I just got home from doing my grocery shopping at Meijers in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
On the front of their weekly sale paper, it stated: 24-pack cans or two 8-pack bottles Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist or Mountain Dew 12 oz. cans or .5 liter bottles. All varieties. Limit 2. Plus deposit where applicable…$4.88, with additional $10.00 purchase. Meijers also had this ad sitting on the display of Pepsi products.
I called and spoke with a Lady, I told her that I was charged $4.88 for one 24-pk and $6.99 for the other 24-pk, she told me yes there was a mistake and they would give me the difference in price.
When I asked about the Michigan Scanner Law, she informed me that, the scanner law only was enforced when the item had a price marked on the individual item. Prices advertised in sale papers and on the shelves do not matter.
Boy, was I ever taken a back. This law un-doubtly is not worth the paper it is written on. What a joke.
Dear Becky,
I can certainly symathize with your sentiments. The law was narrowingly written to help protect consumers against faulty scanning equipment and human error. When stores began using automatic scanners as a cost saving measure, they had no incentive to police themselves and make certain customers were being accurately charged.
I do believe the problem has gotten worse instead of better. Sale items however, do seem to cause more problems for consumers than those items regularly carried by grocery stores.
As a rule of thumb, anytime you are purchasing a sale item, be certain to check your receipt –before– you leave the store.
Thank you for telling us about your experience and sharing your feelings about the scanner law. Why not send a short letter to your legislators and let them know that the law needs to be strengthened to protect consumers?