Scammed at Sunoco

Yesterday (July 9th) evening I went to the APlus convenience store at the Sunoco station on Truro Parish. I bought a Snapple and some Life Savers for a total of $4.49. I paid with a $10 bill. I received my change and exited the store. Seconds after walking out I realized that I had only received $0.51 in change; that’s $5.00 less than what I should have received. I walked back in and told the cashier that there had been a mistake: I had paid with a $10 bill and I had been short-changed by $5.00. He denied this, pulling up my receipt on the computer that clearly (and incorrectly) stated that I had paid $5.00. I politely tried to explain the situation again to the cashier, but it was no use. He simply scoffed at my argument. At this point, there was nothing I could do to get my correct change. Not wanting to escalate an argument, I left.

It was silly of me not to immediately realize that I had been short-changed by $5.00. However, I now realize that as soon as I handed over my money it was already too late. The receipt says what it says and there’s no way to “prove” how much I actually paid. I’m angry; I lost $5.00 and I was cheated at a store that I’ve visited hundreds of times. Is there anything for me to do to right this situation? If not, I’d like this to serve as a warning to all Broadlands residents that there are liars and cheaters in your own backyard.

 

today I learned a bottle of Snapple and life savers costs ~$5 -- maybe that is the true ripoff 8)

 

I expect that the owner has a video camera aimed at the cash register. This is mainly to prevent their employees from stealing from the register. You may be able to get the owner to review the tape to see what bill you gave the clerk.

 

Once upon a time, if there were a dispute, the register was shut down and a cash count was conducted to compare to the tape. This usually solved the problem.

Secondly, the cashier never puts the bill in the drawer until the transaction is completed and the change is returned to the consumer, but either way, if the consumer is not paying attention to their money then it fails.

This doesn't sound like a scam but if it happened to me, and the amount is over $5, I would demand they close the drawer and do a cash count.

I think the real scam is what they charged for the Snapple and Lifesavers - now that's a rip-off, imo.

 

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I've learned my lesson and next time I'll pay more attention at the register to catch these little things. It's only $5, but a penny saved is a penny earned.