I have to tell you a story that made me feel really dumb. Its the kind of incident that leaves you reeling because you feel pretty stupid even though you know you’re right. And the kind of moment that you can’t shake off your head–so I decided rather than to continue to feel stupid about it, I would blog about it, because somehow I know you guys will all understand.
After suffering through a cold and hardly getting any sleep, I went to CVS to get some Nyquil. I specifically chose the CVS brand over the name brand because it was on sale–a two-pack for $10.99. There was only one cashier on this lonely Saturday night, and there were three people in line behind me.
The pack rang up for $13.49. I asked him, “Are you sure? It’s listed as $10.99.” And he said it’s not on sale, the price is $13.49. I’ve been guilty before of getting the wrong item, so I told him to push my stuff to the side because I needed to go check the price.
So I went all the way to the back of the store, and sure enough, it was $10.99.
So then I had to go back up to the front of the store, and I told him it was $10.99. But there were still two people in line, so he had to ring them up first. So then after he rings them up, he calls an associate to do a price check.
I then have to go with the associate again to show him it’s $10.99. He confirms “oh yeah it is.” So I ask him: “Well don’t I get a discount or don’t I get it for free or something since you guys priced it wrong?” And he says, no I just get it for the price that it’s listed at.
That seems wrong to me since most stores I know have some sort of price accuracy rule, and I remember a blogger (can’t remember who, sorry!) recently wrote about price check laws in their state.
Anyway, I then have to wait in line, again, to get rung up correctly.
At this point, I’ve spent upwards of 7-10 minutes to get the right price and I’m a little annoyed.
When I finally get up to the cashier, I tell the guy: “So isn’t there some rule or something that I get it free or discounted because it was priced wrong?” And he also says no.
Mind you, I am smiling while I say this. Having worked in customer service before, I know full well that you attract more bees with honey.
But this cashier was 18, and his price check associate, was also 18, and they’re both now at the counter, looking at me like I should be working their jobs because I’m getting so worked up about a $2.49 price adjustment.
The guy continues to ring me up, telling me that no, I don’t get it free, I don’t get a discount, I don’t collect $200, I don’t pass Go!
So while he’s ringing me up, I’m looking at all the policies CVS has on their counter space, right there, right in front of me. They have policies like glued onto the counter space. And sure enough there it is:
CVS Price Accuracy Guarantee: If the price charged does not match the price advertised, an automatic $2 discount is given on the advertised price.
So I said “Hah! There it is, right here” and pointed to it to the 18-year-old cashier, and he’s still like “Oh I don’t know, I’m going to have to ask my manager.”
So I said, “Go right ahead, I’ll wait right here, I’m not moving this time, you’ve already made me spend 10 minutes doing this.”
At this point, he just gives me a $2 discount because he doesn’t want to upset the customers waiting in line behind me. But I am so irritated at how this 18-year-old kid is looking at me like I’m some psycho going nuts over $2.
And I want to tell him: Look, kid, at my age, it’s not about the $2. It’s about the fact that I’ve just wasted 10 minutes of my life doing YOUR job, and I’m going to make you pay me for my time.
But since I don’t want him to think I’m any crazier than I already am, I say nothing. I get wrung up for the correct price, plus the $2 discount.
Then the manager finally does come over and says “Because of your aggravation, here is another $2 coupon” and she smiles at me.
I tell her I wasn’t aggravated, I was annoyed that they were making me feel dumb, and she said I wasn’t dumb, while giving me that ‘just-get-out-of-here-lady’ look.
So I left, but the whole thing just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Apparently, CVS has a history of overcharging its customers and were even caught as early as 2013 doing it again.
Anyone else have any price check horror stories?
The post How far would you go for a price adjustment? appeared first on Newlyweds on a Budget.
SOURCE: Newlyweds on a Budget – Read entire story here.
