Supermarkets swindle customers

I write this open letter to the Consumer Council of Fiji and any other agency that may be involved with consumer rights.

This article is also intended to educate shoppers to become “smart shoppers” by being alert while shopping, preparing a list of items to be bought (no impulse buying), keep your mobile calculator open and keep adding as you put items in your trolley so that by the time you reach the cashier at the exit counter you will have knowledge how much you have to pay.

Any substantial variance can be checked there and then.

On Saturday, July 13, 2019 we went to a supermarket to do our usual shopping. However, we keep calculating the cost of the items we buy.

At the exit counter we found a variance of $5 and brought it to the attention of the cashier. Because there was a huge que behind us we did not stay to re-check the whole thing on the counter.

However, at home we checked the cost item by item and to our surprise we discovered that an item shower cream 500mls was marked as Special” on the shelf but the computer was not informed of this change.

It kept calculating the original price of $10.95 and not $5.95.

We immediately rang the supermarket and complained. We were told to bring the receipt and the money would be refunded.

We did just that and the money was promptly refunded.

But this does not solve the problem of unsuspecting customers who simply pay and do not check against the receipt.

I sent an email to the manager of the supermarket seeking explanation as to how such serious errors can be made in a modern supermarket.

So far there has been no response and not a word of apology or any form of compensation for extra run.

In my view this is daylight robbery of unsuspecting customers.