Are you getting ripped off? This $77 detail on a Coles receipt has shoppers concerned
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Amid the cost-of-living crisis, it pays to be vigilant when it comes to budgeting. But even the sharpest eyes can miss sneaky retail tactics that try to rip off shoppers.
Case in point: One Coles customer's receipt has provided evidence of a scandal that could be costing Australians hundreds each year.
It all started when the Coles customer noticed a $77.50 credit on his receipt, which understandably shocked him.
This unexpected refund came days after news broke of Coles’ ‘pricing scandal’, which left many shoppers feeling deceived and exploited by the supermarket giant.
The customer, who shared his experience on social media, was initially puzzled by the substantial credit that reduced his total bill to $241.21.
‘I'm not complaining, but just wondering what it could be,’ he said. The mystery was soon solved when Coles confirmed that the credit was likely a refund following a pricing error that had been exposed the previous week.
The products affected by the pricing error ranged from cream and dishwashing tablets to cereal and pregnancy tests.
This ‘scandal’ was reported by consumer advocacy group CHOICE, which revealed that Coles had been increasing the prices of several products that were supposedly 'price-locked' for a certain period.
This resulted in CHOICE lodging a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), with Andrew Kelly, Deputy Director of Campaigns at CHOICE, expressing his disappointment at Coles' conduct.
‘A retailer as big as Coles failing to keep its pricing promises is simply unacceptable, particularly during a cost of living crisis where so many people are already worried about the price of food and groceries,’ he said.
In response to the backlash, a Coles spokesperson issued an apology for the mistake and assured customers that refunds were being processed for those who used their Flybuys card or purchased online.
'We incorrectly increased the ticket price of 20 products before the end of the promotional period,' a spokesperson for Coles explained. Customers who purchased these products in-store are being asked to bring their receipts for a full refund.
You can read more about this story here.
However, this explanation did little to quell the customer's frustration. 'That's pretty foul of [Coles] because $77 is a lot for pricing errors that could've easily been not noticed,' he wrote in his post.
'It's good that they gave me the refund without me having to do anything, but they probably only did that because I'm a Flybuys member.'
The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the transparency and fairness of supermarket pricing.
Many customers, particularly those who are not Flybuys members, expressed their concerns over potentially missing out on the refund because they didn't request a receipt at the register or discarded it after unpacking their groceries.
This raised questions about how many shoppers were unknowingly overcharged and how much they are potentially losing out on.
‘How much are we getting ripped off from these supermarkets when they can refund that much to one person over 20 items that were wrongfully increased in price,’ one social media user said.
‘We are getting scammed for the basic essentials, and it makes me mad.’
While it's good to see Coles taking steps to rectify its mistake, this incident serves as a reminder to all shoppers to stay vigilant and informed. After all, your hard-earned money deserves to be spent wisely.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Are you affected by the price lock issue from Coles? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Case in point: One Coles customer's receipt has provided evidence of a scandal that could be costing Australians hundreds each year.
It all started when the Coles customer noticed a $77.50 credit on his receipt, which understandably shocked him.
This unexpected refund came days after news broke of Coles’ ‘pricing scandal’, which left many shoppers feeling deceived and exploited by the supermarket giant.
The shopper uploaded this photo on social media. Credit: Reddit
The customer, who shared his experience on social media, was initially puzzled by the substantial credit that reduced his total bill to $241.21.
‘I'm not complaining, but just wondering what it could be,’ he said. The mystery was soon solved when Coles confirmed that the credit was likely a refund following a pricing error that had been exposed the previous week.
The products affected by the pricing error ranged from cream and dishwashing tablets to cereal and pregnancy tests.
This ‘scandal’ was reported by consumer advocacy group CHOICE, which revealed that Coles had been increasing the prices of several products that were supposedly 'price-locked' for a certain period.
This resulted in CHOICE lodging a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), with Andrew Kelly, Deputy Director of Campaigns at CHOICE, expressing his disappointment at Coles' conduct.
‘A retailer as big as Coles failing to keep its pricing promises is simply unacceptable, particularly during a cost of living crisis where so many people are already worried about the price of food and groceries,’ he said.
In response to the backlash, a Coles spokesperson issued an apology for the mistake and assured customers that refunds were being processed for those who used their Flybuys card or purchased online.
'We incorrectly increased the ticket price of 20 products before the end of the promotional period,' a spokesperson for Coles explained. Customers who purchased these products in-store are being asked to bring their receipts for a full refund.
You can read more about this story here.
However, this explanation did little to quell the customer's frustration. 'That's pretty foul of [Coles] because $77 is a lot for pricing errors that could've easily been not noticed,' he wrote in his post.
'It's good that they gave me the refund without me having to do anything, but they probably only did that because I'm a Flybuys member.'
The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the transparency and fairness of supermarket pricing.
Many customers, particularly those who are not Flybuys members, expressed their concerns over potentially missing out on the refund because they didn't request a receipt at the register or discarded it after unpacking their groceries.
This raised questions about how many shoppers were unknowingly overcharged and how much they are potentially losing out on.
‘How much are we getting ripped off from these supermarkets when they can refund that much to one person over 20 items that were wrongfully increased in price,’ one social media user said.
‘We are getting scammed for the basic essentials, and it makes me mad.’
While it's good to see Coles taking steps to rectify its mistake, this incident serves as a reminder to all shoppers to stay vigilant and informed. After all, your hard-earned money deserves to be spent wisely.
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