Confusion.

[anon345535]

Short story...

First off, my Thai is not good, of course being able to speak Thai would have (possibly) ended this "confrontation" immediately.

Went to my local MaxValu to buy some stuff. Saw a 2 litre bottle of milk with 2 days left of it's sell by date (I drink a lot of milk). Big sticker on it saying "25".

"I'll have some of that" I thought to myself.

Paid for my stuff, then looking at the receipt I noticed the checkout girl had charged me full price for the milk. Explained to her, showed her the sticker, she went back to the till then gave me 25B.

"Hang on a minute, this milk is 25B but I paid 85B, you owe me 60B"

"Oh sorry" She replied

Then proceeded to take all my stuff from the bags and run it through the till again.

Printed out another receipt and, again, gave me 25B back

Look Miss, this milk is 25B? so you owe me 60B right?"

Manager comes over, talks to the woman, apologises to me then gives me 25B

"Do you speak English Mr.?"

"Yes"

"OK then. This milk is 25B, I paid 85B for it, Therefore you owe me 60B"

He gets the calculator out, hits some numbers, then talks to woman again. Apologises to me once more, then gives me 60B.

"That's right yes?" I asked

"Yes Sir"

"OK, thank you very much, sorry to be a pain. Goodbye"

I get home to be told the sticker says "25B off"

[rct99q]

In general do not like to fish.......but this is actually a great story. Hope people see why Thai;s in general wish most of us would be found washed up on shore as a half eaten corpse.

[Will2011]

Can you just think with your head for like 2 seconds? 2 liters of milk don't cost 25b. It costs like 84b and they would put the bottle on sale at 50% off max, which means it would never cost 25b!!!

[anon345535]

Can you just think with your head for like 2 seconds? 2 liters of milk don't cost 25b. It costs like 84b and they would put the bottle on sale at 50% off max, which means it would never cost 25b!!!

If only the shop assistant / manager had been as direct

[Will2011]

Just kidding but it's good you check your receipt as there are sometimes mixups in price tags.

[anon345535]

Just kidding but it's good you check your receipt as there are sometimes mixups in price tags.

I actually felt stupid and quite bad about it.

The thought of it being 25B off had never even crossed my mind for some reason, until I got outside, considering it was milk, so close to it's sell by date and due to the way it was labelled. Particularly after the discount wasn't registered on the receipt.

There was no shouting or anything like that, I was polite, but I did ask, and point out several times, that the milk was 25B.

I've kept the receipt and 34.5B. I wonder how I'll get on trying to give it back

[h90]

I would have thought it is

25 % off.....

50 % off when the expiration date is met

so it was back home in farangland.

[Semper]

I get home to be told the sticker says "25B off"

Did you returned the 35 Baht to the store?

[NanLaew]

I bet the OP will be extra cautious and super friendly when using this particular store again... unless of course he does the right thing as he suggests in post #6 and go back with the receipt, seek out the sales clerk and the manager and give them back the 34.5 baht he clearly owes them. I bet he will get exemplary service after that.

The OP would have a field day in the likes of Tesco and Big-C where the BIG red-fonted price on the label on discounted goods tends to be the DIFFERENCE (what you save) between the full price and the discounted price. "This washing machine is only 1800 baht! Why you charge me 6200 baht?!"

Edited February 3, 2013 by NanLaew

[Mrjlh]

The right thing to do is go back and give them the correct amount. The shortge usually comes out of the clerks paycheck. And they do not get that much as it is.

[HeijoshinCool]

Yes, funny, I laughed, but go back with the balance, would you?

[arthurwait]

I've made the same mistake before. Milk as well.

I'm sure it's done on purpose though.

[Nana Cowboy]

that milk will be foul in about 24 hours

[IvanLaw]

that milk will be foul in about 24 hours

Milk to Chicken !

& only 25 Bt.

Amazing Thailand

[asiasurfer]

Just kidding but it's good you check your receipt as there are sometimes mixups in price tags.

Most of the time I cannot even read the receipt because it's all in Thai...

[h90]

that milk will be foul in about 24 hours

and why?

[Nana Cowboy]

dairy products especially in thailand go bad the day b4 sell by date. I once got violent food poison from sour cream the day b4 sell by. I ask the OP to sniff that milk right now and let us know

[Bluetongue]

It is your local store, you should go back. As said the cashier probably had to make up the shortfall. Plus some more confusion would be amusing. When vendors overchange me my wife has convinced me to go back (whereas before it would have been a case by case basis), the expression on their faces is worth it anyway. Different if it is a long way out of your way. And it is quite common in markets where some of them are only helping and dont have much change arithmetic skills.

[Kilgore Trout]

In general do not like to fish.......but this is actually a great story. Hope people see why Thai;s in general wish most of us would be found washed up on shore as a half eaten corpse.

Yes I feel the same about foreigners in my country, especially brits and europeans who don't understand the concept of leaving a tip.

I wish their bullet ridden, fish eaten corpses would wash up on the shores of my glorious country

[homeownership]

I agree with others on here. You pointed out that the milk was 25 baht which was wrong, they obviously did not want to offend you, but in the same vein, you must now be a man and go back to store and say, it is me who have made the mistake and you have conducted yourself honorably and then offer to pay the difference. Accept no refusal.

I too agree with others, they cannot afford to lose the money from their pay cheques, but also the credibility you would get for so little effort would be immense and creditibilty in Thailand is worth the grovel.

Have fun,

[homeownership]

In general do not like to fish.......but this is actually a great story. Hope people see why Thai;s in general wish most of us would be found washed up on shore as a half eaten corpse.

Yes I feel the same about foreigners in my country, especially brits and europeans who don't understand the concept of leaving a tip.

I wish their bullet ridden, fish eaten corpses would wash up on the shores of my glorious country

As a Brit, we do not like leaving tips. It is abhorent to us to do so. However give us time and we can change, in the UK it is quite normal to go to a restuarant and to be ignored and when it comes time to pay the bill/check leave without any tip giving at all. We have an especially hard time in New York, when I was asked for a 20% tip, very hard time indeed.

[phuturatica]

Hahaha!

This did make me chuckle. You wouldn't believe how frustrating it can be to do simple things in Thailand like buy a bottle of milk! Sometimes the language barrier really gets you!

[meatboy]

i like the buy one and get one? one what?

[anon345535]

Been back a few times since but neither of the two staff members had been working.

Went there this morning, a week later, to find both the manager and assistant there.

I gave the manager the 35B and explained my confusion and apologised.

I don't know if he understood what I said but he certainly understood what I meant.

The assistant was all smiles too after he went off to speak to her.

Job done.

Edited February 9, 2013 by c411um

[Kilgore Trout]

In general do not like to fish.......but this is actually a great story. Hope people see why Thai;s in general wish most of us would be found washed up on shore as a half eaten corpse.

Yes I feel the same about foreigners in my country, especially brits and europeans who don't understand the concept of leaving a tip.

I wish their bullet ridden, fish eaten corpses would wash up on the shores of my glorious country

As a Brit, we do not like leaving tips. It is abhorent to us to do so. However give us time and we can change, in the UK it is quite normal to go to a restuarant and to be ignored and when it comes time to pay the bill/check leave without any tip giving at all. We have an especially hard time in New York, when I was asked for a 20% tip, very hard time indeed.

It is what it is, aliens who dont like it can refrain from eating out in the us, or not come in the first place

[rene123]

Been back a few times since but neither of the two staff members had been working.

Went there this morning, a week later, to find both the manager and assistant there.

I gave the manager the 35B and explained my confusion and apologised.

I don't know if he understood what I said but he certainly understood what I meant.

The assistant was all smiles too after he went off to speak to her.

Job done.

Good on you. The 35 baht payback was great compensation for everyone involved. I enjoyed your story.

[Radar501]

The right thing to do is go back and give them the correct amount. The shortge usually comes out of the clerks paycheck. And they do not get that much as it is.

And if the till balance is 'over' at the end of the day, does the clerk get that as a bonus in her paycheck? I doubt very much.

[DLock]

Easy mistake.

Props for doing the right thing and returning the money.

[Morden]

In general do not like to fish.......but this is actually a great story. Hope people see why Thai;s in general wish most of us would be found washed up on shore as a half eaten corpse.

Yes I feel the same about foreigners in my country, especially brits and europeans who don't understand the concept of leaving a tip.

I wish their bullet ridden, fish eaten corpses would wash up on the shores of my glorious country

As a Brit, we do not like leaving tips. It is abhorent to us to do so. However give us time and we can change, in the UK it is quite normal to go to a restuarant and to be ignored and when it comes time to pay the bill/check leave without any tip giving at all. We have an especially hard time in New York, when I was asked for a 20% tip, very hard time indeed.

That's by no means universal.

I know that many Brits. don't leave tips and don't like the US tipping culture. However, many do, including me. if the food and service are good, I leave a reasonable tip. It has to be really bad for me to leave nothing. It's good practice especially in a restaurant that you intend to visit regularly. In Thailand, given the low wages, it's especially appreciated.

[rene123]

Tipping is an entirely different subject than the OP's topic, and the tipping subject has been discussed many times before. I tip, but only at places where I get good service. I also tip in Thai places where I eat often, and do it as a random form of appreciation. I understand that Thais don't tip in these cafes, but a tip is where I can show I enjoy what they've done for me. It comes back later in small smiles and friendship.