Woolworths customer exposes ‘dodgy’ checkout flaw: ‘How much extra are we paying?’
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With prices on the rise and every dollar counting, it's no wonder that shoppers are scrutinising their grocery receipts more than ever.
But what happens when the trust we place in our local supermarket's checkout system is called into question?
This was the unfortunate reality for one Woolworths customer who encountered a 'dodgy' checkout mishap that left her questioning the accuracy of supermarket scales.
After a routine shopping trip, the woman discovered that the weight and price of a single garlic bulb had been grossly overestimated at the checkout.
The scales at Woolworths had registered the garlic at 0.127 kilograms, ringing up a charge of $3.68, based on a $29/kilogram pricing.
However, upon weighing the garlic at home on her kitchen scale, she found it nearly half that weight at just 0.068 kilograms.
The shopper's dismay was shared on social media, complete with a photo of the garlic on her scale, sparking a conversation among fellow customers who had experienced similar discrepancies.
‘[It's] not our scales, [the] chicken we bought weighed correctly, it is the checkout scales,’ she said.
'With groceries so expensive, how much extra are we paying at the checkout with dodgy scales or customer service personnel not weighing correctly?'
Other shoppers admitted they also noticed a difference in weight on some items.
‘I had the same thing happen with a watermelon,’ one said.
‘Yeah, my groceries are usually coming up different, too,’ another revealed.
Woolworths has quickly reassured customers that they take the accuracy of their scales seriously.
The supermarket giant conducts weekly in-depth checks across all manned and automated checkout scales, with daily testing to ensure they function correctly.
If a scale is found to be inaccurate, it is immediately taken away and recalibrated before being put back into service.
'We are committed to ensuring the accuracy of all trade measurement scales across our stores in line with strict regulations and test our checkout scales daily,' a Woolworths spokesperson stated.
‘We strongly encourage this customer to reach out to our customer care team or the store directly in order for us to investigate the items in the transaction and see what has caused the discrepancy.’
For those who find themselves in a similar situation, Woolworths offers a price-scan policy.
If an item scans at a higher price than the ticketed price in-store, a customer is entitled to receive that item for free.
This policy, part of the Supermarket Code of Practice, is designed to protect consumers and ensure pricing transparency.
Coles also offers a similar policy.
This incident comes amid a backdrop of growing discontent among Australian shoppers, with accusations of price gouging and the weight of products like mince not matching the package weight.
In a previous story, two Coles shoppers reported issues with being overcharged and incorrect weighing at self-serve registers.
The errors were only discovered after the customer had checked their receipt. You can read more about the story here.
Have you ever encountered a checkout error that left you out of pocket? How did you resolve it? Share your stories and tips with us in the comments below.
But what happens when the trust we place in our local supermarket's checkout system is called into question?
This was the unfortunate reality for one Woolworths customer who encountered a 'dodgy' checkout mishap that left her questioning the accuracy of supermarket scales.
After a routine shopping trip, the woman discovered that the weight and price of a single garlic bulb had been grossly overestimated at the checkout.
The scales at Woolworths had registered the garlic at 0.127 kilograms, ringing up a charge of $3.68, based on a $29/kilogram pricing.
However, upon weighing the garlic at home on her kitchen scale, she found it nearly half that weight at just 0.068 kilograms.
A Woolworths customer called out the supermarket for overcharging her for a single garlic bulb. Credit: Facebook
The shopper's dismay was shared on social media, complete with a photo of the garlic on her scale, sparking a conversation among fellow customers who had experienced similar discrepancies.
‘[It's] not our scales, [the] chicken we bought weighed correctly, it is the checkout scales,’ she said.
'With groceries so expensive, how much extra are we paying at the checkout with dodgy scales or customer service personnel not weighing correctly?'
Other shoppers admitted they also noticed a difference in weight on some items.
‘I had the same thing happen with a watermelon,’ one said.
‘Yeah, my groceries are usually coming up different, too,’ another revealed.
Woolworths has quickly reassured customers that they take the accuracy of their scales seriously.
The supermarket giant conducts weekly in-depth checks across all manned and automated checkout scales, with daily testing to ensure they function correctly.
If a scale is found to be inaccurate, it is immediately taken away and recalibrated before being put back into service.
'We are committed to ensuring the accuracy of all trade measurement scales across our stores in line with strict regulations and test our checkout scales daily,' a Woolworths spokesperson stated.
‘We strongly encourage this customer to reach out to our customer care team or the store directly in order for us to investigate the items in the transaction and see what has caused the discrepancy.’
For those who find themselves in a similar situation, Woolworths offers a price-scan policy.
If an item scans at a higher price than the ticketed price in-store, a customer is entitled to receive that item for free.
This policy, part of the Supermarket Code of Practice, is designed to protect consumers and ensure pricing transparency.
Coles also offers a similar policy.
This incident comes amid a backdrop of growing discontent among Australian shoppers, with accusations of price gouging and the weight of products like mince not matching the package weight.
In a previous story, two Coles shoppers reported issues with being overcharged and incorrect weighing at self-serve registers.
The errors were only discovered after the customer had checked their receipt. You can read more about the story here.
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