Made mistake, employer took my money to correct error - is that allowed?

Sazere

Can anyone offer any advice on this please:-

Working in a local shop (national company), sold young lad a T-Mobile top-up voucher £10, 10 mins later he comes back and says he wanted O2 not T-Mobile. Certain he asked for T-Mobile but he was adamant he asked for O2. Checked the voucher it had not been used so swapped it for the one he wanted. Supervisor then said I would have to pay the £10 for the T-Mobile voucher as the shop couldn't put it back on sale (even though it hadn't been used). I was asked to hand over the money there and then. Is this normal?

jiblets1

I'm afraid I don't know the legality of it, but it sounds VERY wrong to me. How on earth can you be liable for someone elses mistake or meaness. Even if it was your error, we must all be entitled to make a mistake. And the kid did take it, so surely that makes it at least equally his mistake? It's just gotta be wrong.

Shazmar_2

Inform your employer that you are not liable for company losses and that if any money taken is not immediately returned you will instigate an industrial tribunal claim for UNLAWFUL deduction of wages. If you get no joy from the employer contact ACAS.

ginger_nuts

what is the company policy on returning vouchers ?

Frugal_Fox

If company policy is 'not to refund on sold vouchers' then you were in the wrong and whilst you could see it was not used, you should have defered to your manager - to protect yourself. However I would not think that it would be appropriate to take the money from you - do you have any proof that your manager did this? I should have expected a formal warning - probably a verbal warning, unless this is not the first time you have done this.

would write a letter to your area manager - polite and concise saying how disappointed you are with the disciplinary procedure regarding this incident and see what happens. I suspect that this is NOT company policy and I fear that you have just given your manager a nice little drink tonight at your expense.

real1314

so, as you've paid for the voucher, did you get to keep it?

whatever it says in your contract / terms of employment, if you had to pay for it, surely it becomes yours, and you could then flog it on ebay for £9 inc postage and cut your losses.

Sazere

The supervisor was in the shop with me and told me to swap the voucher as it had not been used.

Yes this is the first error in several years of working at this shop (perhaps that sounds conceited, maybe should state this is the first error been made aware of).

Yes, I have the voucher and a receipt (told supervisor I wanted receipt to prove I had paid for it).

Frugal_Fox

Hi,

Then I would definately write a polite, but well worded letter to you area manager asking to clarify what the procedure is, and if this is standard procedure why you have not been made aware of it, particularly as the supervisor told you to swap the voucher - so should they really have paid for it not you, as you sought their advice?

Let us know how you get on.
FF
x

kelloggs36

Can they explain why a voucher that hasn't been used, can't be re-sold? Surely if it is in a sealed packet, it can go back where you got it from to be given to the next person who requests such a voucher?

mayb_2

What happened to the money when you handed it over?

Sazere

Money went in till as I asked for receipt so supervisor had to put it through the till again, as if I had requested to purchase it.