After dinner monday night, I had to get a few groceries. I was feeling obsessive so I decided I would calculate the exact grocery bill item by item and have the exact amount withdrawn from the eftpos with my card before the checkout operator had even finished scanning. Since this included bananas and tomatoes which are sold by the kilo ($7.98 @ $5.98 per kilo respectively) this was going to require accurate measurement. I decided I would take the average of two scales in the shop that were supposed to be accurate to the nearest 5 grams. For my 6 bananas one said 405g, the other 1.065kg(1), hmmm. After moving an obstruction on one of the scales they both measured about 1.060 kg. 5 tomatoes was .905 kg. After buying ten items (including prepacked smoked salmon on special at $49.90/kg) , I was confident I had it to $23.15 + or - 5 cents. Of course the checkout chick scanned it as fast as I could load it up, so my original plan was thwarted, and much to my surprise, the total was $22.15, exactly one dollar out. Suspiciously looking like a copying error on my part, I had a quick scan of the docket. Bananas 1.056 kg, fine. Tomatoes 0.705kg ? huh. Smoked salmon $5.49 (100g) instead of the advertised special of $4.99. I went to the service desk to claim my 50c ripoff, but low and behold, I got $5.50 back and the salmon. I had thought that "scan's wrong and it's free thing" had disappeared long ago from Coles. Apparently it still pays to meticulously check the docket. I didn't argue the toss on the tomatoes against my better judgement, assuming I misread my measurement, but I re-checked at home and my measurement was the correct one.
(1) That's $1.35 per banana - Almost Larry level. Still think Aus would be better off with free trade in bananas.
4 comments:
Wow,you lead the life of swashbuckling adventure us mere mortals can only dream about! :P
Yeah; There was just a hint of desperatation to thrust out of my mind my various anxieties about stuff by doing something mundane in an obsessive, methodical manner. I did not expect to make a profit out of it, I just wanted to see her (the checkout operator's) face when I had the exact amount withdrawn. She was way to quick (and possibly careless) for that, but you get that.
I meticulously checked my docket yesterday and found I'd missread a special in the aisle so was paying full price each for two items instead of $6 for both (so about $3 more). I took them back immediately.
The special said Buy two of the following and pay $6 OL UT twists, fills, starz and some other things I've never heard of.
The only thinks on the shelves that came close to these was Uncle Tobies fills and Kellogs twists. All in the same area. Apparently it was an Uncle tobies only special (hence the cryptic UT) and there were no UT twists on the shelf. It seemed a bit deceptive to me so they lost the $6 I would have paid them & I'll do without the high sugar and fat snack bars.
Having looked at the entry above, I have determined I cannot spell - or type - after 2pm
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