Shopping Discussion

Reminder! Code of Practice: Scanner Price Accuracy

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Cyber0066 wrote:I tried the SCOP for the first time at Sobeys without success. I bought a box of compliments ribs that was advertised as $9.99. It scanned as $11.99. I told the cashier that it should be $9.99 and she checked it and gave it to me for that price. Then I said "Shouldn't I get it for free?" She replied that it only applies AFTER I had purchased the item.

Just wanted confirmation on this? Does this practice only apply after the item has been purchased or should it have been given to me on the spot? If so, is there anything I can do about it now? Because on the receipt, it says $9.99 now so I don't know if it would work if I called the manager of the store to complain.
The cashier is supposed to offer it to you for free.

To be honest, what's going on right now is the head offices of all these chains are really pushing stores to enforce this policy 100%, as the chains do NOT want to have to price every single item in the store manually, for obvious reasons. However, not all the stores within the chain are complaining due to the cost, which if you look at the big picture is kinda silly.
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Cyber0066 wrote:I tried the SCOP for the first time at Sobeys without success. I bought a box of compliments ribs that was advertised as $9.99. It scanned as $11.99. I told the cashier that it should be $9.99 and she checked it and gave it to me for that price. Then I said "Shouldn't I get it for free?" She replied that it only applies AFTER I had purchased the item.

Just wanted confirmation on this? Does this practice only apply after the item has been purchased or should it have been given to me on the spot? If so, is there anything I can do about it now? Because on the receipt, it says $9.99 now so I don't know if it would work if I called the manager of the store to complain.
Definitely go back and complain and bring your receipt.

Same situation happened to me at Sobey's.
Cashier used the same argument and confused me, so I just left.
Then, I called Head Office to complain. After, I called the Retail Council of Canada because Sobey's is a member and agreed to the SCOP.

In the end, the Manager called me to apologize and offer me a refund on the price I paid for the free product. She was really cool about the whole situation and stated that the employee was not trained properly about the SCOP

ADVICE: Next time this happens - CALL THE MANAGER and politely point out SCOP 1.1 rule.
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Feb 20, 2004
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I bought some items that were on sale at "3 for $6". After leaving the store and checking my receipt, I realized that they charged me the full price ($2.29) for all three items (and there was no discount after the third item was scanned in).

This store follows the SCOP, so I'm going back tomorrow with my receipt to get a refund. Does anyone know whether they're supposed to give me all three items for free, or just the first one of the three? Thanks.
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lynk wrote:I bought some items that were on sale at "3 for $6". After leaving the store and checking my receipt, I realized that they charged me the full price ($2.29) for all three items (and there was no discount after the third item was scanned in).

This store follows the SCOP, so I'm going back tomorrow with my receipt to get a refund. Does anyone know whether they're supposed to give me all three items for free, or just the first one of the three? Thanks.
One.
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lynk wrote:I bought some items that were on sale at "3 for $6". After leaving the store and checking my receipt, I realized that they charged me the full price ($2.29) for all three items (and there was no discount after the third item was scanned in).

This store follows the SCOP, so I'm going back tomorrow with my receipt to get a refund. Does anyone know whether they're supposed to give me all three items for free, or just the first one of the three? Thanks.
Interesting question. this situation isn't really covered in the policy.
I'm sure the store will argue the first item only. That would be true if the scanned price showed up as $2.29 and should have been $2.00 each and you bought three of them.
But with a 3 for $6.00 price you could argue that this is a single price for three items and get the whole lot free - if the three items were packaged together with a single $6.00 price, that would certainly be true.
Why don't you phone the SCOP phone number in the morning and see what they say before you go back to the store.
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The "scop number" is an answering machine you will likely never hear back from...
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krs wrote:Interesting question. this situation isn't really covered in the policy.
I'm sure the store will argue the first item only. That would be true if the scanned price showed up as $2.29 and should have been $2.00 each and you bought three of them.
But with a 3 for $6.00 price you could argue that this is a single price for three items and get the whole lot free - if the three items were packaged together with a single $6.00 price, that would certainly be true.
Why don't you phone the SCOP phone number in the morning and see what they say before you go back to the store.
But they aren't being sold as a pack of three for 6.

I still say you get one free that's it, as there is a per unit price.
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zoro69 wrote:The "scop number" is an answering machine you will likely never hear back from...
Really????????

Doesn't say much for the retail industry's interest regarding this policy.
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Konowl wrote:But they aren't being sold as a pack of three for 6.

I still say you get one free that's it, as there is a per unit price.
Like I said - you're probably right. But I can always argue that they are priced as a 'pack of three' and when you buy fewer you pay a premium, ie 2.29 each.

If I were the retailer, I would refund all the money to make the customer happy; I mean we're talking loose change here.
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Jan 18, 2006
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Takato wrote:Will the Code of Pratice work at GUESS?

I bought a jacket that was priced at 138 instore and online its priced at 118, but since they had the customer appreciation day sales the scanned price was 110 (20% off reg. price). Will it still apply?
It doesnt apply to online prices. This is only in store.
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Dec 30, 2005
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Does this work at clothing stores? Because I've noticed that some stores consistently neglect to change the scanned price and a manual override is required at the cash register (and sometimes you have to "remind" the cashier to do it). This often happens to the Petites section - the scanned prices have been changed for the regular clothing, but not for the petite clothing.

I've never seen anybody do this at a clothing store. I did witness it once at FS - didn't stick around long enough to see if it worked out in favor of the customer. I don't know if I'd ever have the guts to make a big scene about a policy most people haven't heard of before.

More power to you if you've done it and it's worked!!
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Mar 10, 2004
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Price Chopper in Richmond Hill On - a week ago this past Saturday. Sign above the bin where the flyers are kept advertising 900g bag peel and eat shrimp on special for Chinese New Years, $6.99 reg $8.99.

I pick up a couple in addition to other stuff.

Cashier scans the item at $8.99. I point out the sign and I am informed the sale ended the day before. I explain that as long as the sign is up with no expiry date, the SCOP applies. Cashier calls the manager over.

I leave with FREE bag of shrimp! :lol:
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Most clothing stores haven't adopted the code, so it won't work outside QC. Most clothes are idividually tagged anyway though. Most of the big, national stores do it with the exception of Zellers/Bay and staples. Most of the small ones don't so they only have to honour the lowest dispalyed price without the extra $10/free part.
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zoro69 wrote:Most clothing stores haven't adopted the code, so it won't work outside QC. Most clothes are idividually tagged anyway though. Most of the big, national stores do it with the exception of Zellers/Bay and staples. Most of the small ones don't so they only have to honour the lowest dispalyed price without the extra $10/free part.
yeah, lucky for QCers, the SCOP is like a "law"... it doesn't matter if the stores have the signs up or not, they "have to" follow it regardless...

if only this "law" was nationwide... then we'd all be happy campers :|
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mahjongmaniac wrote:yeah, lucky for QCers, the SCOP is like a "law"... it doesn't matter if the stores have the signs up or not, they "have to" follow it regardless...

if only this "law" was nationwide... then we'd all be happy campers :|
Every item in quebec also has to be individually priced with a little stick, raising their wage cost substantially. Ever grocery shop in Quebec? *shudders*
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caliente wrote:Does this work at clothing stores? Because I've noticed that some stores consistently neglect to change the scanned price and a manual override is required at the cash register (and sometimes you have to "remind" the cashier to do it). This often happens to the Petites section - the scanned prices have been changed for the regular clothing, but not for the petite clothing.

I've never seen anybody do this at a clothing store. I did witness it once at FS - didn't stick around long enough to see if it worked out in favor of the customer. I don't know if I'd ever have the guts to make a big scene about a policy most people haven't heard of before.

More power to you if you've done it and it's worked!!
SCOP only works IF the store has agreed to participate in the program. And most of them will post the SCOP policy at the cash or entrance.
Most big national grocers are following the SCOP.
Call the Retail Council of Canada or google their website, there's lots of info there.
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caliente wrote: I've never seen anybody do this at a clothing store. I did witness it once at FS - didn't stick around long enough to see if it worked out in favor of the customer. I don't know if I'd ever have the guts to make a big scene about a policy most people haven't heard of before.

More power to you if you've done it and it's worked!!
Don't be intimidated - this is not like a price match where every store has its own policy and they seem to be trying to wiggle out of it whenever they can.

I had an interesting experience today.
Went grocery shopping at a different store than normal, and right near the entrance they had a huge special display of different types of Habitant canned soups with a large cardboard sign - $1.00 each.
So I piled 20 cans of five different types into my cart.
Then passing down the 'soup can' isle. I see these same soups sitting on the regular shelf with a $1.37 shelf price.
Didn't think much of it until I checked out and I noticed when the cashier scanned the fifth can that they all ran in at $1.37. So I mentioned to her they should just be a dollar, expecting her to just override the prices of all of them to a dollar.
She ended up calling the manager; my son in the meantime had gone to get the cardboard "$1.00" sign to prove I was correct. The manager showed up at the same time as my son with the sign - the cashier kept asking the manager what to do, you could really see that the manager was shocked when she saw the sign and finally said "We better give him 10 cans for free" and that's what they did.
10 cans = $10.00 at the sale price which was no longer in effect, but they forgot to remove the one sign.
I don't think I was entitled to 10 free cans; wasn't quite sure how the policy worked in this case considering it wasn't even truly "shelf pricing" - but I didn't complain. Figured I got a good deal.
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The code is lowest dislpayed price so the $1 is the correct price. You should have gotten 1 of each of the 5 varieties free, and the other 15 for the $1. Always nice when the incompetence of the staff gives the customer a btter deal :)
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zoro69 wrote:Most clothing stores haven't adopted the code, so it won't work outside QC. Most clothes are idividually tagged anyway though. Most of the big, national stores do it with the exception of Zellers/Bay and staples. Most of the small ones don't so they only have to honour the lowest dispalyed price without the extra $10/free part.
I figure that Zellers doesn't adopt the code because they are one of the biggest offenders when it comes to scanner/price tag mismatch... it would cost them a fortune to give away most of the stuff in their store for free :)

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