If you are given back the wrong change...

[terry1156]

I was at the store today and payed for some groceries with a $20 bill. In return I received $23.45 in change (it should have bben $13.45). If this situation happened to you, what would you do?

[rabbitfoot]

If it was a big amount like that, I would probably give it back since I wouldn't want the person working the register to get in trouble. If it was a small amount, I'm not sure what I would do.

[DivaJen]

I've had something like that happen before, and I gave it back.

[marla]

I think I would give the money back. DivaJen, just wanted to let you know I really enjoy reading your journal everyday.

[DivaJen]

Originally Posted by marla

DivaJen, just wanted to let you know I really enjoy reading your journal everyday.

Aww...thanks!

[Tree0164]

I usually don't count small change back so I really wouldn't notice. But if I did count it and it was wrong-I would give it back.

Now if I was home and realized it, I probably wouldn't.

[genchan]

I would keep the money. If they gave me a the wrong change in their favor, would they give me the correct amount? Not unless I check and demand it back...and I have to do it right at that moment. If I go to my car and find out they gave me the wrong amount in their favor and go back in to tell them, would they give me the correct amount? No. They would say there is no way to know and I should have made sure sooner. If they would treat me that way, then they are also responsible to check and make sure everything is correct when they give me the change. If it is wrong, then it is their mistake and I would keep it the same way they would do it if I didn't check.

[jseffer]

Originally Posted by genchan

I would keep the money. If they gave me a the wrong change in their favor, would they give me the correct amount?

Well i don't think any place would do it deliberatly. So the question is would we deliberatly pocket the money.

Originally Posted by genchan

Not unless I check and demand it back...and I have to do it right at that moment. If I go to my car and find out they gave me the wrong amount in their favor and go back in to tell them, would they give me the correct amount? No. They would say there is no way to know and I should have made sure sooner.

Yep I agree with you there. I rarely check my receipt when im still in the store. I always drive half way home and then realize they charged me for something i didn't get. (Usually a fast food place).

[emily1067]

That happened to me once at an art fair. However, I didn't realize it until I got home and by that time the fair was over! I felt terrible because they had given me $20 dollars that they shouldn't have. Because I felt so bad I donated that money to charity...i just couldn't keep it.

I would give it back.

BTW; stores do check their till against the purchases made. If you think they make a mistake in their favor, they should at least take your name and number in case they 'find' your money. Everywhere I worked while putting myself through college closed down the register immediately to count down the drawer if a customer complained of being short-changed. Of course, several mistakes might cancel each other out, but they should at least check. If you know what register you paid at, that would help, too.

[2moretrees]

I had this happen to me the other day. I paid with a $10 and received change back fro a $20. I corrected the sales associate telling her she gave me back too much change. There was another person standing in line - an old lady - and she whispered "God Bless You" to me. I must have has a very confused look on my face when she said that (I was surprised) because she continued to say that most people would not be honest in that situation. I never crossed my mind to take the money.

[Amelia]

When I was shorted for change they stopped and had a manager come over to count whole til-I got my 5$ back-because the cashier gets in trouble for an under or over til-up to a few cents because some people tell you to keep change if it's not much. Where I worked they used to call out "zero hero" for anyone whose til was evened out at end of night. I have also given change back.On the spot and went back-within the hour-ask for a mgr and just about all receipts these days has you cashiers name on them now. If the til is found even if they take your name-if you call back and it wasn't claimed you can get it.
When I worked at a grocery store when I was 16-18 I found all sorts of things-a $20 bill in the lobby-I took it to the money cage-they wrote my name down-10 min later a lady and been looking through up and down-my mgr had stopped her and found out she was short-and very low on cash-had counted what she had-my mgr directed her where to go because I had told her what I had found and where to go-she had came in same lobby-they had two-. I also had found a case(yes 24ct) of beer in a cart in the lot-I was 17- All my friends wanted me to keep it cause a few of them drank,but I didn't feel it was right-plus if someone had been hurt because of something I did I would 've felt lousy. When I walked in carrying it-as I walked past the registers towards cust serv ,the head cashier had told me (verysnottingly) to put it back because noway was I old enough.And I told her I could take it back to the park lot if she really wanted me to but that I was on my way to cs because they keep a log of found items-which can be claimed if person brings in receipt and all pertaining info matche-date,item usual aprox where they parked etc...--well that shut her up and she never doubted me after that.

[kashi]

I've done both. It depends on the situation and how I'm feeling that day. Usually I'll give it back, but if the clerk is overly nasty to me, forget it.

[PrincessPerky]

I give it back, my DH keeps it.

[amomof4]

Without a doubt, I would give it back. Otherwise, it's stealing. They didn't give it to you. It was an accident, so it wasn't a gift. If you took it, you stole it. Same thing with finding some one's wallet. If you keep it, you stole it.

[Tree0164]

I had this happen two weeks ago at the bread store.

The cost was something like $4.08 and I gave the girl $10.08 to get back bills. But by accident I said here $20.08 and she gave me back $16. I didn't even realize it until I was back to the car and thought I only had $10 in my wallet not $20. I did go back to the store and hand the cashier back the additional $10. My $10 bill was sitting in her register in the 20s. My oldest son was with me and it was a good lesson in honestly to him as well.

This cashier didn't look at the bill... of course there are quick change artist that pull this type of scam all the time. Small places not big retail store.

[amomof4]

I can't help but think of a poor cashier that may have gotten fired for giving the wrong change back. An because she lost her job, she can't pay her rent, so her & her little ones have to sleep in the car, and she is constantly harrassed by the police because it is illegal to sleep in her car. She can't go looking for a job because she cannot aford to hire a babysitter...

I wouldn't want that on my conscience no matter how much I think the stores overcharge or because I thought it was her stupid fault for giving me too much change back.

[gypzye]

If I notice, I give it back. I usually do a cursory check of the bills when I get back bill change... I don't check change-change. If they accidentally gave me back an extra quarter, I'd probably never notice, just toss it in my changepurse. If I got back an extra $10, now, that's something I'd catch right away. And of course I'd give it back. If I got allllll the way home before I noticed, I'll admit I probably wouldn't bother.

I worked retail for a short time and fell victim to a quick-change scam artist. He ended up walking out with more than $200 from my till, all from the way he managed to confuse me (throwing bills down, wants change, moves bills to this pile and that, recounting, and then picked up the money and left). I had a bad feeling about it as soon as he walked out so I shut down my register and asked my manager to count it and sure enough.... it was waaaaaay short. I didn't get fired (or even written up) as it was an honest mistake on my part, but they did go back through the last couple months of security footage to make sure I hadn't stolen anything, which was insulting, and worse, I was terribly humiliated by the whole affair. I consider myself a fairly smart person and I felt absolutely taken. (Which I was.)

Now, that's much different than accidentally giving the wrong change, but I still always felt personally responsible for my tills and I took pride in being absolutely 100% perfectly dead-on with my counts... so I would hope that if I had ever given the wrong change, my customer would have been honest enough to say something. I certainly would be, for that reason.