# Short changed by 1 cent in supermarket



## RichInSpirit (4 Oct 2015)

I bought an item in a supermarket tonight for 3.49 and was charged 3.50.
I didn't say anything at the checkout at the time but I was thinking afterwards that it was a bit sneaky of either the supermarket or the cashier or both. I know 1 cent is so small and hardly worth fighting about, but I feel a bit cheated.
I'll be checking my change carefully there in future.


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## odyssey06 (4 Oct 2015)

Maybe connected to this?
[broken link removed]

Given the amount of items priced with 9c in their total, whenever you buy a single item you will lose out. I don't see how this will balance out for customers.


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## vandriver (4 Oct 2015)

Did you solely buy one item,or was an item of 3.49 in a larger list of items rounded up?


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## Eithneangela (4 Oct 2015)

RichInSpirit said:


> I bought an item in a supermarket tonight for 3.49 and was charged 3.50.
> I didn't say anything at the checkout at the time but I was thinking afterwards that it was a bit sneaky of either the supermarket or the cashier or both. I know 1 cent is so small and hardly worth fighting about, but I feel a bit cheated.
> I'll be checking my change carefully there in future.


Maybe you could have asked the cashier to put the 1 cent into a charity bucket. You're saying that you know they've shortchanged you and that you're okay with that once the money does not go to the retailer but to a hopefully good local cause!


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## RichInSpirit (4 Oct 2015)

Yes Vandriver I only bought one item.
I often benefit by 1 cent when buying fuel, it's very hard to get the fuel to stop on an exact number. But I would offer the 1 cent and it would be at the cashier's discretion to waive the 1 cent.
Maybe it was just Karma tonight.


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## RichInSpirit (4 Oct 2015)

Eithneangela said:


> Maybe you could have asked the cashier to put the 1 cent into a charity bucket. You're saying that you know they've shortchanged you and that you're okay with that once the money does not go to the retailer but to a hopefully good local cause!



Good idea!


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## vandriver (4 Oct 2015)

It wouldn't bother me,because I don't accept change less than 5c .


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## Boyd (4 Oct 2015)

Amazing thread  I imagine the internet, phone and time cost to post about this scandal far out weighed the 1c!


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## twofor1 (4 Oct 2015)

RichInSpirit said:


> I bought an item in a supermarket tonight for 3.49 and was charged 3.50.



Could it be the case that you were charged €3.49, but the cashier decided (Rightly or wrongly) that you did not want the 1 cent change ?

Either way, you should be able to get over this.


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## Grizzly (4 Oct 2015)

It often happens with one check out person in the Lidl Stillorgan. He rounds up the total cost of the shop because he never seems to have any small change. I notice he never does it the other way though. If he has no change then he should round it down is my view. Not worth getting your Y fronts in a twist though.


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## RichInSpirit (4 Oct 2015)

twofor1 said:


> Could it be the case that you were charged €3.49, but the cashier decided (Rightly or wrongly) that you did not want the 1 cent change ?
> 
> Either way, you should be able to get over this.



Hopefully, I'll have to find a good therapist.


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## MrEarl (5 Oct 2015)

Not returning someones change without their consent is theft, no matter how much is involved. 

Who is to say that this tactic of not returning a single cent in change hasn't been used on many other customers, possibly dating back years.... ?

The orignial poster should not have left the matter slide imho.  None of us should let things like this go, but in true Irish traditon, we don't act regularly when we should - be it to complain, to stand up for our rights etc.


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## vandriver (5 Oct 2015)

But its 1c!Or in old money 1/2p(which were abolished !)


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## thedaddyman (5 Oct 2015)

I was in a shop one day with a very annoying shop assistant, he said at the end he had no 1c for change so I told him he could give me 2c instead, which he did but very begrudgingly. I see no reason why consumers should be out of pocket, even if it is only 1c.


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## Jon Snow (5 Oct 2015)

MrEarl said:


> Not returning someones change without their consent is theft, no matter how much is involved.
> 
> Who is to say that this tactic of not returning a single cent in change hasn't been used on many other customers, possibly dating back years.... ?
> 
> The orignial poster should not have left the matter slide imho.  None of us should let things like this go, but in true Irish traditon, we don't act regularly when we should - be it to complain, to stand up for our rights etc.



Wow. Goes to show how it takes all sorts to make up a world! I hate 1 and 2 cent coins, and I don't care what happens to them. 

I must say, the fact that you've jumped straight to conspiracy in the almost complete absence of information is quite interesting.

Most people probably don't place sufficient value on 1c to notice and/or point it out. I'd say I'd notice if it happened to me, but there's no way I'd care about it.


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## odyssey06 (5 Oct 2015)

A lot of US stores have take-a-penny leave-a-penny dishes, I always thought that was a good idea.


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## RichInSpirit (5 Oct 2015)

sahd said:


> Looks like this rounding will be happening nationwide from Oct 28th (rounding up and down).
> http://www.*****************.com/price-rounding-begins-october-28th.html
> Suits me to have less 1c and 2c coins in my pocket.



That's interesting! I hope the supermarkets change their prices ending in nine to prices ending in five or zero.


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## lukegriffen (5 Oct 2015)

If they keep prices ending in nine, make sure you buy in 5s , and you'll be 4c better off !  

So glad to hear that rounding is coming, it was such a waste of money producing them


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## losttheplot (5 Oct 2015)

Will the rounding apply if you pay by credit / debit card?


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## RichInSpirit (5 Oct 2015)

Satisfactory conclusion to my difficulties, I won't need the therapist  (for this issue at least). The store doesn't have 1 or 2 cent coins as change but I got rounded up by 4c in change meaning I'm up 3 cents overall and a happy customer


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## Sue Ellen (5 Oct 2015)

They're all out there waiting for ya and you too could land up with a Ferrari if only you could round them up


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## twofor1 (5 Oct 2015)

RichInSpirit said:


> Satisfactory conclusion to my difficulties, I won't need the therapist  (for this issue at least). The store doesn't have 1 or 2 cent coins as change but I got rounded up by 4c in change meaning I'm up 3 cents overall and a happy customer



That’s brilliant news Rich, well done.

For the benefit of other victims, how did this satisfactory conclusion to your difficulties come about ?

Did you go back and complain ?


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## vandriver (5 Oct 2015)

Did you drive there?


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## MrEarl (6 Oct 2015)

Mind the pennies and the pounds will mind themselves....

That saying has served me well this far in life (granted, I've had to deal with converting to Euros )....

I do not accept for one moment, that the removal of 1 cent coins from circulation, will not result in prices being increased (even if only by 1 cent) and ultimately, all of us having to pay more for the "convenience" of not having to use small coins anymore.  Sure, it will only be 1 cent per item, but how many items per day, or dare I say per year and what does that equate to in terms of the cost to each of us ?


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## RichInSpirit (6 Oct 2015)

I've a cunning plan to thwart this 1c rounding up. Always carry 4 cents of a float and for example a transaction for 99c hand in €1.04 and get back 5c change.


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## vandriver (6 Oct 2015)

Wait for the mystified looks at the checkout.


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## pudds (6 Oct 2015)

If I was homeless I 'might' be kicking up a fuss about being over charged by 1c


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## Jon Snow (6 Oct 2015)

MrEarl said:


> Mind the pennies and the pounds will mind themselves....
> 
> That saying has served me well this far in life (granted, I've had to deal with converting to Euros )....
> 
> I do not accept for one moment, that the removal of 1 cent coins from circulation, will not result in prices being increased (even if only by 1 cent) and ultimately, all of us having to pay more for the "convenience" of not having to use small coins anymore.  Sure, it will only be 1 cent per item, but how many items per day, or dare I say per year and what does that equate to in terms of the cost to each of us ?



Try and stay with me, because this is tricky arithmetic... 

Every 100 such transactions will equal €1.

I dare say it could cost you up to a couple of euro per annum.


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## MrEarl (8 Oct 2015)

Jon Snow said:


> Try and stay with me, because this is tricky arithmetic..



Just because we may have a difference of opinion, does not give you reason to be rude or condescending.  If the above was an attempt to be funny, you failed miserably.


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## Jon Snow (8 Oct 2015)

MrEarl said:


> Just because we may have a difference of opinion, does not give you reason to be rude or condescending.  If the above was an attempt to be funny, you failed miserably.



That's your opinion

Well unless somehow you transact an inordinate number of affected transactions, you're getting your knickers in a twist over literally a maximum of a couple of euro per annum.


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## vandriver (9 Oct 2015)

I was shortchanged 2c in Lidl yesterday.I may recover,in time.


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## johnwilliams (9 Oct 2015)

"The plan is to reduce 1c and 2c coins not remove them (yet) ; - the rounding will be up to 2c either way , up or down. According to Central Bank the ups and downs will balance out and nobody will lose out or gain. (they say).
Rounding is not per item , it's per transaction."
so they can legally over charge ,I would rather they round it up by item then, with the correct price listed on the shelf €2


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## moneybox (9 Oct 2015)

This thread is oh so boring


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## Grizzly (10 Oct 2015)

I remember when I was Day Trading watching the screen and waiting for my share to increase by 1p. It did and I pressed the button. I have to say I liked watching all those pennies add up....


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## Leo (12 Oct 2015)

85% of consumers participating in the Wexford trial were in favour of making it permanent. 

For anyone really worried about losing out, the rounding is to the nearest 5c, so if you're clever, you can ensure your total always ends in 2 or 7, and it will always be rounded down. €25.92 will be rounded down to €25.90, and you'll save 2c (0.077%!!)


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## Leo (12 Oct 2015)

sahd said:


> Even better .... Why not just say to them you don't want the rounding (it is optional) - and if the shop has no 1c or 2c coins in the till  then they have to give you 5c change.   We could get rich quick !



Or they could just refuse the transaction.

The trial was discretionary, if it rolls out nationwide, the discretionary element will go.


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## Leo (12 Oct 2015)

sahd said:


> Incorrect - it is optional for both retailers and customers . Retailers can choose not to partake in it at all and customers can request to opt out of rounding whenever it is applied on a transaction



But it's still only a proposal. Central Bank have just made a recommendation, I haven't seen confirmed details of a national roll-out. Even if it does remain discretionary, if there are no 1c or 2c coins in circulation, it'll become academic over time.


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## Leo (12 Oct 2015)

Wow, I hadn't heard that! 

From that link, they say the Central Bank are 'hoping' that fewer 1 and 2c coins will be required. So in effect, it's a cop out of full removal from circulation.


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