the item until they could correct the error. That's not legal opinion just good ethics.
I am not entirely sure.
I believe they have the right to rfefuse to sell at an improperly marked price.
OTOH, I learned in school (grade or middle school over 20 years ago) that a store can be required to sell at the marked price.
Later I learned that people were attempting to take advantage of this and the law may have been overturned.
If you are interested in pursuring this you should get some real legal advice. It may differ from state to state or even county by county.
I don't know the law in America but in England you would have to pay the $59.95. The shop can lawfully refuse to sell the item. Humans price boxes and errors do happen. I would have thought the store would give the option of a refund.
She doesn't have to buy it for $59.95, she could just not buy it at all. If it was a legitimate pricing error, then I don't think Walmart is obligated to sell it at that price.
In Michigan, the store must pay back not only the difference between prices, but a penalty of 10 times the difference (but not to exceed $5 total) per item bought at the wrong price.
Per the Michigan Scanner Law, Item Pricing Act
http://offtheshelf.us/mi/law.asp...
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to hexeliebe:
Actually, it is specifically applicable to having paid for something scanned in at a higher cost than listed on the price tag on the item. I know - I not only used to work in a store when this policy was in effect, I have had to use it against a Meier's which scanned higher than the sticker price. The law was meant to protect against being charged a different price than the label.
In Michigan, the store must immediately refund the difference that was paid plus the fine amount, up to $5 per item bought. This is down near the bottom of the Act - Section 10a-2.
No, they have to honor whatever price was on the item. You need to take it back with the receipt and throw a fit or tell them you want your money back.
Yes she should have gotten it for the price marked. As long as all the boxes were marked the same way then she has a case. If I were here I would attempt to contact the highest level person in the company you can find. Tell them what happened and ask for your money back!! If the store makes an error on all the products then that price is the correct one.
Each store can set it's own policy as to what to do about mis marked merchandise. Some states have laws in place that the store must honor the mismarked price. Your question indicates you are not in such a state.
It gets tricky here.
You accepted the price at the checkout counter when you entered your debit card pin, so the store can say the sale is final. You should have noticed the $30 discprepancy before swiping your card. Seeing that you did not, you next best option is to return the item and get your money back. Then vow to never shop at that store again. A letter to the BBB may help for future activity.
Yesterday at Walmart I thought I found a good deal on some frozen Mexican food and was watching the register and it rang up $8.95 and the price underneath it in the freezer was $3.95. The girl went back and checked the price and then brought some customer service woman back with her who told me it had probably been shoved around by people, that it was $8.95. I thought they should have given it to me for the price that it was underneath it. I feel she should have gotten the item for the sticker price, that's even worse. But they can say it was a mistake. At Publix, where I ususally grocery shop, when this happens you get the item free, if it is in the wrong place or is on sale and rings up the regular price. I've gotten free hair products, an umbrella, pet food. That is how a store should do business, but Walmart sucks.
There is probably a state law on point.
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