Johnny was pleasantly surprised when the $199 power tool he grabbed off the clearance rack rang up at the self-checkout for just $0.01. Home Depot, of course, stopped him before he could leave and asked for the item back, but Johnny wasn’t fast to part with his new toy.
I told the manager well that’s to bad because I ALREADY PAID FOR IT!!! and if you don’t return MY PRODUCT!!! that I PAID FOR!!! that I would call the cops because you are now stealing from me. I will call Weights and Measures. OH YEAH and my attorney.
Read the full story after the jump.
Well I never thought I would see the day when I would buy an item in a store, I have the item in my hands with my receipt and a Home Depot employee takes the item out of my hands because they are not sure if I can have this item. Sound funny, WELL, ITS NOT!!!
A few months ago I was in a Home Depot shopping and I saw a Power tool (worm drive) on clearance for 49.95 markdown from $199.99. I really wanted this item but did not have the cash on me at the time (just my luck) so I drove home got my credit card and drove back to the store but I was to late, someone had already purchased the item.
So just the other day I was in the Home Depot again and by lucky found the worm drive on the clearance rack unmarked. I took the item to self check-out and the item came up at a penny. I thought, cool I am getting a deal of a life time here. I then PAID for the item and took my receipt. I checked the UPC on the receipt and on the box just to make sure they were a match and they were.
Then a Home Depot employee came up to me from the self check-out and took the worm drive and said I need to check something I’ll be right back and walked away from me with the item that I just PAID for. So after waiting for 6 to 7 minutes a manager came up front and told me that I can not have this item because it is on clearance and once the price falls to a penny it is to be markdown and thrown away. I told the manager well that’s to bad because I ALREADY PAID FOR IT!!! and if you don’t return MY PRODUCT!!! that I PAID FOR!!! that I would call the cops because you are now stealing from me. I will call Weights and Measures. OH YEAH and my attorney.
So after all that, they finally wised up and gave me back the item that I PAID for. I have never had a retail store do something like to me. They made me feel like I was a thief. Like I did something wrong, when all I wanted was to buy a worm drive that I saw on Clearance. (WHAT HAPPEN TO TAKING CARE OF THE CUSTOMER) because you lost another one to LOWES.
Johnny was more than dramatic—he was right. Scanner errors are only worth a small discount in some states. Now, it would have been more ethical to tell the store about the error and to ask for an additional discount, but since Johnny already paid for the item, it was his.
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One time I was at home depot using self checkout. My friend noticed silver sharpies, which usually cost $1.99, were ringing up at 1c. We bought all 20 on the shelf.
I enjoy the debate on this issue. I have a friend very much like Johnny. He loves to take advantage of everything that he can and is quick to anger when he’s confronted about dishonest behavior. He’s most defensive when it’s a “deal of a lifetime” that anyone in their mind questions.
To some, morality is does not break a rule written in a book, what they are not caught doing, or an eye for an eye. To others, it’s more about that golden rule mumbo jumbo. When it’s interaction between corporations and people, rather than just between people, the split becomes considerably less clear. I know that I’ve acted on both sides of the fence.
In this case: the guy knew something was up and didn’t hesitate. It’s the sort of self-indulgence that can make or break a life. I have a lot more respect for someone who listens to that pause and verifies their good luck than rolling it like a con artist. But was he legally wrong? Of course not.
I work at home depot as a cashier, this happens to me every once in a while. I have no idea why they throw the stuff away either but whatever. Usually if it is something that isn’t very expensive we will just give it to the customer.
I had the very same thing happen to me yesterday at Home Depot, only with an area rug. It was in the clearance section and marked down to $25, but it rang up as $.01. I questioned it, the cashier called around to a bunch of people, and finally one of the managers came out, explained that it excess inventory that had been discontinued and so couldn’t be returned to the manufacturer, told me it was mine to keep at that price, and thanked me for having the cashier double check on it. It was an extremely pleasant experience! And my $.01 rug looks great. =D
Think of it like this, if the customer had been overcharged and not noticed, would the Manager chase him down to give him a refund? I think not! The man paid what the item rang up so it was his. If retailers were not so greedy there would be no such thing as self checkout. Unless there is a discount for using a self checkout do not use it. You are just costing jobs. You are not saving any money.