What to do if you are cheated in a store or market

How to cheat shoppers in stores

In chain hyper- and supermarkets, conflicts most often arise when:

The cashier has doubled or tripled the heading. This usually happens on cheap goods: you took one package, and there are three on the check.
The cashier didn't give change. Suddenly, in the hype, the buyer will forget which bill he handed over. This often happens when there is a queue from behind or a child asks to buy gum at the exit.
The price on the check does not match the price on the product. Typical "did not have time to outweigh the price tags."

The fault of the first two incidents is usually a banal inattention. The actions of the sellers-cashiers are regulated: I broke through the goods, named the amount of the purchase (“From you 415 rubles 70 kopecks”), took the buyer's money and announced it (“Your 500 rubles”), gave and announced the change, issued a check (“Your change is 84 ruble 30 kopecks. Thank you for your purchase! ).

But cashiers are not robots. They serve hundreds of different people per shift and sometimes just get tired.

But the discrepancy in prices is sometimes a deliberate trick of the store, which gives its sellers the instruction to "punch only on the computer."

The price tag on a product is a public offer.

Article 494 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation

You are obliged to sell the product at the price indicated on it. You should not overpay for the sluggishness of the sales floor workers who did not have time to change the price tag. The seller is obliged to provide the consumer with the necessary and reliable information about the goods in a timely manner, ensuring the possibility of their correct choice.

What to do

If you have not left the checkout area yet:

Check the check and count it carefully.
Invite an administrator or manager.
Ask to stop the work of the cash register. This can be done at any time, not just at the end of a shift or before closing. In this case, you have the right to be present at the counting of cash.

Is the conflict settled? Make an entry in the complaint book. Indicate the date and time of the incident, the name of the cashier, the check number, the name of the product, the nature of the incident. Take a photo of her, as well as the price tag of the disputed item.

These documents must then be sent along with the complaint to your own. For cheating consumers, Article 14.7 of the Code of Administrative Offenses provides for a fine in the amount of 3,000 to 5,000 rubles for individuals and from 20,000 to 50,000 rubles for legal entities.

If the deception is discovered already at home, return to the store with a check and do the same. But instead of stopping the cash register, it is better to ask to review the recording from CCTV cameras.

How buyers are deceived in the markets

Market traders are virtuosos in body kit and shortcuts. In the first case, the following "tricks" are usually used:

Uneven surface. A simple cardboard box under the foot increases the error of the scales in favor of the seller.
Fake weights. Previously, they were filed for mechanical scales, and now they are placed on electronic ones. Therefore, they try to remove the scales away from the eyes of buyers or force them with goods.
Scotch tape or thread. Attached to the bowl and with a slight movement of the legs under the counter increase the weight of the product.

For calculation, they use the fact that many buyers do not add and multiply well in their heads. This works great when shopping for multiple items.

Sellers summarize purchases on a calculator, but each item is assigned a few rubles: "For tomatoes - 50 rubles, for cucumbers - 61, for peppers - 42. As a result, 163, but let's just say 160". A justified "discount" if the seller lied a little when calculating. It is unlikely that someone will take out a phone and start counting.

What to do

Find a checkweigher and calculate how much you have been deceived.
Contact the market administration and, together with its representative, return to the seller.
Explain your claims. If the seller denies the body kit or calculation, carry out a check weighing and recalculate the amount.
Ask for a refund or return the goods. In 99% of cases, the seller will try to resolve the conflict peacefully. If not, get the support of witnesses (you can find them among other buyers), etc.