Cashback Error at Tesco

bec28

I went to Tesco on Friday to do some shopping. I paid with my Tesco Clubcard Plus card and asked for £30 cashback.
Yesterday morning as we were setting off for a family day out, dh asked me if I had any money to which I replied yes I got £30 out yesterday, however when I checked my purse I realised that I had never actually been given the money. :mad:
I went to Tesco straightaway to tell them and they told me they hadn't cashed the tills from the previous day and they would call me later.
We then had to go and get more money from the bank and went out for the day as planned.
On our return there was a message on the answer phone from Tesco saying that they didn't have our money. :think:
Now I know that I haven't got the money and if the till balanced and wasn't over then it must mean that the cashier pocketed my money :mad:
:wall: Where do I stand with this, it is basically my word against his but I am not prepared to let this drop as I can't afford to lose £30 (who can) _pale_ but want to know what I can do before I go down there again today.
Shall I write to them/customer services/head office and inform them what has happened?
I also do mystery shopper work for this store (but they don't know that of course orit wouldn't be a mystery!) so want to get it sorted before my next 'visit'.
Hope someone can help me or offer advice, sorry to have gone on a bit.
Many thanks
Bec

Swattie

Ask them to check their cctv footage - you should have the exact time, date & till on your receipt.

If you're mistaken then it proves it was customer error (from their point of view) and theiy're in the clear and if you're right then it's in the interest of the store not to employ that particular member of staff any longer.

I would do this asap as it will be easier to source the footage.

Be polite, but firm, it is your right under the data protection act to have access to all records they hold on you incl CCTV footage. There may be an admin fee, and they are within their rights to charge it, if you were 'robbed' then I'm sure they will refund it.

Suewre

I don't get cashback very often, but each time I am asked to initial the amount on the receipt as I am handed the money. Did you initial the receipt?

It might not have been the person on the checkout, they might have got the money out and put it on the side, and you didn't notice it, and the next person took it

daveboy

In relation to the above post - if a cashier did that they should be dismissed for poor cash handling procedures.

Each store should have a book specifically for change and cashback queries - each one should be recorded in this book. Sometimes the store or duty manager will authorise it as a 'goodwill' gesture (I understand in this case it is actually yours), if it can't be determined whether it was issued or not.

As you do mystery customer work, wouldn't it be possible to contact a store manager at another store? Failing that, I'd contact head office.

I know what the procedure is at Sainsbury's and would have thought Tesco would be pretty much the same. Initialling the receipt is something that should also happen as has already been said.

ben500

daveboy wrote:

In relation to the above post - if a cashier did that they should be dismissed for poor cash handling procedures.

Each store should have a book specifically for change and cashback queries - each one should be recorded in this book. Sometimes the store or duty manager will authorise it as a 'goodwill' gesture (I understand in this case it is actually yours), if it can't be determined whether it was issued or not.

As you do mystery customer work, wouldn't it be possible to contact a store manager at another store? Failing that, I'd contact head office.

I know what the procedure is at Sainsbury's and would have thought Tesco would be pretty much the same. Initialling the receipt is something that should also happen as has already been said.

Unfortunately initialling of the receipt is not always something to go by as frequently you are asked to initial the receipt BEFORE receiving the cash, I always insist on getting the cash in my hand before signing, so beware.

ben500

bec28 wrote:

I went to Tesco on Friday to do some shopping. I paid with my Tesco Clubcard Plus card and asked for £30 cashback.
Yesterday morning as we were setting off for a family day out, dh asked me if I had any money to which I replied yes I got £30 out yesterday, however when I checked my purse I realised that I had never actually been given the money. :mad:
I went to Tesco straightaway to tell them and they told me they hadn't cashed the tills from the previous day and they would call me later.
We then had to go and get more money from the bank and went out for the day as planned.
On our return there was a message on the answer phone from Tesco saying that they didn't have our money. :think:
Now I know that I haven't got the money and if the till balanced and wasn't over then it must mean that the cashier pocketed my money :mad:
:wall: Where do I stand with this, it is basically my word against his but I am not prepared to let this drop as I can't afford to lose £30 (who can) _pale_ but want to know what I can do before I go down there again today.
Shall I write to them/customer services/head office and inform them what has happened?
I also do mystery shopper work for this store (but they don't know that of course orit wouldn't be a mystery!) so want to get it sorted before my next 'visit'.
Hope someone can help me or offer advice, sorry to have gone on a bit.
Many thanks
Bec

Phone the store today before 4pm, ask to speak to the store manager (get his name and position) and request the cctv footage for yesterday be secured as in the light of yesterdays events you may need them to support future civil and criminal actions in respect of this incident, they are legally bound to do so, customer services are closed today but call them first thing in the morning and advise the same and that you have requested that cctv material be secured and will be sending formal written request under the data protection act in due course, I believe the maximum they can charge you is £10 so be careful to include the words "full and complete search of your records for data pertaining to myself and any cctv footage for (date, time and store)" make a point of telling them that you believe at this point in the light of the store stating no extra funds were in the till that your money has been deliberately misappropriated and will be contacting the police in pursuit of the theft.

Remember they MUST make this information available to you, if they tell you the tapes have been re-recorded on, no film in camera or some other feeble excuse make sure you note the exact time the conversation took place for future reference as footage is required to be stored for a specific period, I don't know exactly how long but you can always check that out elsewhere.

lynnemcf

Isnt this a case of customer error? If you walked away from a cash dispenser without taking the money, would you expect the bank to take responsibility? Someone could have taken the money from your purse after you left the cashier.

bec28

lynnemcf wrote:

Isnt this a case of customer error? If you walked away from a cash dispenser without taking the money, would you expect the bank to take responsibility? Someone could have taken the money from your purse after you left the cashier.

No it is not customer error it is their error and no one took it from my purse as it was never there in the first place!!

I did not inital the receipt, just signed the normal credit card slip.

I have just been back to the store to tak to the manager who is going to investigate it and get back to me.

keatergreyhound

The exact same thing happend to me in Boots a few weeks ago. I word in a supermarket mini store. If a cashier makes an error really the till should be cashed up striaight away. Do as the others say they have to allow it you. Also when this doesa get sorted out a carefully written letter to head office may be on order. Ive written one off to Boots and am awaiting an outcome. I havent a car and it left me with no money for busfares all weekend. I had to walk home alone at gone 11 at night. I was not happy
Good Luck
Keaterxx

CrazyChemist_2

Thanks for posting about this bec28! :j

I'm shocked by this because I very often get cashback at Tesco and sometimes my mind will drift. I will make a point from now on, of initialling the receipt only after I have received the cash. :beer:

lynnemcf wrote:

Isnt this a case of customer error? If you walked away from a cash dispenser without taking the money, would you expect the bank to take responsibility? Someone could have taken the money from your purse after you left the cashier.

No it isn't - if someone had taken the money from the purse, it would have been a straightforward criminal case. This is different - it is obtaining cash by deception.

To answer your specific point, you can't walk away from a cash machine unless you are severely !!!!!! and somehow forget in the preceding ten seconds that you just requested cash, and also don't hear the cash being counted Also in my case you wouldn't leave without the receipt and checking the cash is the correct amount :cool:

MarkyMarkD

CrazyChemist wrote:

To answer your specific point, you can't walk away from a cash machine unless you are severely !!!!!! and somehow forget in the preceding ten seconds that you just requested cash, and also don't hear the cash being counted

No more retarted than walking away from the shop till without taking the money ... which is rather harsh to the original poster. People DO make mistakes and there's no need to be quite so critical!