Sometimes saving money is as simple as paying attention. Last week I almost walked out of the grocery store paying full price for an item that was supposed to be on sale. Luckily I caught the error before I left the store and was actually given the item for FREE because of the store’s error. The reason I was able to catch the error was because I check, every single receipt.
I started the habit during the couponing craze, but I stuck with it. Being vigilant about this with every single purchase has really saved me some money. Errors are made. Mistakes are made. It pays to be aware. Not only do I check my receipts, but I also try to watch as my items are scanned in. Sometimes I can catch the price error right then, or once or twice I’ve caught a completely different item being scanned.
So being vigilant about what I’m being charged can add up. It only takes a few seconds, but it’s totally worth it.
Do you check your receipts? What is the biggest error you’ve caught?
~Mavis
This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.
Kim Everett says
Vinyl patch to repair an outdoor pool for $109!!! It was supposed to be $2.49. When I first pointed it out she seemed like there was nothing wrong. Turns out the UPC code had been tied to something else.
Jessica S says
EVERY SINGLE RECEIPT!!!
My local stores also give the item for free if it rings up incorrect! I try to watch when items ring up but I am especially careful when it is discount cart items! Last week a jar of pasta sauce was in the clearance cart for 2.99. That is still really high for me.. but I was going to use the Ibotta app to get another $1.50 back.. figured it was worth it to try the sauce. OF COURSE this was the day that I did not watch( letting the 10 year old self scan) and I missed it rung up 5.99. I was by there that evening and took the sauce and receipt. She gave me back the entire 5.99. so I made 1.50 that day!
I have gotten large boxes of cold medicine for free b/c of pricing error recently. I got a $15.00 bag of fish filets free b/c they did not ring up the sale price!!
The biggest score was at Home Depot. Our stove died and we were in the store one evening and spoke with the sales guy at length about the price and benefits of a particular stove. We left to discuss it. The next day I checked at a few other stores and decided to go with the Home Depot one. I attempted to order it online to get a few buck back via Ebates. It showed discontinued online.. the SAME online site we looked at at the store.. 20 hours earlier… SO I called and same sales rep answered. I explained the situation.. he acted shocked and thought I goofed up the search.. found the same issue I had. He took my info and called me back after he confirmed.. they discontinued that model at midnight.. and it was no longer able to be ordered to my area.. SO he directed me to the next step model that was *replacing * the other. I agreed I would go with it.. BUT>>> given that less than 24 hours earlier we were given a different pricing.. I wanted THIS stove at the previous days pricing.. Thus saving me almost $90.00! He agreed and we got it marked down, 6 months same as cash on the HD card and free shipping!
Jen Y says
This is why I like to find a check out line that has at least one person in front of me – to give me time to unload my cart. I watch as each item is scanned & always put sale items at the back so I’m sure to be there to watch.
Stacy says
We have a small, local grocery store that I ALWAYS check my receipt. There is guaranteed to be at least one error. For a while I would just ignore if it was a small amount, but, after it became a habit of always having a mistake… I will go back in and wait in line for a .20 mistake.
I figure if they overcharge each customer .10 or .20 for every gallon of milk of loaf of bread they sell ~that is total profit for them, I think the average person just doesn’t notice the small amount.
Anymore, it’s not the small amount, it’s the principal that there is always an overcharge.
~funny, it’s never in the customers favor…go figure
Lana says
I got a free pack of chicken breasts on Saturday because they rang up wrong.
Em says
Most recently, Lowes charged me a $10 assembly fee (x 3) for three sets of shelves that I bought. I didn’t notice at first, but they did believe me when I came back and asked if they could either refund it or come out and assemble the shelves for me. 🙂
Lace Faerie says
At the warehouse fabric store, I bought one yard of fabric at $6.99/yard but was charged for 7 yards, a typo I’m sure. When I went back in for the refund, it dropped my total by half! Next time I pay attention as its rung up as it took about 15 minutes for the correction to be made!
Lisa says
I do check each receipt. Not only do I go back if there is an error…I also go back if that error is not in my favor. We got new cell phones about three weeks ago and bought cases for them at the same time. Our boys found the same cases for their phones on Amazon cheaper. I took the cases back but didn’t check the receipt till I got home. The salesperson returned the wrong case (even though she had the right one in her hand) crediting my visa for $10 more than she should have. I stopped in this past weekend to pay what I owed. The sales person working that day was shocked that I would stop in to correct an error where I actually owed money. Because the case I had returned had been shipped to another store, he was not able to make the adjustment. He thanked me for being honest and asked that I tell others about their store. Even if I had left the store paying the additional money I owed, it sure was a good feeling to have a clear conscience!
Rebecca says
When we were stationed overseas I had ordered Ralph Lauren towels from Target since they were having a great sale at the time. They didn’t ship to APO/FPO addresses so I had it shipped to my mom’s house in Michigan. She called and asked how much I had purchased since she was getting a boatload of boxes. I told her that I had ordered six different colors; two sets each color (bath-sheet, hand towel, washcloth), as well as one bathmat for each. My total was close to $700.00. She went through all the boxes when they finally stopped coming and found that I had been sent quadruple the amount of what I had ordered. I had her box it all up and ship it all to me. I went through and pulled out the items I had ordered, re boxed the extras I had been sent, typed up a letter explaining somehow I was sent extra and that I had indeed been charged the correct amount for what I had ordered so no refund was going to be involved. I figured Target would be happy they weren’t out several hundred worth of merchandise, but I was not expecting to be refunded the entire amount of the order that should have been charged for. I had checked the receipt that was sent and it was correct. Too bad the other end didn’t!
Earlene says
One thing I work in a grocery store. Please use some sort of etiquette when pointing this out to either the cashier or customer courtesy. I can’t tell you how many times customers get right in the cashier’s face about a mistake and it isn’t her fault. Either the sale came off by accident or wasn’t put on, but not her mistake. Also, please look behind you as you look through your receipt as there may be someone behind waiting to exit the store. We try very hard at our grocery store to make everyone feel good about their shopping experience! Just saying! thank you
linda says
I like the store Fresh Thyme that is in our area, however, frequently we have gotten home and have been charged regular price for sale items, apparently who ever is suppose to change it in computer is slipping up. Last time was agrivating- we told the lady item was on sale, she just laid it us aside. There were plenty of people to go check price, we asked her twice but she couldn’t be bothered. I thought that was rather rude. dh states he won’t shop there anymore- I wrote an e-mail to them, stating what store, date, item and what happened. All I got back was copy of my letter and question asking what store did you go to. Obviously, they didn’t read my letter well.
Tammy says
I try to watch as it is being scanned.
Michigan has a law that if something is less than the amount it scans for, you get the money back that you should have paid. So one time I bought something that was on clearance from $9.99 to $6.99 and it rang up to $6.99. When I went to go get the price adjusted, they gave me back $6.99 instead of the $3 like I was expecting.
Tammy says
Or $2…whatever. LOL
Candice C says
Last week I was charged $40 for a curtain panel that was on clearance for $5. I went over the receipt in the car and discovered the error as I had quite a bit of stuff,then spent a other fifteen minutes in the return lane vetting it cleared up. It seems the cashier scanned the item and the clearance stickers were on the other side. An honest mistake but perhaps the stickers should be placed over the bar code or a line drawn through it when marking down.Worth the hassle though as the panel will be used to make a couple nice sized market tote bags.
Bettina says
Biggest mistake I caught was when I was in college and the store charged me $105 for a pound of ground beef.
Marcia says
I try but don’t always have time.
I bought deli turkey once, on sale for $5 a pound or so, but it rang up at $1.60 a pound. So I told them about it. Got the item for free. (It was an error in my favor even!)
Barbara says
Always watch the scanner. We had a new Kroger store opening. They were giving 1 pound of crab legs free. Well, mine rung up full price and I told the cashier. She said she fixed it, but when I looked at my receipt, she gave me 1/2 off. I went to Customer Service and because of my inconvenience, they refunded the whole amount – not just what I was charged. I ended up with an extra $6 off my order. Great customer service!!!