How we are deceived in stores on the eve of the holidays

Expert at the law firm Astropolis.

On the price tag one value, on the check – another

The store employees explain this by the fact that a new batch of goods arrived at a higher price, but, unfortunately, they did not have time to change the price tags. 

What to do?

If the price is different, please request a refund of the difference. It is worth calling the store administrator and informing about the situation. If you do not want to get a refund, collect evidence – a photo of the price tag and a copy of the receipt, details of buyers who could act as witnesses. The main thing is not to take the price tag from the store, you may be accused of stealing commercial equipment. Be sure to make an entry in the “Book of Complaints and Suggestions” and demand a response from the store administration in it, write a claim to the director and contact Rospotrebnadzor with a statement in duplicate with the collected evidence.

It should be

The Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights” states that the seller is obliged to provide the necessary and reliable information about the product in a timely manner before the buyer makes a purchase. A price tag is a public offering of a price. And the store has no right to refuse it. This means that the figure on the price tag must correspond to the one that is punched in the check. 

No change

Sometimes you just have to get a large bill, as you can hear in response: “There is no change. Go change, or take gum for delivery. ” 

What to do?

Demand a complaint book and write in it that you were denied service and thereby violated consumer rights. Especially if you come here regularly, and it is not the first time that they have not exchanged. It is worth complaining to Rospotrebnadzor and the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights. The seller can be fined, because he refused to accept payment, which means he refused to sell the goods. 

It should be

In a letter from the Ministry of Finance of Russia dated August 30, 1993, No. 104, the store’s management is obliged to be responsible for ensuring that cashiers have change bills and coins in the amount necessary for settlements with customers. And in a letter dated March 17, 1994 No. 1-314 / 32-9 “On the approximate rules of the operation of a retail enterprise and the basic requirements for the operation of a small retail chain”, the seller is prohibited from offering the buyer any goods instead of returning money or demanding from him himself change money.

Expiration date changed

The store does not always manage to sell all the goods before the end of its shelf life. Therefore, sellers re-stick date stickers. Another trick is that expired products are cut and repackaged, of course, the expiration date is stamped with a new one, as if the product was only produced today. They especially like to do this with sausages and cheeses. 

What to do?

If you find a sticker pasted over an old sticker, and you still have a receipt, take the product to the store. You must return the money or replace the product with a fresh one of proper quality. The same applies to simply discovered expired products. Try not to buy slices that are not packaged in a vacuum factory container. 

It should be

According to Art. 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for the storage and sale of products that do not meet safety requirements, a serious punishment is provided, so the store is obliged to sell only fresh products, and remove expired products from the shelves.

Extra positions in the check

Sometimes the first time the scanner cannot read the barcode on the packaging of the goods, the cashier has to go through your purchase again and again. Or even enter the code manually. It happens that after that either repeated positions appear in the check, or goods that you did not buy at all (typing the code manually does not cost anything to change one digit in the code). Sometimes the seller tries not to issue a check, limiting himself to excuses that there was a failure in the program. 

What to do?

It is advisable to calculate the amount of purchases in advance before the checkout. If you find that a large amount is demanded from you, or there is something in the check that you did not buy, or in an increased amount, call the store administrator and demand a refund or bring the goods you paid for. If they do not want to return anything to you, ask for a complaint book and contact Rospotrebnazor. It is important to have witnesses to the incident. If the deception is discovered at home, alas, it will not be possible to return the money, because it is impossible to prove that you did not eat the second chocolate bar on the way.

It should be

Only the goods that you actually took are listed on the check. The perpetrators can be punished under Art. 14.7 “Deception of consumers” of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. And you must be given a check. After all, it is he who is the basis for paying for the purchased goods. 

Body kit

The most common type of body kit – fruits and vegetables are on a substrate, wrapped in polyethylene, with a ready-made price. First, often you pay not only for the product itself, but also for the packaging. Secondly, when winding, they can use a thicker film than it should be. With piece products (fruits, vegetables, nuts, dried fruits), the following scheme is used: the products are weighed, then several pieces are taken out, and a sticker with the price for the full volume is glued to the package.

What to do?

You should not take already packaged and weighed products, no matter how convenient it is. Better to weigh them yourself before buying. Or at least re-weigh the packaging. If the products are weighed in front of you, make sure that the operator sets the correct price – otherwise cheap apples may be weighed as expensive varieties.

It should be

Products must be weighed without packaging, or the weight of the package is deducted from the total weight. If this rule is violated, Art. 14.7 “Deception of consumers” of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

And what else?

Sale and discounts

Often the promotions “-10%”, “buy chocolate, get a second one as a gift” are aimed at getting rid of stale goods, the expiration date of which is approaching the end. The store does not want to lose profit, so they touch upon the secret mechanisms of the Russian soul – to buy more and for a lower price. 

Product placement

One of the rules of merchandising (as the rules for displaying goods are called) – in the forefront there is a product with an expiring date. It is taken apart faster. Of course, this cannot be called a deception – the product is still quite conditional, however, it will not last long. Therefore, just be more careful and see what date is written on the packaging, perhaps you should look closer to the wall – there are usually more recent “exhibits”. And this is not the only trick of supermarkets, with the help of which we are forced to buy goods at a higher price – you can find more here.

Note

If you have any suspicions about the quality of the purchased products, you have the right to demand the following documents:

– certificate or declaration of conformity;

– a copy of the certificate, certified by the holder of its original, a notary, or the authority that issued the certificate;

– shipping documents issued by the manufacturer or supplier. These documents must be certified by the signature and seal of the manufacturer (supplier, seller) indicating his address and telephone number.