I arrived at the customer service desk at our Kaneohe Safeway store early Sunday evening to request a refund after (again) being charged more than the advertised price for what was supposed to be a specially priced item. A woman ahead of me in line was also requesting a refund on a different item.
We got to talking when the clerk stepped away on some unknown errand as part of the mysterious refund process. There we were, spending our time to return to the store, wait for service, and hopefully at the end get back anywhere from a few cents to several dollars. We both acknowledged the mental calculation you have to go through when you examine a receipt and discover a pricing error. Is this overcharge worth complaining about? If so, you schlep back to the store. If not, you wince and forget it.
“They should pay us for this, shouldn’t they?” she said with a smile.
Well, it turns out that is exactly right.
Safeway apparently has a pricing policy that guarantees its advertised special. But it looks a lot like a secret policy.
“We post our pricing policy (at) all checkout lanes, and we train and empower our staff to meet the provisions of the policy,” Keith Turner, Safeway’s director of public and government affairs for the Northern California division (which includes Hawaii), said in an email last month.
![[text]](http://ilind.net/images_2013/promise.jpg)
That may be, as Turner later emailed a blurry photo of what he said is the policy posted at each checkout. Turner did not, however, respond to my direct requests for either a written copy of the policy or where it can be found on the Safeway.com website.
Still trying to confirm the policy, I called Safeway’s toll-free customer service number.
The helpful service agent referred me to the Safeway.com website.
“I think you’ll find it down at the bottom of the page under ‘coupon policy,'” she said hopefully.
I had already looked there, and it did not include the general pricing policy.
The helpful Safeway staffer quickly discovered the same thing.
“That’s interesting,” she said, after failing to find it.
“Well, I can read it to you.”
And the policy goes something like this.
According to the Safeway policy, you are due more than a simple refund of the difference between the price you were charged and the lower, advertised price.
Instead, if the item in question costs less than $5, then you should be refunded the full price you paid. Translation: You get the item for free, and the entire price you paid should be returned.
If the item costs more than $5, you should receive a refund of the difference between the advertised price and what you paid, plus a $5 gift card.
If there are multiples of the same item, you should get the full refund or $5 gift card on the first one, and then get charged the discounted price for additional items.
Since my column on Safeway’s overcharges appeared on Civil Beat last month, the store manager in Kaneohe has, without comment, been following this policy. In the past three weeks, I’ve received a $5 gift card, $5 in cash in lieu of a gift card, several free items, and bits of cash.
I’m still trying to get a copy of the policy so that I can share it with others and, more importantly, with store clerks or managers who aren’t familiar with it. If it is in fact posted at checkouts, I’ll get a clear photo later today.
Mountain out of a molehill?
Guess again. On Monday, we picked up a variety of things at our regular Kaneohe store. The bill came to $46, including $2 of tax. But after checking the receipt, it turns out we failed to get three advertised discounts.
A loaf of sourdough bread rang up at $2.79 instead of the advertised $1.49. Overcharge: $1.30
Approximately 1/2 pound of ahi poke rang up at the regular $14.99 per pound price instead of the advertised $11.99. Overcharge: $1.68
1.73 pounds of navel oranges rang up at $1.49 a pound instead of the advertised $.99 per pound. Overcharge: $.68.
Total overcharge for the trip: $3.66.
That’s 8.3 percent of the total price we paid on this visit to Safeway.
Oh, you’ll notice that the “mistakes” all favor Safeway. Errors rarely if ever go the other way.
Yesterday I contained Mr. Turner again at his California office and asked his assistance in obtaining a copy of the company’s “price guarantee.”
“I’ll look in to this and get back to you asap,” he responded.
While I’m waiting for his substantive reply, I’ll be back in Kaneohe this afternoon to request the various refunds.
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Also see http://funandfrugal20s.blogspot.com/2010/01/safeways-scanning-policy.html .
The AccuScan poliicy is mentioned on the safeway.com site only to say it doesn’t apply. I can’t find it in writing anywhere.
I used to live in Seattle area a few years ago. I brought my receipt in to show they had overcharged me on a bag of catfood and a couple other items as well. The customer service person told me “when this happens you get the “first” mischarged item on the receipt for free, and only the difference of the other items”. I was happy to get a $15 bag of cat food for free. After that I would look carefully at my receipt before leaving the store and it paid off more than once. I was only able to do this at one other Safeway in a different area of Seattle (but I had to argue with them and call a manager). I find incorrect prices on my receipts from Safeway a lot. And recently was charged for all THREE packages of meat on a bogo buy one get two free. Customer service told me “You are mistaken because we’ve had a lot of these meat packages bought and NO ONE has come in saying they were overcharged but you”. I insisted I was right. So she called the meat dept. and found out I wasn’t a lier, and disgruntely handed me $40.00 back, but denied the free policy. In my experience only a couple stores have upheld that policy. So good luck to everyone reading this. The one thing I do consistently is review my receipt before leaving the store even if I have to go down an isle to check the pricing. AND if I buy a product (even a slice of cake) and I don’t like it – I bring it back to Safeway and get a whole refund. That is your right as a consumer. I’m bringing 4 items to Safeway today that I didn’t like.
Is there a time limit posted anywhere in Safeway’s pricing policy for overcharging? It’s been 6 weeks. I don’t live near the Safeway I shopped at. I have talked to a couple of different managers on the phone & in person (the only time I didn’t have my receipt with me of course). I was overcharged $45 I don’t have.
I have 13 items that I purchased at Safeway that I tried to return with a receipt I even paid with my debit card that has my name on it and I was refused a refund they said that the only do refunds on a case to case basis and won’t except mine what can I do I am on a fixed income and really need the money purchased it for someone else who never got the items from me
Holly cow we have been tracking our local safeway and theyr dirty deeds for over 12 months and EVERY TIME WE SHOP WE R OVERCHARGED! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THAT IS EMPLOYEE ERROR OR SYSTEM ERROR IT’S THEFT! ONE VISIT THEY TRIED TAKING US ( MYSELF AND 83 YR OLD FATHER) FOR 17 DOLLARS.NOW IF I WALKED OUT OF THE STORE WITH A FULL CART OF GROCERIES AND WAS STOPPED I KNOW WHEN I TELL THEM IT WAS AN ERROR THAT I FORGOT TO PAY THAT I WOULD BE INSTANTLY ARRESTED FOR A FELONY.SO WHY IS THEYR CONSTANT ATTEMPTS TO GET MONEY FROM SHOPPERS THAT THEY DO NOT THINK THEYR BEING CHARGED CONCIDERED CRIMINAL? I COMPLAINED ON A SURVEY AND THEY CALLED MY FATHER AND OFFERED HIM 25 bucks to make him feel better about theyr service.I was blown away when overhearing the conversations the manager was actually making my dad feel bad as if he did something wrong,he then agreed to the bribe.Im annoyed he did the shopping for us before but now it’s become a major project I don’t wanna deal with weekly.Help!
I shop at Safeway from 2-5 times per week and am constantly being overcharged at Safeway: they conveniently change the item number so it rings higher (much higher), I almost never get the Just4U special pricing, sale items ring up at the non-sale price, etc. They won’t honor coupons in many cases and won’t give the coupon back so I can try another store. And the attitudes I get when I point out an error! I am now so fed-up with Safeway that I am changing to another supermarket even tough it is less convenient. I have written to Safeway with my complaints and have received no answer to date. A lot of the time I never notice the overcharges until I am at home 30 minutes later, and then it is too late to complain. Now the Gas Rewards: that is a whole ‘nother story! You’re getting cheated there too. Good by Safeway, good riddance!
Same in Kona on the Big Island. I have three sets of receipts to take back to the store. I find I have the best luck asking for a manager to assist. This time, one of the charges was over $5.00, so I should be getting a considerable amount of $$ back. Really, it should be on every item that is mis-charged, not just one if you buy two.
I shopped at the Cortez, CO Safeway in December 2017 and January 2018. I paid the food portion of my bill with my EBT card and then paid the difference for non-food items with my ATM card. Well I just noticed that both times, Safeway charged the full amount of my bills on my ATM card totalling about a $147 difference which was paid by my EBT card. This is a disgrace and when I provided the receipts to them the first time, they stated I had to come back tomorrow. When I showed up again, I was provided with an apology, told to call a phone number and would have to wait until a reconciliation is done to be refunded. I am presently unemployed and do not have time to wait until they perform a reconciliation. Therefore, I will be calling my bank and having them work on a refund. Safeway is not worth the hassel in shopping for discounts when they overcharge and do not provide an immediate solution to a big problem.
I consistently get over charged when I shop at Safeway. I don’t leave the store without stopping and reviewing the receipt. It’s a pain and embarrassing to have to ask for a refund every time, but it’s the principal. They need to stop their unethical practices.
We have been overcharged incorrectly many times. Over the years
,My dad meticulously check-in the receipts ten plus years . never once knew about the Free,item payback never saw posting etc.this doesn’t happen @ any Other store s,why can they not fix it. It is the computer the sale signs change and no one ever inputs the right info.into, cash registers. It is so wrong…but really if 97 precent or more customers never check or never go back to complain…multiply that …..five bucks times a million customers equals big $$$ for Them. They loose customers,a few does it matter? I drive far away for bigger savings and no mistaken over charging.@ other stores.
I am sick of being overcharged at safeway. I am going to start checking my receipt in line before I leave.
Here is the number to call in regards to their overcharge policy.
I see the policy at the check stands in SSF, CA. It is what you have posted.
1-800-283-9535
Hope this helps everyone out!!
They overcharge all the time at the local Safeway. They don’t program the discounts into the register, which is often the source of the problem.
Oh yes they have made million of dollars on there wrong pricing I feel bad for the mother’s that goes shopping with their children and gets the less expensive items because of her restricted Budget She doesn’t have time to check what the register charge her.Her eyes are on her children while she is unloading her basket of goods Her thrust relia in Safeway and look what they do to so many of us .I am sorry I have been following that store for years they should of have this over charge items computer program fix by now ..NO they are not going to stop THEY ARE MAKING TO MUCH MONEY AT THERE GAME THEY HAVE created .This done on purpase. IF ANYONE OUT THERE THAT IS GOING TO DO A CLASS ACTION AGAINST THEM PLEASE PUT ME FIRST ON THE LIST I HAVE DEAL WITH THIS OVER CHARGING ME FOR YEARS THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR TIME TO READ THIS