When you pay for groceries, how closely are you checking your receipt? A new report is warning customers to check their prices twice when shopping at Kroger.
Consumers should be aware that they might be paying more than necessary for items at Kroger stores, according to a recent investigation by Consumer Reports, The Guardian, and the Food and Environment Reporting Network.
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News Center 7’s Xavier Hershovitz explains what one woman keeps in her purse that she says helps her get prices fixed on News Center 7 starting at 5:00.
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As part of the investigation, shoppers were recruited to visit 26 Kroger locations in 14 states and the District of Columbia. At half of the locations, they were overcharged for more than 150 items that had expired sales labels.
Janice Ford, who is a customer, said, “It’s really disappointing as a consumer. You really expect the prices to be right, especially at this time.”
Ford said she has experienced this problem many times at Kroger, but not the ones listed in the report. She shops in Canton, MI.
“I’ve taken it to court a few times and won. I guess, every time I’ve actually done it, I think it’s a way to educate not only the store but also educate other consumers. We expect the prices to be right and we’re counting on them to be right, so the store needs to honor that,” Ford said.
In her purse, she carries a copy of the Michigan Scanner Law. It states that once a transaction is complete and the customer has a receipt showing what they paid for an item, they are entitled to report it to the seller within 30 days to receive the difference between the display prices and what they were charged, as well as a bonus between $1 and $5.
“I’ll walk back, take a look at the item on the shelf, take a picture, so I have that along with the scanner law to really kind of fight my own battles to say the prices were supposed to be this and that’s what I’m expecting to pay,” Ford said.
Tammie Menci, another customer, said she has encountered this issue on several occasions. “A lot of times, I grab items that appear to be on sale. When I get to checkout, I notice, if I’m paying attention to this certain item, that the item really wasn’t on sale.”
In a statement, a Kroger spokesperson said, in part:
“The Consumer Reports allegations boil down to misinformation, reviewing a handful of discrete issues from billions of daily transactions. It in no way reflects the seriousness with which we take our transparent and affordable pricing.”
“Kroger’s Make it Right policy ensures associates can create a customer experience and address any situation when we unintentionally fall short of a customer’s expectations.”
— Kroger Spokesperson
Although Menci said customer service has reimbursed her for the difference, she believes the burden of double-checking prices shouldn’t fall on the consumer.
In Ohio, there are Consumer Protection Laws through the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
The Consumer Sales Practices Act helps protect consumers when it comes to overcharging.
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