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I was shopping on Saturday and bought a few things from one store. One item which was 50 dollars which the sales girl forget to scan/ charge me for. I get in my car, look at the receipt and sure enough I wasnt charged for it! What would of you do in this situation? Go back in the store tell them about this mistake and pay for the item OR drive away and be happy you saved yourself 50 dollars?
Personally, I would give a call to the manager. That has happened to me before and I called and the manager just told me to keep it. They just had me give them the plu number so they could mark it down somewhere. Honesty always pays off, IMO.
For me it depends on the store, and how much the item was. There are stores I go to frequently (like grocery stores) and frequently catch things that I am overcharged for, so there's probably more that get through that I don't catch. In those cases I wouldn't bother.
For a $50 item, I would probably go back, if it were convienent. If I were no longer close by, I might call, or mention it the next time I shop at the store.
The answers to the poll are sad.
I voted go back and pay for the item, especially since you were still in the parking lot when you realized it.
depends on the store to be honest
a few months ago, in a drivethu, i was given $30 change too much and i went into the store (mcdonalds) and gave them the money back because i knew the employees till would not balance
if it was walmart of woolworths, im guessing i would keep it because the thought of dealing with the traffic and parking would sway me to do nothing - but i most probably would donate $$$ to a charity to balance out the karma points
I wait tables to pay my bills right now and because of that, I'd have to return and pay for the item.
I don't know how retail cashier jobs operate but where I work, if I forget to charge somebody something, or I give back too much change, or make a mistake, guess who pays for it? Me. And usually the tip isn't enough to cover for it.
I have no idea if cashier jobs operate similarly but in case they do, I just cannot fathom taking somebody's pay from them for a simple mistake. It's not just that you're getting something for free, you're taking it from someone else's pocket, while they're trying to work to support themselves and their families.
If I knew that the employees don't get in trouble/have to pay for it, would I keep the money? Maybe. I'm not a saint. But I don't know, and I don't really care to find out.
I would go back. I work retail, and while it wouldn't affect my pay, it would show up in inventory as a stolen item. A lady actually came in the other day with the exact same scenario as you. It actually shocked me that she came back to pay for it.
Hmmm, I think, for me it depends on the store. If it were some small gift shop, or locally owned shop I would definitely go back, regardless of the price tag. But for a big corporation like Walmart, chances are I wouldn't go back. I know it's not the honest way to go about it, and I have never been in this situation, that I know of, but I don't see myself getting out of the vehicle, unbuckling my son, trecking back into a long line up to pay for the item.
I'm in the depends on the store category. If it was small independant store I would totally go back and pay. If it were a Walmart or Target, I probably wouldn't (just being honest). They have a percentage of theft/mistakes built in to their pricing and since the cashier didn't ring it up, it wouldn't affect his/her totals. I would find a way to pay it forward though as to not have bad karma.
This happened to me a few years ago. I decided at the last minute to purchase a Christmas tree as well as over $200 worth of ornaments at Target for my new apartment. The cashier scanned everything but the tree didn't appear on my receipt. My conscience made me go back to customer service, which was a complete madhouse. When I finally reached the front and explained what happened, the frazzled girl told me not to worry about it. My mom swore karma would still bite me in the ass. :p
Stealing is stealing, IMO. Doesn't matter if it's a 70-cent candy bar, or a $7000 diamond ring. Doesn't matter if the item was hidden in your coat or if the cashier forgot to scan it. Taking things you did not pay for causes inventory shortage. What do stores do to make up for inventory shortage? Raise their prices. When you steal, you are making EVERYONE ELSE pay for that item.
Think about it this way...if you were in the parking lot and noticed the cashier had scanned that item TWICE, you would have marched right back in and asked for your money back.
This actually happened to me about a year ago, only it was with a $4 dog bowl. I purchased two bowls for our foster dog. They were stacked in my basket and I didn't seperate them when I put them on the conveyor. The cahsier only scanned one. When I realized it, I went back in and paid for the second bowl. The cashier was surprised and thanked me.
I'd go back in to pay. I'd just feel way to bad if I didn't (for the cashier that gets nailed for it if they're caught) and just my conscience in general. We just had this with a bakery order we placed, they failed to charge us for the entire cookie order (dozens and dozens). They couldn't believe we came back to see where the bill tracking got lost and to ask to be billed.
If it was raining and I had young kids buckled in the car or things like that, or I noticed at home, I'd probably call in and speak with the manager. Like @tksjewelry:, honesty pays off.
I would go back and pay for it. I was raised to be honest and have integrity. To me, even a $50 item isn't worth me feeling bad about it. And, I would most certainly feel bad about it. I was faced with a similar situation in Old Navy last week. Luckily I was still in the store when I noticed so I brought it to her attention right then. She looked at me like I was crazy and said if she were me she would have just taken the "free dress." I thought that was sad and hoped it wasn't the norm. After checking out the poll I see that over half of the people wouldn't have taken it back I see that it is the norm...
For this instance, I voted that I would return to the store. I recently had two similar situations. The first time was when I was purchasing two cat carriers (in addition to other items) at Target. The cat carriers were nested inside each other and the cashier only rang us up for one. When we later realized the error, I called Target and asked if I could pay over the phone or come in. I went in the next day and paid for the carrier. It was about $18.00.
A couple of weeks ago, I was shopping at the same Target and later realized that I had not been charged for a small bottle of soy sauce. It was about $2. I didn't go back but I did feel guilty. I have to find a way to pay it forward in the future.
I go back. Even if not that day, if its a shop where I go to regularly, I bring it back on another visit.
I was contemplating going back in the store but my hubby wouldn't let me. I don't think it is stealing considering she handed me the bag with the item in it. And stealing is taking an object without permission. It was at a large store(I agree smaller store I would if definately gone back in)but my hubby talked me out of it as he thinks we are constantly getting screwed over, overcharged so it evens out. Is it ethical ? No - the reason I'm feeling a little guilty!
I missed this last night. I'm shocked at the results. It definitely explains a lot.
I work as a cashier at a big supermarket. If a customer forgot to pay for something/I accidentally didn't ring it through, it would show up as a loss, but they would never track down who that loss was down to (there are a couple hundred employees, and unless it was happening all the time, or was something really big, they just wouldn't bother). If a customer came in and pointed out they hadn't been charged, on the other hand, my sign-on number would show on their receipt (if they presented it; if not, they'd probably be quizzed as to who served them), and I'd probably be questioned by my manager if it was a more expensive item, and possibly retrained/disciplined.
So while I think going back is the 'right' thing to do technically, in the case of a large store, it could actually cause more problems for the employee than if you didn't go back. In a small store it would be different, as it would be easier for them to track losses to individual people.
That said I'd probably go back and pay for a more expensive item, as I'd feel bad otherwise.
If I notice, I'm going back. But chances are if they forget to ring up soda or a pack of gum, I'm not going to be checking the receipt and noticing the dollar or so difference. I rarely even look at the receipt unless I'm racking up gas points on my shopper's card or something.
Now if it was a higher ticket item, 10 or 20 bucks, I'd say "Oops, don't forget this" right then and there, or run back in. That has happened before. I don't want someone getting fired for me being shady.
If it was a small business where it could impact their bottom line I'd tell them about the mistake. If it was a Target or a Walmart I'd just go along my merry way.
@kc3636: I don't think it is stealing considering she handed me the bag with the item in it. And stealing is taking an object without permission.
She handed the bag to you with the item in it because she made a MISTAKE. Until you pay for an item, it is the STORE'S property, not the employee's, (so she had no legal right to give it to you, even if that were her intention), and certainly not yours. So yes, IMO, you were stealing.
@MrsProf: I missed this last night. I'm shocked at the results. It definitely explains a lot.
I agree! How disappointing. 
If it was a big store such as Walmart then I would not feel guilty about it AT ALL. Sorry, but that's the truth. Big stores make allowances in their budget for this sort of thing, and have insurance to cover it. Not that I think $50 would be the end of them.
However, if was a little boutique, family run or individually run business then it would be a different matter. I would return and pay for it because I know that that $50 would make a big difference.
I don't pay a lot of attention to my receipts so if it was something small (10 and under) I probably wouldn't even notice.
If I did notice (and I would at 50) I would call if I was already home and the store was far away or if I'm still in the parking lot/store is close I would take it back and say that I wasn't charged for the item.
Wow! I'm shocked at how many people voted that they would take it and not feel bad. Poor or not, it's not yours and even though someone else made the mistake, you aren't entitled to keep something you didn't actually buy.
If you didn't notice, that's a different story.
return it. i bought like $80 worth of stuff and the girl ran my card wrong and didn't charge me for anything. i went back and had her rerun the card, it would have really sucked if it had to come out of her paycheck. i know when i worked register if the till didn't balance i had to make up the difference, so seeing the poll results is pretty disappointing. you can't really rationalize stealing, like Miss Apricot explained.
@KatyElle: This is pretty much me exactly. I don't normally check receipts, so smaller items would probably go unnoticed. But I have gone back to pay for items I noticed weren't rung up, and usually it's the $20+ items.
Just had to add...I used to work at a major retailer. One of my coworkers was a cashier. At some point during the day, her wedding ring slipped off her finger and into someone's bag without her noticing. The ring was never returned to her, (it was a diamond ring with several large diamonds, so obviously not someone's $20 costume ring). Yet she handed the customer with the bag with the ring in it...so that makes it okay?
Sorry, I am not trying to rude, but the poll results just really disappoint me.
When I was about six or seven, we bought several things at a local drug store. I happened to walk out of the store with a birthday card in my hand. We got outside, I noticed it, and my mom took me back into the store to pay for it. Because it's the right thing to do.
I've worked in retail and if we made mistakes like that there was no way to track it back to who did it (unless it was done all the time & there was a pattern). For that amount, I would go back. The other day I stopped at a big store to buy something and noticed that the cashier charged me twice for one item. I rarely check my receipts so I wonder how many times that has happened before.
To those who say stealing is stealing, would it still be stealing if you didn't realize that you were not charged for the item?
Wow. This seriously disappoints me in humanity. I don't see how anyone could be okay with stealing. Especially for something that expensive. It shouldn't matter big box store or not. Not paying for something =stealing=a crime. If you notice, then you should go pay, peroid.
I think your being a little extreme with your comments. They actually hurt me and are making me think twice about starting a poll on non wedding related topics or leave the hive all together as I'm post wedding.
I say if you notice it, go back. If you don't notice it, or it if you notice it several days later and its small, don't stress.
The only exception to this I make are bars. I have not been charged many times. I get an unusually low un-itemized bill, I always ask something like "This is definitely my whole tab, right?" and they blow me off without actually looking at the bill. So at that point since I don't know what is missing and clearly the server/bartender doesn't care I am not going to go try to figure out how much all the drinks were, which ones were missing, and recalculate.
Now if a drink was clearly left off an itemized bill, I always say something, but usually the server tells me not to worry. I order a lot of whiskey neat, which is the same price as a shot, so I am convinced there are frat boys somewhere wondering why they were charged for 6 shots of Jack rather than 5...
My best friend in high school actually got fired because someone came back to pay for an unscanned item. If the person hadn't come back, no one would ever had known she slipped up. So unless it was a small store, and I bought from the owner or something, I wouldn't return it.
Really? People are disappointed in humanity over this? This wasn't a murder.
Way harsh, ty.
I would have gone back into the store, informed a sales associate of the error and paid for the item. To knowingly keep something that you did not pay for is wrong.
@kc3636: Honestly, some people get worked up about some topics that they are passionate about. It's best just to ignore it and move on. Don't let something small run you off. :)
I don't usually pay much attention to receipts, so I honestly probably wouldn't have noticed it. I'm just not one to really check unless the amount seems really off.
As someone who worked in retail as management, it's really the cashier's fault that you are in this situation anyway. You could very feasibly get her into a lot of trouble if you go back in since the item was higher priced. I know that when people came in with large errors on their receipts, the cashier who was responsible was punished for it (all the receipts have the cashier's ID number on them).
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