This mum's genius grocery trick gets her free food at checkout

In this day and age of high prices, it is crucial to be mindful of every dollar you spend.

But what if you could get your groceries for free? Sounds too good to be true, right?

Well, not if you're Melissa, who discovered a simple way to score free groceries at the supermarket checkout.



Melissa's father-in-law, Frank Noble, an 85-year-old stickler for rules and an avid reader of CHOICE Magazine, introduced her to this little-known consumer law.

Frank's keen understanding of his rights as a consumer led him to discover that supermarkets will give you an item for free if it scans at a higher price at the checkout than advertised.


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Melissa discovered a way to get free grocery items. Image source: Freepik



Sceptical at first, Melissa decided to put this theory to the test.

To her surprise, when a punnet of raspberries scanned at a higher price than advertised, the supermarket honoured the rule, and she got the item for free.



So, how does this work?

Melissa’s father-in-law explained: ‘It usually happens when there’s a special on, although it happens sometimes when the specials have finished but they haven’t changed the label on the shelves.’

‘It’s happened with a shaver kit, oranges, mixed fruit, garlic bread, cheese when there was a deal when you bought two for a reduced price and the single price came up,’ Frank added.

Being a smart shopper is more important than ever in today's economy, and Frank has made it a habit to check the unit price of items on the shelf to compare which is the most economical.

He also pays close attention when his groceries are being scanned to ensure the price is right.

'If something scans at a different price, I usually let the staff member know that the item has scanned incorrectly, and they refer me to a senior person,' Frank said.

'They won't do it unless you ask,’ he shared.



The secret behind this tip lies in the Scanning Code of Practice.

Woolworths Supermarkets, along with other major grocery chains, are signatories to this Code. Under the Code, customers are entitled to receive an item free of charge if the scanned price of an item is greater than the shelf price displayed.

Exceptions under the Code are products with a shelf price greater than $50, as well as tobacco products. These products will be adjusted to reflect the shelf price.

A Woolworths spokesperson confirmed this rule, 'Our store teams work hard every week to ensure all our shelf tickets are up to date. Now and then, human errors can unfortunately occur. However, we are committed to ensuring our customers are not disadvantaged in these instances.'

Coles Supermarkets also apply the 'Our Promise on Price Scanning' rule to ensure confidence in the pricing accuracy at their registers.

A Coles spokesperson stated: ‘If an item scans at a higher price than the advertised or ticketed shelf price for that item, we will give the customer that item free.’

ALDI has a similar policy. Their website states, 'If a regular product scans at a price higher than that displayed, you are entitled to receive the first item free. All subsequent items will be charged at the lower price.'



Frank acknowledged that mistakes can occur and he is content with the way supermarkets rectify them.

‘I’m loyal to Woolworths because they live up to their policy, no problems at all,’ he shared.

So, next time you're at the supermarket, keep a keen eye on the prices as your items are being scanned. You never know, you might just score some free groceries!

If you want to read more about your consumer rights, you can visit CHOICE here.

Key Takeaways
  • A mother shared a tip for getting free groceries at a supermarket checkout.
  • Woolworths, Coles, and ALDI supermarkets abide by the Scanning Code of Practice that entitles customers to receive an item for free if it scans at a price higher than the shelf price, with certain exceptions.
  • The tip is especially useful given the current cost-of-living pressures, enabling savvy shoppers to ensure they are not overcharged.
  • Supermarkets acknowledged that human errors can occur and stated their commitment to not disadvantaging customers in these instances.

Have you ever experienced a price discrepancy at the checkout? Did you know about this rule? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.
 
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You must have paid for your item before you can claim it for free. I watch everything going through but also check my docket before I leave the store to check the price charged. If anything is incorrect, I go to the information desk & report it. Of course, this person goes & checks what the shelf price is & then I get a refund. Never failed.

I have had a freezer drawer full of chips which I bought over a few weeks while the price on the shelf stayed the same but the checkout price was higher. Every time I went to town I would check the shelf price & buy another bag of chips knowing the checkout price would be higher & I could claim a refund. If the store is too stupid to get their price right over weeks, not days, then I am only too happy to take advantage of their mistake.
 
Coles are really good with this…..they always give you the item for free. Woolies not so much……they just refunded the extra cost but didn’t give the item for free.
 
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Reactions: hinda and Gsr
We recently went through Coles and I noticed that the lobster tales scanned up as $9.50 each. The deli was priced up as $8.00 which is why we picked them up. However on going to the customer service counter I was sent back to the deli for them to put a barcode on at the correct price but they also put a sticker on each marked up as $7.60. On returning to the service desk I mentioned that surely one item should be free but was told no. Instead of paying what was $16.00 for two I paid $15.20 no free item there. We were told that is the Coles policy.
 
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Reactions: Gsr and elaine41
Coles are really good with this…..they always give you the item for free. Woolies not so much……they just refunded the extra cost but didn’t give the item for free.
I have always had the full price refunded at Woolies. Never been a problem. The only thing is, if you buy 2 or more then you get the 1st one free & the difference refunded for the rest. That is the policy to which these stores have agreed.
 
It is several years ago now but I was buying a bag of coffee beans and it scanned at the wrong price and I noticed because I was getting them as they were on special. They went wnd checked and sure enough. I got them for free and saved over $20.00. That was brilliant but no argument and that was woolworths.
 
We recently went through Coles and I noticed that the lobster tales scanned up as $9.50 each. The deli was priced up as $8.00 which is why we picked them up. However on going to the customer service counter I was sent back to the deli for them to put a barcode on at the correct price but they also put a sticker on each marked up as $7.60. On returning to the service desk I mentioned that surely one item should be free but was told no. Instead of paying what was $16.00 for two I paid $15.20 no free item there. We were told that is the Coles policy.
If they did that to me I would tell them to keep the lobster tails. They would probably then throw them away as they have been out of the fridge for some time so considered waste.
 
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We have been aware of this for years. You do have to pay for it first and then take it to the desk with the docket. We have got 2 lamb legs and a roast pork for free as well as many other items. It pays to be aware.
 
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I bought a kilo of prawns from Woolies for Xmas 2023 for $20 a kg. I got the shopping home and went to put the prawns away and noticed the package was marked with a deli meat I'd never heard of let alone purchased and the price for that was $27 kg. Inside was the prawns I'd ordered but they cost me the $7 extra. I rang the store immediately followed by taking back the receipt and a photo of the label and contents. They returned my money and gave me the prawns for free. I did say I was happy to pay for the prawns but I was told no and the mistake was theirs.
 
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I always check my docket before leaving the store. Maybe once a month there is something that's not right and I get a refund.
I have had a few instances when I've disputed the price in a catalogue to the shelf price and they just dismiss it saying it must be an online price. Have tried to raise it with their head office but I get no reply.
 
I always get dockets and check.Woolies IGA and spudshed (West Aust).It seems to me that the ease of refund largely depends on the understanding of the rule by the person as you may have to explain sometimes other times they readily refund as if they already know and the error hasnt been changed.It gets interesting when you buy 2 or more so I say 1 free please and then quickly work out if its better to get my money back on the 2 nd item or just pay the extra on that either way your in front.However my concern is more about passing it forward to other shoppers so that they dont get overcharged as I believe it happens far too often especially around sale tickets that a person hasnt taken down from the discounted price.I also acknowledge that it takes time and for me mental energy to recitfy the error.Cheers to everybody in your shopping.
 
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This has been happening for at least 20 yrs.
I remember I shopped at Coles a long time ago before Christmas and found some nice items , which I thought were reasonable priced and I put 3 of them in the trolley , they were priced $10.- each . When I got to the checkout and paid , I had a fair idea I was charged a lot more for the 3 items , so I checked the docket and I went back in the store to make sure I was right before going to the info desk. And , yes I was correct after some staff member checked the price of the product and refunded everything and got the 3 items for free. They quickly removed all the items in case more shoppers might do the same .
 
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I usually check my docket before leaving the store and it has paid off several times. Don't forget rain checks are often useful too. If the advertised special is not in stock, ask for a rain check at the special price for how many of the items you want. When you next find them in stock you can present your rain check ticket at the checkout and they will honour the discounted price. There is a use by date on the ticket so keep that in mind.
 
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At self serve in Woolies if the item scans wrong & you bring it to the attention of the team member they will check the price then suspend the transaction & send you to the Customer Service desk to have it corrected before you pay. The only time you will not get it for free is if the item has been packed incorrectly on the shelf.
 
I have seen so often that a person before you does not want the docket when offered by the check out person , I’m sure the shop is quite happy with that and if you find out later that you been charged too much , unfortunately you don’t get the refund . Always ask for the docket and check it before you leave the store.
 
not always,,, I have experienced an adjustment to the correct price (not free) Put me in position of arguing, i refuse to argue oner a petty price error just to get a refund ,it should be automatic, women may fair better
 
I scored a 2kg of Vanash a couple of years ago it had a ticket of $18.00 so I added 1 to the trolley, when I got to the checkout it said something like $25.00 so I said that it is $18.00 the manager was called and said show me where the price is. Was not a happy person when she saw the price said $18.00 Special that ticket was very quickly removed.
So I got the Vanash for free plus the$25.00 back that I originally paid.
The look on the her face was priceless someone did not removed last week Special price,I should have bought 3 or 4.😅😅😅😅
 

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