In a world where every penny counts, especially for those who have waved goodbye to the regular paychecks of full-time employment, the thought of being overcharged is enough to make anyone's blood boil.

But imagine the shock when that overcharge isn't just a few dollars but hundreds!

This unfortunate reality befell a Sydney woman during what should have been a routine trip to her local newsagent.

The incident, which has sparked outrage and disbelief among the community, occurred when the woman, simply looking to purchase a greeting card, was charged a staggering $596.69 instead of the expected $6.99.

The woman, who shared her ordeal on social media, described feeling 'traumatised' by the experience, which unfolded at the counter of the newsagency.

Hundreds of dollars were spent on a greeting card at a newsagency in Sydney. Credit: Facebook

According to her account, the overcharge happened in a moment of distraction while entering her PIN.

She alleged that the attendant took advantage of her inattention to enter an incorrect amount into the register.

'The amount charged to my credit card is not even close to the greeting card price. It's very hard for that to be an error,' she stated, expressing her disbelief at the egregious discrepancy.

The situation escalated when she noticed the exorbitant charge on her receipt and immediately brought it to the attendant's attention.

Instead of receiving the help she expected, she claims she was met with refusal and hostility.

For 20 minutes, she pleaded for a refund, only to be 'aggressively' yelled at and spoken over by the attendant and another worker.

Feeling attacked, she called her boyfriend for support, and together, they spent an additional 25 minutes in the store trying to resolve the issue.

The woman's distressing experience took a turn for the worse when the police were called to the scene.

The owners of the Newsagent reportedly concocted a litany of excuses to avoid refunding the full amount.

‘The owners came up with every excuse as to why they couldn't refund me - they didn't know how it wasn't working, they didn't have cash, and they refused to go to an ATM to get cash out,’ she said.

‘Finally, they agreed to refund, but not the full amount [there was] a card surcharge of $10, which would be far less if the correct price of $6.99 was used.’

To add insult to injury, the woman left the store without the greeting card and, perhaps more importantly, without an apology.

‘I left the shop having been charged nearly $600, having to argue for my money back, paying $10 for a card fee, no greeting card and no apology.’ she added.

‘I typically wouldn't make a complaint unless I genuinely felt other people may be impacted.’

This is a cautionary tale for all of us, highlighting the importance of vigilance when making purchases, no matter how small.

It also underscores the need for consumer awareness and the right to demand fair treatment.

If you are in a similar situation, remember to stand your ground, ask for a manager, and, if necessary, contact your bank or financial institution to dispute the charge.

Key Takeaways

• A Sydney woman was overcharged by hundreds of dollars for a greeting card at a newsagency.
• She was distracted while entering her PIN and did not see the incorrect charge entered.
• The staff at the newsagency were uncooperative when she requested a refund, leading to a confrontation.
• The police were called, and the woman eventually received a refund minus a $10 card surcharge without receiving the card or an apology.

Have you ever been overcharged or mistreated by a retailer? How did you handle it? Share your stories in the comments below, and let's help each other stay informed and protected against such outrageous overcharges.

 

[mylittletibbies]

This part gets me:

"According to her account, the overcharge happened in a moment of distraction while entering her PIN."
You don't put a pin in for that small amount.

But then again, the receipt looks legit, it's the bottom of it so it doesn't show up what she brought and where from.
And another thing, if she queried this straight away then there would have been no time to dummy up the receipt. She would have had to have gone home then back to the shop again and there would be a record of the police attendance with the time and date.
I'm a Photoshop semi pro and that wouldn't be easy to do, plus you'd have to have the exact paper they use. The writing on the receipts are quite small and you would have to have matched the font exactly.
Taking all of that into consideration it's not an easy thing to do unless you were a pro and I really don't think she is, but that's all my opinion.

I don't think the receipt looks legit at all.
Most people who post receipts show where they bought it at the very least, and then no details of the purchase.
It always shows the details. If you want to return something the receipt needs to match the goods you're returning .
I personally think this was a not very well thought out scam or even more likely it never happened and she's made up this BS story for her 5 minutes of fame on the internet.
Most of these machines used by smaller stores use the same type of paper
Quite simple to use an old receipt from the same store to copy.
Also she stated she was further traumatised by the police arriving, so obviously she didn't call them. Why not?? And if the store was trying to scam her why would they call the police ??
And finally the store also have a copy of the receipt to prove this hadn't happened, and all she had to do was
ring her bank and have stopped the payment
None of this ridiculous story rings true.
They also can't charge a surcharge higher than the cost of the item you're buying, which was $6.99. The surcharge could only be a few cents.

 

[katdragon2010]

Terrible experience although rings some bells as to factual reporting. Would you not be suspicious of having to input your pin when the amount was so small. Since Covid most places only request that if the amount if over $100 - some even higher.

I always put in ,y PIN regardless of the amount. I also make sure that it is EFTPOS not credit.