WWYD: Coles Self-Serve Register Charged Weighed Fruit Item Twice

[Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 20:31
Last edited 26/09/2023 - 16:34

In the spirit of calling out the various transgressions of our supermarkets, I've just noticed that Coles charged my husband twice for a Kent pumpkin piece he bought earlier today - an overpayment in the grand sum of:

$1.80

I suggested that he go back tomorrow (it's on the way home from work) & request a refund to which, he scoffed & uttered the words: "yeah, right".

I reckon the stuff-up should, at the very least, be bought to Coles' attention considering that there maybe a programming fault with the self-serve machines.

My husband raised the point that it may be difficult to prove & Coles may argue, that 2 separate pieces of Kent pumpkin were in fact scanned, that just happened to each be the same weight. But then there are those pesky cameras - can I ask Coles for a video replay?

WWYD ?

Edit: Receipt extract https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/291797/106687/img_2023…

UPDATE 26.09.2023: I checked instore today & Coles advised that the double scan is a known glitch that occurs with wrapped pumpkin & watermelon items. Taking on board members suggestions to check the tax invoice immediately after payment, I did so as I took the shopping trolley to the car park and can report that there were no errors today however I almost ran over a small wayward child whose mother was not too impressed. I told her that she needs to take better care of her child as I cannot be expected to steer the trolley, check the receipt and look out for children that are not being adequately supervised by their parents. The mother glared at me as it's school holidays.

Food & Grocery

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Coles
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Comments

  • zonra on 19/09/2023 - 20:33
    +21

    But then there are those pesky cameras - can I ask Coles for a video replay?

    You can. They’ll likely refuse though.

    WWYD ?

    I’d likely give up the moment I find out it’s $1.80 for the trip back and awkward convo required. But if you really want to, work out the hourly rate you’d get going through with that and see if it’s worth your while.

    The shop’ll likely just give you the $1.80 to get you to leave. Or your husband will give you his $1.80 and pretended he’s been to the shop for the refund.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:07
      +24

      He definitely ain't going back

  • deme on 19/09/2023 - 20:34
    +4

    What if he weighed it twice?

    • zonra on 19/09/2023 - 20:35
      +13

      I used to work customer facing.
      User errors are automatically shops’ fault in customers’ eyes.

        • mrkorrupt on 20/09/2023 - 09:07
          +2

          Imagine if that was true, tens of thousands of people shop through the same system and australia wide, imagine an error rate of 1%, that will mean hundreds of people will be affected. Surely, it is possible to make this mistake.

          Can you post a photo of the top half of the receipt showing all items

          • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2023 - 09:31

            @mrkorrupt: How do I attach a photo? I've never done it before within a Forum post

            Edit: Attached to post

          • bamzero on 20/09/2023 - 11:18
            +3

            @mrkorrupt: Not sure about Coles machines, but at Woolies you need to transfer items to the bagging platform where it's weighed again before you can scan the next item which should make it pretty hard to double scan accidentally.

            • Loopholio on 20/09/2023 - 11:37

              @bamzero: This is a feature that can be enabled by whomever administrates the machine. My local Coles used to enable weight-check-before-next-scan every school holiday period. My local Woolworths leaves it on at all times due to constant theft.

      • AustriaBargain on 20/09/2023 - 16:05
        +3

        It used to be the shop would have someone scan for you. Self checkout is great, but unreasonable to expect 100% of people to use it perfectly. Coles should eat the cost of user error until they come up with a perfect system one day.

      • CommuterPolluter on 21/09/2023 - 12:02
        +1

        They force us to use them so it is in fact their fault.

      • Benno007 on 05/02/2024 - 11:02

        Yeah, if I scan the wrong fruit (because it’s the first in the list) and it’s more expensive I just make it up by tossing in another fruit without scanning it.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:08

      Who does that?

      • deme on 19/09/2023 - 21:36
        +5

        Your husband apparently.

        • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:38
          +9

          No, it would mean bagging it & then retrieving it from the bagging area to weigh it, again & select the fruit item type, again.

          • deme on 19/09/2023 - 21:40

            @[Deactivated]: Maybe old mate left the second pumpkin at the checkout or trolley?

            • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:43

              @deme: lol - he's not elderly so, no

              • deme on 19/09/2023 - 21:44

                @[Deactivated]: He might be perfect in your eyes, but everyone does stupid stuff.

                • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:47
                  +1

                  @deme: Ha! He's not perfect & right now, he is mad that the Coles machines aren't either!

      • jellykingdom on 20/09/2023 - 07:22
        +10

        It's super easy to do. You scan the barcode, weigh the thing, it takes the weight, if the barcode is facing down it will scan it twice and weigh it again automatically and you probably don't even notice. The Coles self serve checkouts don't require you to put the item in the bagging area first before the next item can be started. It's actually a great feature but it is prone accident double scans i found

        • flagger on 20/09/2023 - 08:00
          +5

          In my local Coles (3 of them!), they all require the scanned item to be placed on the bagging scales before the next item can be scanned.

          • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2023 - 09:02

            @flagger: Pumpkin was scanned last

            • Randolph Duke on 20/09/2023 - 15:54
              +2

              @[Deactivated]: Not that hard to accidentally scan items twice.

              • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2023 - 16:15

                @Randolph Duke: It is when the machine is set to detect weight for scanned items

          • jellykingdom on 20/09/2023 - 09:04

            @flagger: That's strange. I don't goto Coles v often, so perhaps I'm wrong. Its definitely true for those self-service conveyor belt checkouts, the new ones. Those things are great! In and out in like 5min

            • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2023 - 09:56

              @jellykingdom: He didn't use the conveyor belt checkout as there weren't that many items.

              As it was the last item scanned, just trying to understand how it was included twice

            • Protractor on 22/09/2023 - 10:10
              +1

              @jellykingdom: Whenever I save a massive 5 mins via this amazing modern techy stuff, I put it to good use and, set aside 5 mins to write down what I did with that saved 5 mins.
              Oh how I love saving all this time!

          • dbun1 on 21/09/2023 - 13:21
            +1

            @flagger: Not all of them. My local Coles have some larger self checkouts that don’t check weights.

            You can scan and put straight back into the trolley.

    • Logical on 21/09/2023 - 17:22
      -1

      Weighing twice most likely would have given a 1gram difference

      • deme on 21/09/2023 - 18:02
        -1

        Weighing twice most likely would have given a 1gram difference

        This makes no sense.

        Weighing the same object twice would have the same weight.

        • Logical on 21/09/2023 - 20:49

          Try it next time and you will be surprised

  • skid on 19/09/2023 - 20:34
    +1

    Pretty much impossible for two pumpkins to have the same weight. I would return to Coles and get a refund before my wife asked.

    • deme on 19/09/2023 - 20:44
      +7

      https://www.coles.com.au/product/coles-kent-pumpkin-cut-appr…

      The scales are accurate to 0.001 kg

      lets just say to be kind, they'll range between:
      0.8kg and 1.0 kg, and to be even kinder to you, assume a flat distribution.

      The probability that two random coles-kent-pumpkin-cut will be the same is….

      1-(200!/(200-2)!)/(200^2)

      = 0.5%

      impossible

      Hardly.

      • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 22:36
        +4

        Hey, whose side are you on?

      • AustriaBargain on 20/09/2023 - 16:07

        p = 0.5%, seems pretty unlikely to me.

      • CommuterPolluter on 21/09/2023 - 12:04
        +1

        Pumpkin weighted 0.721 kg which is outside of your range. That makes the chance of 2 pumpkins having that same weight = 0 under a normal distribution (flat distribution is increasing the likelihood so not sure why you facetiously said it’s being kind to him).

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:10

      I picked up the error when he gave me the receipt as I only saw 1 pumpkin piece in the fridge and asked him where the other one was.

      • JIMB0 on 20/09/2023 - 04:18
        +11

        He got hungry and scoffed it on the way home.

        • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2023 - 09:57

          lol - You're the second person to comment about eating raw pumpkin & I did not know this was a thing

      • mrkorrupt on 20/09/2023 - 09:09
        +5

        I reviewed the camera footage, he bought two, must of give one to the mistress

        • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2023 - 10:07

          lol - he wouldn't dare

    • Randolph Duke on 20/09/2023 - 15:57

      Probably charged as a half/full rather than weight, since OP said it was scanned.

      • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2023 - 17:26

        Scanned & weighed

        • deme on 21/09/2023 - 18:02

          Were you there?

          • [Deactivated] on 22/09/2023 - 12:45

            @deme: He did a re-enactment for me after I questioned him over ~2 hours as to HOW THE EFF this could have happened.

            Also, I usually do the grocery shopping so kinda sorta know how it works.

            • johnno07 on 22/09/2023 - 13:29
              +1

              @[Deactivated]:

              I questioned him over ~2 hours as to HOW THE EFF this could have happened

              Have you considered a hobby? This seems like an unhealthy use of your time.

            • deme on 22/09/2023 - 18:10
              +1

              @[Deactivated]:

              over ~2 hours

              $1.80

              90c/hour

              • [Deactivated] on 22/09/2023 - 20:20

                @deme: lol - I needed to get a detailed account of what happened from my prisoner husband as I knew I would be questioned by the OzB jury.

                • gromit on 23/09/2023 - 08:59

                  @[Deactivated]: When you present your case to the court of public opinion you have to expect to be challenged on the evidence and detailed account.

                  • [Deactivated] on 23/09/2023 - 12:10

                    @gromit: Oh, I know hence the inquisition!

            • Randolph Duke on 23/09/2023 - 11:57

              @[Deactivated]: I hope this is in jest.

  • lovesabargain77 on 19/09/2023 - 20:39
    +14

    Sorry, I'm with your husband, it's not worth the effort to go back for that amount.

    I'd just treat it as a cheap lesson to remind me to always check the screen / receipt before walking away from the self self terminal.

    If you're really concerned about bringing it to Coles attention, you could just call their customer service hotline with the receipt and transaction details.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 20:53
      +3

      I just checked & they have live chat so much more convenient

  • ausdday on 19/09/2023 - 20:43
    +6

    From my experience, after an item is scanned / weighted, the sef-serve checkout will stop until that item is bagged ( on the bagging scale). Hard to imagine the item is charged twice by mistake.

    But I think if you go back to the service counter, tell them politely, they will just refund you that $1.80. It’s not worth their time to argue over $1.80

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 20:57

      hmmm …. it's the last item/s on the receipt & he says the machine didn't pause with the 'Attendant required' or whatever the pop-up usually says before he proceeded to payment

    • CommuterPolluter on 21/09/2023 - 12:06

      I’ve used machines which don’t enforce bagging. The self-serve trolley lanes, for example, don’t usually have any bag scales.

  • Muzeeb on 19/09/2023 - 20:47
    +12

    Your husband's time is worth more than $1.80 for 5-10 minutes of effort.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 20:59
      +4

      He did scoff

    • Sammy2000 on 19/09/2023 - 22:57

      Plus the time to drive there, plus the time to wait for service, plus the time he has to listen to how she was right.

    • Flying Ace on 20/09/2023 - 09:28
      +2

      That's what Coles rely on - people not being bothered to bring mistakes to their attention.

      • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2023 - 10:08

        TBH - Just want to know how to prevent it from happening again

        • Flying Ace on 20/09/2023 - 13:49

          Don't use the self-serve checkouts.

          • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2023 - 17:28

            @Flying Ace: They're all self-serve or hybrid so unavoidable

  • mskeggs on 19/09/2023 - 20:47
    +25

    Give him the Soy Sauce to return too.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:00
      +3

      lol - I showed him that post

    • SpicyStew on 20/09/2023 - 16:10
      -2

      that was woolies

  • payton on 19/09/2023 - 20:48

    taking the piss, OP ?
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/800417

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:14

      No - maybe a homage ?!?

  • jjjaar on 19/09/2023 - 20:56
    +1

    can I ask Coles for a video replay?

    Don’t forget to ask for the slo mo referee video check that replays the same 4 frames backwards and forwards 2 times.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:01
      +1

      What good are the cameras if they cannot be called as evidence on behalf of shoppers?

      • Munki on 21/09/2023 - 16:07

        They're there to catch people thieving, not to help them.

  • Benoffie on 19/09/2023 - 20:56
    +2

    This is why you double check receipts before going back to the car. Much easier to walk to the service counter and challenge a stuff up.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:05
      +2

      He avoids supermarkets like the plague …. the last time he offered to do a grocery shop was during the last plague lockdowns when he was bored stuck at home otherwise I do it.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 19/09/2023 - 21:07
      +2

      Yeah I routinely do a quick check over all my receipts. Haven’t ever caught out a merchant yet though.

      • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:25
        +4

        I told him what you wrote & he scoffed, again.

  • randomusername2017 on 19/09/2023 - 21:32

    Aldi closed?

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 21:36

      Not as convenient as Coles

  • Protractor on 19/09/2023 - 22:15
    +5

    Hubby has a pumpkin problem. He ate one piece on the way home. Divorce imminent.

    (hint) check his stools for orange colouring.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/09/2023 - 22:25
      +2

      lol - I made roasted pumpkin & beetroot with olive oil, thyme, goat fetta & shredded chicken for dinner

      Never tried eating raw pumpkin.

      • Protractor on 20/09/2023 - 10:11
        +1

        Geez, not fair, that reply got the taste buds going.

      • Loopholio on 20/09/2023 - 11:47
        +1

        Oh man that sounds good. Maybe you could divorce him and marry me? I'll return any item you like as often as you like, all day.

        All Day

  • Archi on 19/09/2023 - 23:13
    +1

    I once scanned a watermelon that weighed about 5kg and registered $0.01

    Didnt see that till i got home.

    • ssfps on 19/09/2023 - 23:36
      +1

      I've scanned 50g of garlic and not realized until getting home that I was charged for 500g. Turns out the machine's scale was massively off calibration, everything was over-weighed but the garlic was the most obvious because it should have been a few cents but cost approx $20.

      After that I stopped assuming the machines are always right and give the scale readout a quick sanity check - still might be a little off, but at least it will be obvious if its double or something.

      • spaceflight on 21/09/2023 - 18:07

        But when you put things into the bagging area those scales should have picked up the difference on every item and required a staff member check

        • ssfps on 21/09/2023 - 23:19

          You would expect that, but it's not my experience. No idea if they have fixed weight margins of error, or flexible/fuzzy correlations, or what.

        • xsacha on 23/09/2023 - 03:22
          -1

          Pretty sure they only check that the weight increased

  • morse on 20/09/2023 - 06:52
    +3

    Raise it with them, but just do it at the next shop rather than making a special trip. They’ll most likely refund it.

  • EightImmortals on 20/09/2023 - 06:58
    +2

    Geez if it's that's drastic I'm happy to start a gofundme for you. :)

  • Flying Ace on 20/09/2023 - 07:03
    +2

    WWYD

    Stop using self-serve checkouts.

  • pinnacle on 20/09/2023 - 07:20
    +2

    I once had 3 or 4 items that were not on my cart on the bill (either the machine had a malfunction or I continued scanning someone else's cart who left without paying). I luckily checked it before leaving the Self Checkout and had the extra charge refunded. Now make it a habit everytime to check the receipt before I leave the place..

    • Loopholio on 20/09/2023 - 11:53

      I once paid for someone else's 600ml bottle of coke. They must have beeped and left without paying. I pay attention now. I'm still butthurt over it.

  • andrek on 20/09/2023 - 07:37

    If I have to go - just forget it. If my husband has to go - tell him to do it.

    .. or at least that's how my wife would to that.

    • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2023 - 10:32

      I only suggested it (as a joke based on the other post).

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