S/O -- Forgotten Items: Returned or Kept?

JessAndTrav

I made it clicky for anonymity.

I really wish you could edit answer choices.

Return it = Returning to pay for it.
That last one should say, "I keep it, but feel a little guilty."

ggmae

I would return it, no matter the value. If I'm given too much change, I also give that back as well.

RachNRich

Keep it. 

MyNameIsNot

I'm lazy, so it depends on when I find it.  If I see it in the car, I'll turn around.  But if it's 2days later?  Not unless it was something expensive.  

Brie2010

If it's an honest mistake, I keep it.

I'm overcharged all the time and don't notice until I get home, either.  I don't go back demanding my $1.49 or whatever.  It balances out in my head.

jasmineh7777

I return it, no matter what. I usually watch as I'm being rung up, and let them know if they miss something. I also return extra change.

ggmae

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_forgotten-items-returned-kept?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:24368a9f-274f-4bab-bced-bfa069e3aa6bPost:92089a24-ff25-4726-b2df-9854a780e79c">Re: S/O -- Forgotten Items: Returned or Kept?</a>:
[QUOTE]I return it, no matter what. I usually watch as I'm being rung up, and let them know if they miss something. I also return extra change.
Posted by jasmineh7777[/QUOTE]

I am always asking "Did you get this?" if I think they may have missed it. Somethings they have, sometimes they haven't.

Brie - My mom returns to the grocery store to get her $1 back - like if she was supposed to get something on sale, but it didn't ring up as being on sale. She checks her receipt as she walks to the car. She has done it so many times, and it has added up to a good amount over the years.

Brie2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_forgotten-items-returned-kept?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:24368a9f-274f-4bab-bced-bfa069e3aa6bPost:5f49b566-937d-4658-8fa2-7f6f334fa9b4">Re: S/O -- Forgotten Items: Returned or Kept?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: S/O -- Forgotten Items: Returned or Kept? : I am always asking "Did you get this?" if I think they may have missed it. Somethings they have, sometimes they haven't. Brie - My mom returns to the grocery store to get her $1 back - like if she was supposed to get something on sale, but it didn't ring up as being on sale. She checks her receipt as she walks to the car. She has done it so many times, and it has added up to a good amount over the years.
Posted by ggmae[/QUOTE]


Yeah, I just figure the overcharges and undercharges somewhat balance out in the end.  I'm too lazy to go over my receipts with a fine tooth comb! 

My mom totally used to highlight every item on the receipt as she unpacked it from the bag when we were little.  I remember being incredibly annoyed by this, even as a kid.  Heh.

kimheartsscott

I would keep it, unless it was really expensive.  Had I missed an item when I was a cashier, I wouldn't ever blame the customer.  Do your job right the first time.

JessAndTrav

Brie, does your system apply to each indiviual place you go, or all?

Say all of the stores you go to regularly ended up shorting you $25 in change in a single year...and then you went to BB&B and found that they forgot to scan a $30 item.

Does that balance out? I'm not trying to attack, I'm just actually curious.

ggmae

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_forgotten-items-returned-kept?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:24368a9f-274f-4bab-bced-bfa069e3aa6bPost:e8979079-8aef-48de-8d2d-6f89950cd6fa">Re: S/O -- Forgotten Items: Returned or Kept?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: S/O -- Forgotten Items: Returned or Kept? : Yeah, I just figure the overcharges and undercharges somewhat balance out in the end.  I'm too lazy to go over my receipts with a fine tooth comb!  My mom totally used to highlight every item on the receipt as she unpacked it from the bag when we were little.  I remember being incredibly annoyed by this, even as a kid.  Heh.
Posted by Brie2010[/QUOTE]

My mom always embarrassed me by going back to the store's Customer Service desk and asking for her $X back. Now as an adult, I understand what a difference a few dollars can make!

tlv204

There was one time that I asked the cashier at Garden Ridge, "did you ring that up?" about a tomato cage, and she said yes. I said "are you sure?" She said, "yes." Guess what, she didn't ring it up. I kept it. I tried at least. Plus it was only like $7. I"m going to hell.

thesuninherhead

This is difficult because a similar situation happened to me the other day:

 

I went to buy some cartons of my favourite energy drink (which have been discontinued so thus are all very highly reduced). There was a sign indicating that the cost was $10 per carton or $1 a can. I went to pay, and I explained I wanted 6 cartons. At first, the girl mishead me and thought I wanted six cans, so she rung those up as $6 dollars. I explained that I wanted cartons, and that they were $10 each and I'd like 6 of them. She entered it on her register, and then told me the total was $30. 

 

I didn't say anything about it and took the six. I did wonder if I should clarify further, but ultimately I didn't. Did I do the right thing? I'm not sure!

 

Normally though, I'm like you, gg- I ask if people have scanned everything and point out if something is cheaper than I realised (even if just in a 'wow, is it really only that much?' way). I guess in the above case, I just felt silly saying anything more when I'd already told her the amount and the cost, and had to clarify what I wanted once. 

Brie2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_forgotten-items-returned-kept?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:24368a9f-274f-4bab-bced-bfa069e3aa6bPost:ba11b36d-0717-4fe3-a45a-5356a5ae39a8">Re: S/O -- Forgotten Items: Returned or Kept?</a>:
[QUOTE]Brie, does your system apply to each indiviual place you go, or all? Say all of the stores you go to regularly ended up shorting you $25 in change in a single year...and then you went to BB&B and found that they forgot to scan a $30 item. Does that balance out? I'm not trying to attack, I'm just actually curious.
Posted by JessAndTrav[/QUOTE]

I would notice a $20-30 difference at the register and say something right then.  I'm not at a point in my life where I'm usually spending hundreds of dollars at a time at retail stores, so that would make up a pretty significant part of my purchase that I wouldn't be likely to miss.

I'm talking more specifically about Target, like in OP's example, where I do most of our grocery shopping and occasionally buy clothes or houswares.  I'm pretty sure I regularly get both over and undercharged there by a few bucks, and I don't stress over it.

squirrly

I put this in the other thread, but I'll put it here too:

A $25 dress?  I'd likely go back and pay for it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to do so - I'd take care of it when it was convenient for me.  Something $5 or less?  I'd likely never notice it on the receipt anyway. 

That's all assuming that it's truly the employee's fault.  If I went through the u-scan line and missed something that cost 12 cents I'd go back ASAP and take care of it.  I suppose I feel compelled to fix MY mistakes, but not necessarily the mistakes of others. 

btrflykate1230

I posted this on the other thread:

The problem I have with theft (in any shape) is that the cost of theft is built into the the price of the item, usually a 15% mark-up. This means that an item that SHOULD cost $100 will actually cost $115 to cover the store's losses from shoplifters.

http://fycs.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/H07.htm

I'm not calling OP a shoplifter (she's going back to pay for it) but we all pay for other people's theft. It's not right.

**I would go back and pay for it**

luckyme502

I've returned things, like a dress.  But if it was like a soda or a can of peas, I'd just keep it.  Every once in a great while I will come home from a McDonald's run and find an extra burger or fry, I just keep it and think of all the times I was missing an item. 

jamiefour

I always feel like if I keep said item or change I will be shorted somewhere down the road, so if I notice I go back.

mocha beans

Eh, I would probably keep whatever it is, unless it's something very expensive.  It happens, I forget something on the bottom of the cart, the cashier forgets or it scans weird.  Last week, the cashier forgot to scan two cases of pop.  A while back, the cashier forgot to check underneath some lumber in our cart at Lowe's and missed the gallon of paint.  I also forgot, and didn't even realize we hadn't paid for it until I was already home and opened it up.  I didn't mean for it to happen, but shiit happens. 

HisCB

fast food items, i keep them unless i notice it like at the counter picking up my tray. my theory is that they cant resell it or anything, if it was supposed to go on another tray though, before i pick up mine, they can switch it.
as for other items, if i notice it on the way to the car, yes i will return to pay for it. if its at home and its not a big ticket and i shop their a lot, i dont bother.
basically, if it small ticket enought to not notice it at the check out then its probably not a big enough deal. especially if it was the checkers fault.

if its my fault, like i had found a walmart item in a dollartree bag once, (when i went from store to store before going to the car.) it had probably just fallen in when i was shopping, i returned it next time i went in.

im sure i dont notice missing items all the time.