Beware- misleading pricing of goods in 7 Eleven and Tesco Express in Chiang Mai and outer areas

[Beetlejuice]

For sometime I have noticed that after arriving home from shopping at those stores and checking the receipts of goods purchased from 7 Eleven or Tesco Express, some of the items appeared to have cost more than how they were priced in those stores. This happened on several occasions so I decided to investigate further.

How this works is; the goods stocked on shelves, mainly food and drink items have big price labels actually attached to the shelves directly below each item, rarely are items individually price labelled in these stores. The same applies in their cold storage cabinets. I used to take it for granted that the price labels on the shelves below the items were the actual prices of the items above, but it seems not in fact.

I noticed that some of the price labels do not pertain to the items above or are from those that have been sold out and then been placed under some other items in which for those the real price labels have been removed, having to ask at the counter how much they are.

Like me if some people purchase multiple items at these stores in one go, they probably won’t bother to check if the bar codes on the price labels pertain to the items above them and then that leads to another problem, as the bar codes on the price labels is in very small print and difficult to read, meaning having to take a considerable time to stop and compare everything.

These mistakes could be an error, but each time the items have always been more expensive than as shown on the labels below and never the vice versa.

Now when visiting those stores I give myself more time to check the prices are correct or once stung forever on my guard.

[uptheos]

I check the bar-codes and if it doesn't match I get a store clerk to find out the price.

It;s either error, laziness to change it or deception.........take your pick, but it won't go away unless people check the price and complain.......every time!

[trainman34014]

This also happens in the Big C and larger Tesco stores as well, it's been going on all the years i have lived here. Last week i caught out Big C on three items in our shopping amounting to 120 Baht overcharge in comparison to shelf labels. Of course you have to wait around while they run off to check things themselves or send for someone else to do it but things do get sorted if you are patient. Just imagine how much over the odds they are making when this is happening in every store, every day !

Personally i've never been quite sure if it's deliberate or just piss poor management of stores and staff. Of course; knowing Thailand as we do we are drawn to think it is the first thought but also knowing Managers here barely understand the meaning of the word 'Manage' I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it were the latter. Suffice to say i don't let them get away with a single baht more than we should be paying, and if everyone adopted the same attitude things just might change....well, we would like to thinks so anyway.

Edited February 13, 2014 by trainman34014

[wolf5370]

I check the bar-codes and if it doesn't match I get a store clerk to find out the price.

It;s either error, laziness to change it or deception.........take your pick, but it won't go away unless people check the price and complain.......every time!

Yeah I do that too - especially with stuff I don't usually buy. Started doing this after got hit with BigC once, they had a toaster up for 250 baht, very cheap - wanted a cheap one as it was for someone else that had asked me to get it if under 300 - when I got to the checkout it was almost twice the price. I queried and they checked at that was the price, 480 or so, I walked back down and the label was still there under the boxes. Checked the number and it was different from the boxes, in fact no toaster on the shelves at all matched the label. Once bitten. Also usually have my daughters with me, so I think it is good training - I get them to keep a running tally of the amount too (good to encourage that mental arithmetic - and they enjoy hunting down those scanners to check for items with no prices too) - I also keep a running total to compare - in 7-11 they always seem impressed when I give them a basket full of stuff and the correct change to the satang (always seem to have a full pocket of change) or so that I get a note back rather than shrapnel.

[bartender100]

Tesco Extra near me, still has SML cans @ B34, when they are in fact B41, I have mentioned it a few times in passing, but they have never changed the price, this is done on purpose I am sure

[uptheos]

Tesco Extra near me, still has SML cans @ B34, when they are in fact B41, I have mentioned it a few times in passing, but they have never changed the price, this is done on purpose I am sure

No this comes under pure laziness.

[JesseFrank]

This also happens in the Big C and larger Tesco stores as well, it's been going on all the years i have lived here. Last week i caught out Big C on three items in our shopping amounting to 120 Baht overcharge in comparison to shelf labels. Of course you have to wait around while they run off to check things themselves or send for someone else to do it but things do get sorted if you are patient. Just imagine how much over the odds they are making when this is happening in every store, every day !

When Big C took over Carrefour they kept their wrong price policy, which meant that if an article was priced wrong you got it for free. This was only applicable to Big C extra stores, as that were the transformed Carrefours.

About 4 - 5 months ago they canceled that policy, so now you get back the amount they overcharged.

Why do you think they couldn't ( or didn't want to ) hold up a policy which Carrefour applies worldwide as long as I remember ?

[edwinchester]

Wifey checks the receipt like a hawk before we leave. Our local Tesco will refund the difference if the price charged is different to that on display.

Funny isn't it that the price charged is always greater than that diplayed if in error and never less:-)

[cmsally]

Tesco's had barcoded my pineapple @ 2 baht last week - strange how they didn't miss that one!

On the rack it said 30 Bt and the actual cost they came back with was 19 Bt

Christ knows what kind of system they have going there!!

[MAJIC]

This also happens in the Big C and larger Tesco stores as well, it's been going on all the years i have lived here. Last week i caught out Big C on three items in our shopping amounting to 120 Baht overcharge in comparison to shelf labels. Of course you have to wait around while they run off to check things themselves or send for someone else to do it but things do get sorted if you are patient. Just imagine how much over the odds they are making when this is happening in every store, every day !

Personally i've never been quite sure if it's deliberate or just piss poor management of stores and staff. Of course; knowing Thailand as we do we are drawn to think it is the first thought but also knowing Managers here barely understand the meaning of the word 'Manage' I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it were the latter. Suffice to say i don't let them get away with a single baht more than we should be paying, and if everyone adopted the same attitude things just might change....well, we would like to thinks so anyway.

"Personally i've never been quite sure if it's deliberate or just piss poor management of stores and staff"

Good question! but strange the error is never in favour of the shopper!

[uptheos]

Wifey checks the receipt like a hawk before we leave. Our local Tesco will refund the difference if the price charged is different to that on display.

Funny isn't it that the price charged is always greater than that diplayed if in error and never less:-)

I know in Rimping you can ask for the final till receipt in English, which is good if a person's Thai isn't too good.

I'm not sure if any of the others do, I've never requested it......any idea out there?

[NancyL]

Actually, this is one reason I learned to read Thai. It's really pretty straightforward, especially if you're buying the same stuff week after week.

I'm still trying to figure out how to read preparation instructions on the back of food products, but they use small print.

Edited February 13, 2014 by NancyL

[true blue]

tops always have there reciepts in english,though ive found after shopping there for 5 or 6 years they are pretty well efficent and very rarely have errors in there pricing.though i do check the bar codes with items if im not sure,dont shop at 7/11s.

[worgeordie]

When I go shopping to Makro, Big C and Tesco ,I have a small book where i have listed

what i need,and add other stuff as i go around,putting prices next to each item,add it all

up before going to the check out, and every week there is a discrepancy ,ALLWAYS in

favour of the retailer, it might just be 20 bht, the highest one week was 320 bht,

Makro especially,where you have a trolly full of stuff its very easy for them to charge

you twice on an item,as lot of the times they are not concentrating on the job.

Now someone will be on here saying its not worth the hassle for 29-30-50 bht,I say

to them next time you go shopping just throw your loose change on the floor,its the

same thing,but you would not do that,unless your stupid.

regards Worgeordie

[jjczap]

I have been in CNX for many years and have experienced many of the reported facts -- I am from the US from Connecticut where there are many consumer protection laws - for example if an item scans different that the advertised selling price or shelf price the item is FREE - these laws puts pressure on the retail outlets to properly maintain their data bases prices - I have gotten many free items - so even with these laws there are still mistakes - so in TIT I just don't leave the register before reviewing the receipt and then even if there is a mistake if its only a few Baht its now worth the hassle

[northernjohn]

This also happens in the Big C and larger Tesco stores as well, it's been going on all the years i have lived here. Last week i caught out Big C on three items in our shopping amounting to 120 Baht overcharge in comparison to shelf labels. Of course you have to wait around while they run off to check things themselves or send for someone else to do it but things do get sorted if you are patient. Just imagine how much over the odds they are making when this is happening in every store, every day !

Personally i've never been quite sure if it's deliberate or just piss poor management of stores and staff. Of course; knowing Thailand as we do we are drawn to think it is the first thought but also knowing Managers here barely understand the meaning of the word 'Manage' I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it were the latter. Suffice to say i don't let them get away with a single baht more than we should be paying, and if everyone adopted the same attitude things just might change....well, we would like to thinks so anyway.

I think that having cash registers that showed the price of every item in large print so that you could read it as they input the item would be a big help. Defiantly there is not a lot of concern in the stores to make sure the price sticker is in the right place.

Not sure if I could read a bar code and for sure I am not willing to spend that much time in the store.

[northernjohn]

I check the bar-codes and if it doesn't match I get a store clerk to find out the price.

It;s either error, laziness to change it or deception.........take your pick, but it won't go away unless people check the price and complain.......every time!

Yeah I do that too - especially with stuff I don't usually buy. Started doing this after got hit with BigC once, they had a toaster up for 250 baht, very cheap - wanted a cheap one as it was for someone else that had asked me to get it if under 300 - when I got to the checkout it was almost twice the price. I queried and they checked at that was the price, 480 or so, I walked back down and the label was still there under the boxes. Checked the number and it was different from the boxes, in fact no toaster on the shelves at all matched the label. Once bitten. Also usually have my daughters with me, so I think it is good training - I get them to keep a running tally of the amount too (good to encourage that mental arithmetic - and they enjoy hunting down those scanners to check for items with no prices too) - I also keep a running total to compare - in 7-11 they always seem impressed when I give them a basket full of stuff and the correct change to the satang (always seem to have a full pocket of change) or so that I get a note back rather than shrapnel.

Great idea. Save money and teach your kids to do simple arithmetic with out a calculator.

[Torrens54]

My wife ran into a similar problem at a Pharmacy years ago,the first day she was in Australia as a visitor. She complained @ the Checkout and the matter was promtly rectified.

Couple of years later at another Pharmacy (also in Australia) she had the same problem but didn't notice it until she arrived home. She phoned the pharmacy and was given the "run around".... in short, no one was interested in her complaint. She phoned me at work and told me about it so I phoned the offending pharmacy, only to be told there was no-one available to help, so I asked them to find "someone who could help" and call me back at my office. That was when the "not very interested" lady at the pharmacy, suddenly developed a huge interest in Fixing the problem.

May have had something to do with her recognizing my name and the fact that I was running the News Department at the TV Station near her shop.

You have to wonder if these "mistakes" which always seem to be in favour of the shop are caused by accident....or DESIGN.

[Beetlejuice]

Although I am not making accusations against any company, this sort of practice has been going on for many years, more or less since the introduction of the bar coding system in the retail stores.

I can remember back about 23 years ago in the UK, a well known DIY superstore, (name I won’t mention) similar to Global House in Chiang Mai today, were successfully prosecuted for running a price hiking scam using the bar code system. It hit the national headlines at the time. The general excuse of these stores to customers if they notice the prices are higher at the till than labelled on the shelves is; sorry, we forgot to update the price in our system.

It can sometimes be difficult to check out whether the bar code numbers tally up with those on a product as quite often the coding printed on the price labels are covered by a special offer sticker or partly covered by a price label next to it, plus as I said previously, these bar codes are in very small print and for us of the older generation who no longer have 20/20 vision, it makes the task of reading these codes even more difficult.

Speaking for myself and have no doubts that many of you feel the same, I hate shopping in supermarkets and what most customers want to do is grab the goods, pay and get out of there, which I guess is what many of these stores have anticipated and even if the odd customer does notice a price discrepancy and brings this to the attention of the cashier, these stores are still in a win, win situation as I guess for the number of customers that do notice, there will be thousands more that will be unaware, especially those that frequently go bulk shopping and probably rarely check their bills in the store or once they arrive home.

The only way to avoid getting over changed this way is by either allowing more time for the shopping in order to check the codes or avoid these places completely.

[Thailand]

711 currently have a coupon system where if you buy certain items you get a cash back coupon. At 2 different 711 I have had to ask for the coupons on five occasions in the past week.

Laziness or simply thievery by the staff, they are cash coupons.

[Thighlander]

I've caught Wal-mart overcharging me 300 times in the US. The were fined big time by at least one state AG that I know of. Half of it is laziness. And then you have to walk around groups of employees standing there talking to each other to get through the store. The best thing is to stop them right when they ring it up. I know the price of every item in my basket. Acouple of years ago in UTH; Tesco overcharged me for three of five items. 7-11 is very sloppy with the beer price labels, so I match bar code numbers.

[jingjoke]

^ #21 '7-11 is very sloppy with the beer price labels, so I match bar code numbers.'

That's not the only sloppiness: Giving correct change is another. As a result, I always state loudly what large denomination I am handing them for payment. Not just There, but anywhere I use a B500 or B1000 bill.

At some stores they occasionally have a large display near check-out, of nice items on discount. Been caught out so often by their mislabelled pricing, I usually now give their displays a pass.

Normal items which are relatively expensive: correction, with most items, I write on the product its shelf price, then check at the cashier where I try to hand the item for their barcoding. Gotta be fast, as they try to hustle through the process, thus my written price. Checking to the rear of a stock display like milk, to ensure you have the most up-to-date product, is a given.

Why these stores purposefully conduct, or fail to correct their staff on, mis-pricing could prove detrimental to their 'brand', as this topic is proving.

[LivinLOS]

This also happens in the Big C and larger Tesco stores as well, it's been going on all the years i have lived here. Last week i caught out Big C on three items in our shopping amounting to 120 Baht overcharge in comparison to shelf labels. Of course you have to wait around while they run off to check things themselves or send for someone else to do it but things do get sorted if you are patient. Just imagine how much over the odds they are making when this is happening in every store, every day !

Personally i've never been quite sure if it's deliberate or just piss poor management of stores and staff. Of course; knowing Thailand as we do we are drawn to think it is the first thought but also knowing Managers here barely understand the meaning of the word 'Manage' I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it were the latter. Suffice to say i don't let them get away with a single baht more than we should be paying, and if everyone adopted the same attitude things just might change....well, we would like to thinks so anyway.

I lean to the piss poor management side rather than outright malicious scamming most of the time.. Stuff miss labelled, stuff in the wrong places, special offers not going through the till.

I picked up an item in homepro that was a few 1000b and on special offer.. At the till it rang up at over 1000b more than it should.. Under the full list but not as special an offer as promised.. They clearly had the special offers screwed up in the tills.. They run around.. 10 minutes go by.. I saw screw it.. They are asking me to wait.. OK just take my money and let me go then, you sort it out.. No by now theres managers involved.. so much dicking about.. All I want to do it go, lost all interest.

They were flat out unable to manually process a payment or correct an incorrect listing.. Took them maybe 20 or 30 minutes of back and forth but ohh they really didnt want me to abandon it by then.

[eyecatcher]

Well did you ever see anyone in 7-Eleven that looks like the one in charge.

Did you ever see one over 23yrs

At global home pro, home mart if you have ever seen the manager or someone over 30 you are lucky.

Just remember the only thing in their remit is to say sawadee krap at least 200 times a day.

Trust no one except yourself

[uptheos]

Well did you ever see anyone in 7-Eleven that looks like the one in charge.

Did you ever see one over 23yrs

At global home pro, home mart if you have ever seen the manager or someone over 30 you are lucky.

Just remember the only thing in their remit is to say sawadee krap at least 200 times a day.

Trust no one except yourself

What, the girls too?

[Commander Tamson]

Endemic corruption or endemic stupidity

Both I think

[uptheos]

I'm mostly a market shopper for fruit and veg in season.

If I'm shopping in one of the big store's for all the other things I always try to find the bar-code price of what I want. If I can't, then I call someone to find the price for me, There is a tendency to rush you through the check out, but I usually have time and everything priced and calculated (yes I shop by list) and if there's a difference I won't pay until it's sorted. I don't give a toss who is waiting, huffing and puffing, if it's not right then it's wrong.......and needs to be put right! I'll happily leave it all on the check out if not.

These places are raking in millions over the years from unsuspecting customers.

Some things aren't exactly 'wrong' but misleading. Rimping had some cereal with a 'buy one get one free' sticker around the two boxes. It was only when I got home that I realised the 'free' one wasn't the same as the other except in size. I don't like the free one it's inferior and I do not eat it. So if you see this little trick, check both items are the same.

[Commander Tamson]

The other common trick, or stupidity, are the special offers:

I've seen packs of Comfort for example at 23baht for 900 ml. Or you buy a pack of 3 - special price 75baht.

[thailiketoo]

[Thighlander]

The other common trick, or stupidity, are the special offers:

I've seen packs of Comfort for example at 23baht for 900 ml. Or you buy a pack of 3 - special price 75baht.

Multiple smalls can be cheaper than one large...seen it in potato chips, shampoo, cookies, soap, etc..Never could figure that one out. Mom and pops seem to always be to the baht, multinational big box stores not so much...go figure.