Woolies shopper warns fellow self-serve checkout users: “Always double-check the prices!”
- Replies 14
Self-serve checkouts have been a pretty polarising addition to supermarkets.
On the one hand, they’re probably putting some Aussies - particularly youngsters - out of work. On the other hand, we can’t deny that they’re pretty convenient whenever you’re doing a quick shop. We love skipping the long lines at manned checkouts (even the so-called ‘express lanes’, where people always seem to have more items in their basket than they’re supposed to.)
However, some shoppers have found that self-serve checkouts are not necessarily as practical as they seem to be.
Sharing on TikTok, one Woolies shopper revealed that the supermarket once “ripped him off” through their self-serve checkout without him knowing.
A Woolies shopper noticed that the scanned price of his coffee was higher than the advertised price. Credit: TikTok/@halffiloaussie.
The Woolies shopper, known as @halffiloaussie on TikTok, shared the story on his social media page.
In the video, he can be seen grabbing a can of Suntory Boss Double Espresso Iced Coffee from the shelf at his local Woolworths; the advertised tag clearly shows that a can is priced at $4.20 each.
However, when he brought the item to the store’s self-serve checkout, he was charged $4.35 for the item! The can of coffee was the only thing on his list, so the additional 15 cents was not for the bag or anything.
And while others may think that an additional 15 cents for a can of coffee is not that much, these small changes can really add up if you’re doing a big shop.
“Imagine how much they rip you off without you even knowing!” the shopper wrote in the video’s caption.
Several shoppers echoed the man’s sentiments, with many of them saying that these things happen almost all the time and not only at Woolworths but with other major supermarkets too.
One user wrote: “I continuously get overcharged at Woolies.”
A second user said: “This happens in Kmart too,” with another replying, “You can add Aldi as well.”
However, not everyone in the comments section was as quick to slam Woolworths for the pricing mistake. Many supermarket employees, and shoppers alike, pointed out that someone may simply have forgotten to change the label, which is supposed to be replaced weekly.
“They probably just forgot to replace the tickets. They literally get changes every single week,” one person wrote.
One staffer agreed and said: “As someone who works in a supermarket, it’s the bane of my existence.”
Woolworths Australia has since reached out to the customer and apologised for the price discrepancy in his latest shop, attributing the mistake to “human errors” which cannot be avoided at times.
“We take great pride in offering our customers a positive experience in our stores and are disappointed to have missed the mark on this occasion,” said the spokesperson.
“While we always strive for accuracy and clarity, we do unfortunately see human errors from time to time. Customers can always raise questions with our store teams who are happy to assist.”
Major supermarkets in Australia, such as Coles, Woolworths and Aldi have all signed up to the Scanning Code of Practice.
This is a policy that states that when an item scans at a higher price than the advertised standard shelf price, or if on sale, the yellow ticketed “sale” price, you get the item for free!
For multiple items, if they are scanned at a higher price than the advertised or ticketed shelf price, the first item will be given for free, and the remaining items will be given at the advertised or ticketed shelf price.
However, there are some exceptions under the code, including items with a shelf price greater than $50, tobacco and liquor products, third-party gift cards, and items without barcodes.
Has something like this happened to you too, members? How did you deal with the situation? Share your stories with us in the comments below!
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