Hi guys,
On Saturday evening (25.05., 22:02), I bought a few things at Kaufland just before the store closed, including 6 beers. The cashier scanned one beer bottle as a package of them, resulting in the price being over 30€ instead of a couple of euros.
My boyfriend and I shopped separately, so I didn’t really think about the total cost and just scanned my card, paid, and left. They closed the store as soon as I and a few other customers left. When I got home, I noticed our beer was insanely expensive, and as soon as Monday came, we went back to get our money, but they rudely refused and told us it was our fault for not checking the bill. They said it is our duty to handle such issues on the same day, and that after two days, they can't do anything about it. I asked them to check the cameras because there is no way we brought 6 packages to the register. They said our bill was too small to be important and that they don’t review such things.
I tried to explain that we haven’t been living in Germany long and that German is not our first language, and those 30€ mean a lot to us, but they didn't care. I just can’t believe it is solely our mistake when they should also be paying attention. I am simply upset that they were so rude (one of the two cashiers), and it really sucks when you are limited by your language skills and can’t fight back.
Is there any way we could do something about this? I understand that it was our mistake as well, but it was after 10 pm on Saturday, and we couldn’t have done anything after that.
If someone could offer some rational advice to make me feel better or suggest if I could do something about this, please do. I also have insurance "Rechtsschutz," so maybe I could do something with that… maybe… maybe it is dumb.
I hope you understand. At first, it was about the money, but now it is more about feeling humiliated. Thank you!
by Amilap7
11 comments
Have you spoke to a manager about it? Or requested to?
At least you got Budweiser! Imagine that happening with Radeberger. Mad.
Do they have customer service like an email on their website? Two weeks ago, I was charged another box of chicken from Lidl, and I contacted the customer service on their website, after that they gave me the extra payment that I made as a coupon.
Do what they told you to do. Write an email and explain your case. The main office has more options to help you than the store. I wouldn’t use your Rechtsschutz for 30€.
There’s usually a display that lets you track what they scan. You should have some general idea how much you’re going to pay since you have to place your itmes on the band and then pack them.
Then they usually don’t make it an issue if you haven’t left the store yet.
They are not entirely right but it’s your responsibility to complain before you leave the store or most of the time the register.
Once you have left the supermarket, it’s nearly impossible to prove that you were overcharged in this way: this is why you should always check your receipt before you leave. After the fact, anyone can claim to have been overcharged.
Asking them to find the CCTV footage, which may not even prove your claim, is asking quite a lot. I don’t know if Kaufland has CCTV cameras trained on the checkouts: there are legal issues here, particularly with regard to employers potentially spying on their staff, and data protection issues when it comes to, for example, filming customers entering PINs and the like.
Under the strictest intepretation of the law, any disputes over prices must be made immediately the item is scanned; in practice, supermarkets will consider disputes made before the customer leaves the checkout area, even if they have already paid.
It was your duty to check the bill directly, now its to late, accept it and learn your lesson
Send them an email. Most likely they’ll send you the same reply, but now you have a paper trail that you can send to your bank when you request a chargeback.
Don’t think you can do much. Lesson learned I guess, I mean you normally go shopping more often and you should have a general idea of the costs especially if you say you need the money. It’s beyond my mind that you pay 50 Euros and don’t even think about why it’s that expensive or double the price you would expect with your items. And not even a small look at the receipt after the shopping. Two seconds and you would immediately notice that something is off. I mean you were two, one can push the shopping cart and the other can check the receipt. There went a lot of things wrong and I cannot blame the costumer service there, what should they do ? Everyone could say it was just 6 bottles instead of 6 packs. Write them an email but I wouldnt expect something, maybe an small voucher but thats it.
It’s actually quite simple, you paid for 6 packs, but you were only charged a deposit for six bottles and not 6x 4 Bottles. Anyone who paid a bit of attention in maths can see that from the receipt. But maybe the cashier, the woman at the information desk and the store manager would prefer to be reported for gang fraud. Three people who join together to tolerate an illegal act are a gang in Germany, and that means an extra year in prison.
Besides, it’s not your problem if they’re unable to scan an item correctly or enter the items properly into the cash register system. Apparently the price for the multiple packaging was entered into the system and not the price for the individual bottle, although the deposit suddenly works again…
Your story makes no sense. Kaufland normally scans the EAN Codes of items. The EAN Code of a bottle is different of the one of a six pack. If the single bottles of Budwiser were with a wrong price in the system on Saturday that could still be proven or not? Have you tried to buy a further single bottle?