Downpatrick stores are not looking after their customers

SIR, — I wanted to bring to the attention of readers a problem that I find increasingly evident when you shop in your local independently run stores. The customer is often charged much more than they should be and seldom receive a receipt to allow them to check.

For a while now, I was aware when I got home after picking up a few items in the local shop that the cost seemed to be a lot more than I had expected it to be. I therefore started to mentally total up the price of the items when I walked around the shop so when I came to pay, I had a pretty fair indication of what the cost would be. Often on items totalling only £10 to £15, I would be over charged anything up to £5 extra.

I therefore went one step further and watched each item when it was being scanned and totalled up. I then found that despite items being clearly marked with special price stickers or being on display at discounted prices, I was finding five times out of ten I was paying much more — this morning for example, I was charged 50% more than the advertised price for a box of cereal.

This might seem like a minor matter but in these times of austerity and belt tightening, consumers should not be getting ripped off like this. I am fortunate that I can total things up quite accurately in my head, larger quantities are obviously more difficult, but for many others, this is not possible. 

We also don’t expect to have to do this but rather we rely on the shop to charge us what they have advertised.

The normal response when I tell a shopkeeper that they have charged me wrong? No response, they just take the item out and charge at the price I have stated, or they go and check the item for themselves and come back and reduce the charge or they apologise and say the prices must not have been updated.

The simple fact is that this is happening too frequently now for me to consider it ‘an accident’ or ‘an oversight’. I know and respect the fact that times are difficult for independent shop owners but all this does for consumers like me, is push me towards the big guys like ASDA and Tesco’s, who also make mistakes but compensate you generously when this is highlighted and they also provide receipts.

I can name one or two shops in Downpatrick that are renowned for these ‘mistakes’ and over charging the customer.

It’s funny that it never happens the other way — I never seem to be undercharged the wrong price by ‘accident’.

Yours etc.,

JONATHAN WALSH,

Downpatrick.