Recent surveillance across various supermarkets has highlighted a troubling trend: products marked with discounted or promotional prices on the shelves are often scanned at higher, original prices during checkout. This issue appears to be especially prevalent among items nearing their expiry date, as well as fresh fruits, vegetables, and those on special promotion.
Seema Shandil, the Chief Executive of the Consumer Council of Fiji, emphasizes the consequences of this pricing discrepancy, warning that shoppers who neglect to verify their receipts may end up paying more than they anticipated, thus missing out on advertised savings. She asserts that while consumers trust the prices displayed, retailers bear an obligation to ensure pricing accuracy, particularly during busy festive shopping seasons.
“The recurring mismatch between shelf prices and checkout prices cannot simply be dismissed as mistakes. The pattern we are observing raises concerns that these practices may be deliberate, and this is deeply unacceptable,” Shandil states. She points out that in many instances, cashiers must manually override the system to apply the correct price, which raises further scrutiny regarding the integrity of pricing practices.
While some retailers may claim these discrepancies stem from human error, the Consumer Council argues that the scale and frequency of these mismatches suggest a more systemic issue. Shandil urges customers to always review their receipts before leaving the store, particularly during peak shopping times, as even minor discrepancies can accumulate, leading to substantial losses for families making multiple purchases.
This situation serves as a reminder for shoppers to remain vigilant and for retailers to uphold transparency and accuracy in their pricing strategies. As the holiday season approaches, it becomes increasingly important for consumers to safeguard their financial well-being by being proactive in checking their receipts.
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