Guest post by Caroline Allen from The Modest Mom
Last Thanksgiving, I decided to hit a few stores during the early morning hours of Black Friday. When checking out at one store, I noticed that the checker wrapped up a candle I was buying and was putting it in the sack.
The problem? She hadn’t rung it up yet.
I had an instant battle going on inside of me. My first thought was “Oh, it’s only $3.99, just let it go. It’s her fault, not mine.” Then I chided myself, knowing that wasn’t the right thing to do.
I told her that I didn’t believe she had scanned the candle yet, and she looked up at me surprised. I could see it all over her face. She was tired, and people had probably been very difficult to work with that morning.
To her amazement, I was right, and she thanked me as she scanned the candle. It would have been so easy to just let it all go, but I felt so much happier I felt knowing I had done what was best.
Another time I was shopping at a local grocery store. Upon arriving at my van I found that a package of cream cheese had not been paid for. I was with all four of my little children and my baby was crying. I decided to just leave, as the thought of going back in the store to pay for it was exhausting.
But the next time I was in the store (which was actually several months later), I grabbed a package of cream cheese, and asked the cashier to scan it twice, telling them what had happened previously. Once again I received a look of amazement, and a heart felt “thank you” from them.
As shoppers, if we stand together on principles of honesty and truthfulness, with how much more respect might we be treated? Sure, there will always be those crabby cashiers who dread coupons and treat you badly. But we must be sure that our endeavor to be frugal (which is a worthy one) never gets in the way of our endeavor to be honest in all we do.
Dishonesty costs all of us more money in the long run.
Consider this: the stores that we shop at lose thousands of dollars — some hundreds of thousands — each year in either stolen merchandise or merchandise that simply “slips through the cracks,” such as the examples I gave above. They cannot completely absorb these losses, but instead they must distribute them across their product lines in the form of price increases. This may only result in an increase of a few cents, but, as we all can attest, those few cent price increases here and there quickly add up!
So, the next time you go out and shop and you anxiously watch the computer screen as the clerk scans your items, don’t watch just to make sure you aren’t paying too much for an item, also check to make sure you’re paying enough.
Caroline is the wife of Sean and mother of four children seven and under with a fifth blessing on the way! Besides homeschooling and supporting her husband in his business, she runs a business from her home where she sells modest maternity and woman’s clothing — The Modest Mom, and is a consultant for Lilla Rose. She also enjoys blogging at The Modest Mom Blog!
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Many restaurants will offer a free piece of cake if you tell the waiter it’s your birthday. I’ve heard of people who falsely claim it’s their birthday just to get the free dessert. I don’t think I could live with the guilt of having the waiters serenade me under false pretences. Thrifty is one thing: Shifty is something else!
I truly believe in this principle. I recently had three $4 coupons at Walmart that were giving the self-check machine fits because the items were $3.88. The cashier tried her best and scanned them several times. It finally looked liked they took. My total was rather low when I finished, so I checked my receipt. Sure enough, each coupon came off twice, a $12 error in my favor. I took the receipt to customer service to give them back the $12. They really didn’t know how to handle it. It took two more cashiers and some major wrangling to return $12!.
I had my 12-year-old daughter with me. It was a hassle, but I’m glad I got to model choosing the right. Honestly, keeping that $12 would hurt my “cosmic karma” more than it would ever hurt Walmart.
p.s. I love the “thrifty, not shifty” comment above!
A good reminder that doing the right thing isn’t always easy or the most convenient. Recently, I’ve been guilty of forgetting to pay for items in my cart that have been hidden under my son’s carseat, have found them when loading my bags into the car, and have had to return back to the store to pay for them, even though it is a hassle. But I want to set a good example for my 3 y/o who is shopping with me. Even if he doesn’t really understand, I know I need to do the right thing. A few times, I’ve also caught some cashier’s mistakes, like forgetting to scan a few items, and when I’ve brought it to their attention, they usually wave it off.
Most of us are so quick to point out when we’ve been overcharged or a coupon didn’t double or something else not in our favor. I think we should be just as quick to point out when the error has been in our favor.
I can remember a few times when I was undercharged for an item. In all cases, Customer Service thanked me for pointing out the error and told me to keep the windfall.
When I was in high school I had a part time job as a cashier in a discount store (before Walmarts, I’m pretty old). They had a probation period for new employees. My first night my cash register was $5 short, so they told me to be careful. It was very busy and a couple of times I gave too much in change (cash registers didn’t tell the amount then (1960s). Any way both times the customer corrected me and gave me back the overage. My cash register was perfect that night. I was so grateful for their honesty.
Love this article! This just happened to me the other day. I was able to run errands with just my two year old son (which is rare). I usually have him and my 3 year old son. So I planned LOTS of errands for the day. We checked out at Target, got out to our vehicle and my son pulls out a book from under his leg and says “Here’s my puppy book Mama!” It was from the $1 spot so just a cheap thing but I felt SO guilty. I knew we didn’t have time to run back into the store or we’d never get everything done, but I felt so horrible. A couple of days later I had an appointment so I swung over to Target to make a return, grabbed another book from the $1 spot for them to ring up and explained what happened. There were two girls working the service desk and both were very appreciative for my honesty.
On the other hand, just yesterday at Walgreens the cashier was having a hard time getting my coupons to scan. I had two alike 50 cents off Qs and she thought both had scanned. But I looked at the receipt and only one was showing so I pointed it out. Do I let that go? No. So how can I feel like Target (or wherever) should just let $1 go? Or whatever the amount is.
Honestly I don’t think it comes down to prices at all. It comes to down to honesty pure and simple. It’s one thing if you neve realize you were undercharged but if you realize you were, you are honest about it.
Great post, Caroline. I have also gone back in the store when I found an item in the buggy un-paid for. It may have very well been the cashier’s fault, but I truly believe it is our fault if we choose not to do the right thing.
I was at Publix on Saturday morning to get the 50% off Kellogg’s cereal. I was very surprised to see that I had saved much more than I thought I would have. After looking at the receipt, I discovered that the register was ringing the cereal up at 50% off and then taking another 50% off. I let the customer service clerk know and she let the manager know.
It worked out in my favor and they let me keep my cereal for the extra special price! But it made me wonder how many people would have gone through the checkout before saying anything.
What a great reminder to do what is right! My memory verse this week ties right in: Psalm 119:36 NIV “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.”
It is incredibly important to make sure we (as customers) are getting the right price and correcting it when we aren’t even if the item is not scanned. To say that it is ok to not say something when the cashier forgets to scan an item because at another time you were over charged on another item, is still dishonest. I pried myself on honesty and it really upsets me when I see people being dishonest, I wonder to myself “how can they not feel guilty” or “How can they live with the guilt”.
As important as it is to be honest, it is even more important to teach our kids to be honest too. Once at a dollar store my daughter (3 or 4years old) found and walked out, without my knowing, a tiny set of keys (like to a diary or hand cuffs). When we were at our next stop I discovered she had these keys and asked her where she had gotten them and she said she found them on the floor at the dollar store. I explained to her that that was stealing, she felt it was ok because they were small and on the floor and not with the item they belonged with. We went back to the dollar store and I had her give the keys to an employee and apologize for having taken them. I just wonder, how many parents would have done the same thing? I want what is best for her and good values and morals are strongly important to me and I hope to instill them in my children too.
Great post! This has happened to me in the past to, and I try to always do what’s write. A few months ago, we went grocery shopping with a whole cart full of groceries and 3 12-packs of diet coke under the cart. I completely forgot to pay for the diet coke and didn’t realize until I was at the car. It would have been very easy to just put the diet coke in the car and go on my way, but I went back inside and paid. I was with my husband and my daughter. My husband kind of gave me a look like, what are you doing? But I wanted to a. do the right thing and b. set a good example for my daughter.
Another time I didn’t do the right thing and whenever I think about it, I feel really bad. I was buying presents for a baby shower and a pack of burpers slipped under my daughter’s infant seat (in the cart). It was an honest mistake and when I got to the car, I saw it and didn’t go back inside to pay. Just the other day, at the same store, I bought eggs and forgot to take them with me. So, I’d like to think that I’m now even
They were cheap burpers, so probably the same cost of the eggs. Karma has a funny way of coming back around…
Great post!
Just today my son accidentally broke a necklace he was playing with at Children’s Place as I was purchasing our items. I had the cashier ring it up and we paid for it, but left the broken necklace behind. We did have a very frank discussion about it on the way out of the store and how we need to be responsible for our actions. (I was a bit surprised at the speed of the cashier to ring up the damaged item for me and not “damage” it out…) Either way we were ultimately responsible for it, but I wish I had looked a bit closer to see if I could have repaired it before I shelled out $5.99 for a cheaply made trinket that we didn’t even take home. I know we did the right thing, but other people might just “shush” their child and put it back on the shelf with store policies like that.
Just this past week, I purchased some oatmeal that would have been free after my coupons were doubled. For some reason, the register rejected the coupons. The checkout gal looked at the coupons, looked at the product, and manually put the coupons through. When I got home, I discovered the reason why the coupons were rejected. The oatmeal had never been scanned. I went back to the grocery store, grabbed two more cannisters of oatmeal, and made sure I got in the same gal’s checkout lane. She of course remembered me as it was less than an hour later. I showed her the first receipt and explained that somehow the oatmeals had never rung up, and to please ring up four cannisters on this receipt. She was amazed, and thanked me several times for my honesty. It is sad that this kind of action is so surprising to others today. I’m glad to read all these posts and find out that there are lots of honest people out there!
Good Post! Just last week I had the same thing happen. I used a competitors coupon at the store and found that instead of charging me 2.48 she only charged me .48, I thought for a moment also that it was her fault not mine. Then followed closely was the thought that when they mess up on my dollar I never let it go! And I want to be as honest as I can be when it comes to shopping. I called the store and told them and they said to just come back and I could pay the difference. I asked if I could come on my next trip and they said no problem. When I got home I found that the extra wipes I had had her remove from my order still got bagged with my groceries, so this week I will have two things to take care of! I think there aren’t enough honest people in this world and we are a testimony for the Lord where ever we go and should live accordingly!
A few months ago I got to my car and found that $12 worth of shirts where in the basket of my cart which had not been paid for. Like the article I had kids and was tired and in a rush to get home. However my next trip to the store I bought a $15 gift card and then destroyed it. That way they get there money as I was unable to bring up the item like she did.
Same thing happened to me this evening after I read this post – the clerk didn’t charge me for a $1 item. I reminded her that she still needed to and thought of you. Thanks!
Last year at Kohl’s I noticed that the cashier forgot to scan a card that cost $0.99. I told her and she was happy I did. So she gave me 15% off my whole purchase and at the end i saved $2 and something.
This happened to me a few months ago at Target when I bought a Cover Girl Nature Luxe gloss. Somehow it had falling behind my coupon organizer and I didn’t realize I hadn’t paid for it until I was in parking lot. So I marched right back in to Target and went to Guest Services to pay for it. The young guy just laughed when I explained what happened. I even used the coupon that I forgot I had originally.
Thanks for sharing this! I haven’t had this happen to me, that I can recall, I’m usually the one leaving things at the store. I definitely believe that it makes all the difference to give cashiers a different taste of how couponers can be. I know that some times folks just cringe at the thought of ringing you up with all the coupons but I try to be organized and as courteous as possible. I also try to take time and look for ways to chat with cashiers, not just to butter them up and make check out easy but just in an effort to give them a different experience of a couponer.
I have gone to the customer service desk many times to inquire about wrong charges (to me). By the same token, I go to the same desk to tell the customer rep that I was undercharged for an item. I am always greeted with surprise. I respond by saying that I want to be charged properly, and likewise want to pay properly what I owe.
You’re my role model. There should be more people like you in this world =)
I can’t tell you how many times I have not been charged for items in my bag, I have generally caught them before I left the parking lot, and have gone back in to correct this with the cashier. I have always been looked at with shock, and thanked for my honesty. I purchased a bunch (like 12) bath towels and some dishes among a bunch of other things at Dillards once, and they were out of tissue to wrap the dishes in to protect them, and the lady asked if she could use my towels instead. I did not realize until that night that she forgot to scan the 3 plates before she wrapped them, so I called the manager and explained, and went back in and asked for him since he knew what happened, and he still looked at me with shock, and asked me why I brought them back in. I told him I had children whom I was responsible for teaching right and wrong, and even if it were not my mistake, and had kept them, what lesson would I be teaching my children? That it is ok to profit off of others mistakes? He thought for a second, and said I guess you are right!! One time I bought a bunch of clothes and a couple of necklaces at Kohls, and when I got home, I noticed they didn’t charge me for a necklace, I called, and took it back in, purchased it. On my way out I stopped and found some more things, purchased them, got home and you guessed it, not charged for something again, called went back, and yes picked up a few more things, (always in a hurry, and saw different things on my way out), and seriously, got home and once again not charged. I called and went back in and told them if they kept not charging me and I had to keep coming back, I was going to charge them a trip charge!!! (joking of course). I always go back in if they overcharge me, or undercharge me – fair is fair, right is right.
Thanks for a great article and all of the great comments. Just the other day, I was at the post office sending some books off for paperback swap. I gave the postmaster a $20 and he gave me back an extra $5 in change. When I handed it back to him, he seemed so surprised. I really think its almost sad at how shocked people are when someone treats them honestly.
I have had the same issue come up many times and sometimes if the error equals out like the cashier didn’t ring up the items but then I didn’t get the register reward because of it-I will let it go.
Other times, like last night at Sears, I tell the cashier something rung up at $.00.
I want to be honest to honor the Lord but am not perfect and several of these things are coming to mind now that I will ask forgiveness for and go on mindful of this article and the need for extreme honesty.
Thanks for writing this
I wholeheartedly agree that we should always be honest. Stealing from a store is *not* the same thing as frugal!
However, I can only think of maybe twice in my life I’ve been undercharged. But I can think of a few dozen of times I’ve been overcharged at grocery stores. Grocery stores are busy and the cashiers work very efficiently (super fast) so as soon as I start putting groceries on the belt they start scanning them. It’s impossible to watch the screen and put groceries on the belt fast enough.
We’ve had so many costly mistakes my husband insists we use the U-Scan so we can make sure things only get scanned once and each bag ends up in our cart. Annoying, but after three trips in a row of about $7 in overcharges we had to do something!
I had to remind a cashier at Walmart once to scan my two huge bags of dog food!!! They weren’t even under the cart or anything, right there in plain sight. That would have been $50 right there in my favor. I sincerely hope the young man no longer works there, as he was just not paying attention to his job and I’m sure it wasn’t just MY “lucky day”. There were probably a lot of times that he missed stuff.
Here’s my story:
. And my kids were NOT with me, so I didn’t have to worry about being a good example. Literally, NO ONE would know.
I was buying two big jugs of laundry detergent at the grocery store. I asked for them to be rung up separately so they’d come out of the household budget rather than the food budget. The bagger was being very efficient and loaded them into the “finished” cart without the cashier ringing them up. I was tempted not to correct the error…. we REALLY could use the extra $20, and I could keep my really good Tide coupons
I did the right thing, and told the cashier I hadn’t paid for them. I did not hear the angels singing as I left the store, but I thanked God He helped me resist temptation.
Our family ate at an independently owned restaurant once when the electricity went out mid-meal. It was still fairly light outside and the place had plenty of windows and candles, so it was all fine. However, when it came time to pay and we gave the waitress our card, she apparently forgot to write down the expiration date of the card. She was supposed to write everything down, since there was no electricity to run the cards the normal way. About 3 weeks later, we realized that we were never charged for the meal. My husband and I decided that the next time we ate there, we would let them know. It was only a few weeks later that we went back. We ordered the exact same meal, then called over the owner to tell him about the previous error and to please charge us twice for our meal. He was so impressed with our honesty that he gave us a voucher for a free bottle of wine or $25 gift card – our choice. Sometimes, it pays in more ways than one to be honest!
Just last week, I was at a local thrift store and pointed out that I was being undercharged by 50 cents. It completely confused the cashier as she did not know how to re-ring it and then while I was waiting for her to fix it, the phone rang and it was a personal call for her and she gabbed for about 20 minutes. When I got home, I found that there were holes in the shirt that I bought and ended up throwing it away anyway. Sometimes, it does not pay to be honest.
Thanks for the article. I have a funny story about this subject.
I remember leaving a grocery store once realizing that I had a big package of toilet paper on the bottom of the grocery cart that I didn’t remember getting the cashier to scan. So as my husband was packing the car with the rest of the groceries, I ran inside to get the toilet paper scanned and paid for. I felt like I had done the right and honest thing. Then we got home and I looked at our receipt: we HAD already paid for the toilet paper. So we paid for it TWICE! lol.
Next time I went in, I got the issue fixed by bringing in the receipts and getting $ back. But now I’ve learned to double check my receipt before running in to pay for a “mistake”.
I bought several items at Kohls one time and the cashier missed scanning a pair of pajama pants I picked up for my husband. I didn’t notice it until I got home, but had them charge me for the pants the next time I was there. At the time I was working at Kohls for awhile after college and not only did I think it was important to be an honest shopper but, I was also being an honest employee. I always check my shopping receipts though as items don’t always come up at the correct price.
I had this situation occur just this week. I’d had a medical procedure done that morning, and I’m pregnant, and it’s freaky hot out, so I was woozy and not feeling well. I didn’t pay a lick of attention to what the cashier was ringing up at the grocery store, but when my total was only $22, I knew that couldn’t be right, as I’d bought a lot of meat and some expensive produce.
I looked at my receipt as I walked to the car and realized that he hadn’t charged me for any of the meat. We’re talking $20 here! I felt like crap, but I went back inside to pay for my meat. The cashier was so surprised that I was honest about it! Yes, it was the store’s mistake, but I’m not a thief, and that’s exactly what I would feel like if I didn’t pay for it. And how can I teach my youth group at church to act with integrity if I’m not doing it myself?
Great post…really really enjoyed it!
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