Beware of secret rule that cost one shopper an extra $55—it could happen to you too!
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Navigating the world of online shopping can sometimes feel like sailing in uncharted waters, where hidden obstacles lurk beneath the surface.
For one Perth mother-of-four, a routine online grocery order turned into a costly lesson when she was unexpectedly charged an additional $55 due to a little-known rule about time zones.
The shopper, who preferred to remain anonymous, placed a $450 order with Coles at 11:30 pm local time in Western Australia.
The online receipt showed the total as $450.37, but to her dismay, her bank statement later revealed that $504.70 had been deducted from her account.
The weekly specials she had taken advantage of ended at 11:59 pm Tuesday AEST, two hours ahead of Perth time.
'When I contacted Coles, they said it's due to the order being processed in Eastern Standard Time, however the online order was in Perth time and, that was not what was shown on my screen,' the frustrated shopper said.
‘I am absolutely disgusted that they have taken that extra money, and that's not what I was under the impression I was going to be paying.'
Upon raising the issue with Coles, the woman was offered a $54 'goodwill voucher' but chose to cancel her order and receive a full refund instead.
'I just think it's ridiculous that Coles would rather lose out on $450 in shopping rather than own up to a mistake,' she said.
A Coles spokesperson has since stated that the supermarket is investigating the discrepancy and has apologized.
‘We provided a full refund for the cancelled order and apologise to our customer for the inconvenience.’ the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also mentioned that the cut-off times for weekly specials are listed on the Coles website, including time zone conversions for customers in states with different time zones.
The cut-off for Western Australia is 9:59 pm, and for South Australia and the Northern Territory, it's 11:22 pm.
The mother wanted to alert other shoppers about a rarely mentioned timezone rule.
She also pointed out that the accurate total should have been displayed in her shopping cart.
‘I hate to think how many other people have been caught out because of it,’ she added.
In related news, an Australian mother highlighted a major price difference between her grocery bills at ALDI and Coles, finding ALDI to be significantly less expensive for many items.
She reported that her ALDI shop, which included more than 35 items, totalled $255. In contrast, a smaller assortment of additional items at Coles amounted to $78. For more details, click here.
Have you ever been caught in a similar situation? Perhaps you've encountered other unexpected charges or rules that surprised you. Share your experiences with us in the comments below.
For one Perth mother-of-four, a routine online grocery order turned into a costly lesson when she was unexpectedly charged an additional $55 due to a little-known rule about time zones.
The shopper, who preferred to remain anonymous, placed a $450 order with Coles at 11:30 pm local time in Western Australia.
The online receipt showed the total as $450.37, but to her dismay, her bank statement later revealed that $504.70 had been deducted from her account.
Perth shoppers faced an extra $55 charge due to Coles' timezone cutoff for weekly specials. Credit: Shutterstock
The weekly specials she had taken advantage of ended at 11:59 pm Tuesday AEST, two hours ahead of Perth time.
'When I contacted Coles, they said it's due to the order being processed in Eastern Standard Time, however the online order was in Perth time and, that was not what was shown on my screen,' the frustrated shopper said.
‘I am absolutely disgusted that they have taken that extra money, and that's not what I was under the impression I was going to be paying.'
Upon raising the issue with Coles, the woman was offered a $54 'goodwill voucher' but chose to cancel her order and receive a full refund instead.
'I just think it's ridiculous that Coles would rather lose out on $450 in shopping rather than own up to a mistake,' she said.
A Coles spokesperson has since stated that the supermarket is investigating the discrepancy and has apologized.
‘We provided a full refund for the cancelled order and apologise to our customer for the inconvenience.’ the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also mentioned that the cut-off times for weekly specials are listed on the Coles website, including time zone conversions for customers in states with different time zones.
The cut-off for Western Australia is 9:59 pm, and for South Australia and the Northern Territory, it's 11:22 pm.
The mother wanted to alert other shoppers about a rarely mentioned timezone rule.
She also pointed out that the accurate total should have been displayed in her shopping cart.
‘I hate to think how many other people have been caught out because of it,’ she added.
In related news, an Australian mother highlighted a major price difference between her grocery bills at ALDI and Coles, finding ALDI to be significantly less expensive for many items.
She reported that her ALDI shop, which included more than 35 items, totalled $255. In contrast, a smaller assortment of additional items at Coles amounted to $78. For more details, click here.
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