Tesco misprice policy discussion area

Dick_Dastardly_3

spa2k wrote:

You need to consider the definition of an overcharge from a Tesco point of view. It is when the system charges you more than is indicated on a piece of paper attached to a shelf. The whole accouting system is based on the price stored on the central computers and that is what you are charged when you go through a till. Therefore there can be no "Overcharge" account as how would they know what the price discrepancies are for accounting purposes.

Yes, they track the refunds - very carefully in fact, but refunds are a completely different thing to overcharges....if you mean a refund account, then yes there is one!!

I will add no more to this thread as i feel it is no becoming pointless. Best of luck to Joel in whatever role you play within or outside of Tesco. Have fun with the overcharges and refunds people

You have answered the question without even really understanding what I am driving at. The answer is that Tescos are not logging overcharges different to normal refunds within there accounts, (from what I can gather). I would say that from an accounting perspective that is entirely incorrect. A refund is totally different in accounting terms and should be dealt with differently the entries are different. Eg.

refund
Credit CASH/BANK (amount to customer)
Debit Stock (resaleable item B/S) / Stock Write off Account (non resale P&L)

overcharge

Credit CASH/BANK (amount to customer)
Debit A profit and loss account that should represent overcharges

There is no return of stock in an overcharge, as is the case in a refund. Thus an opposite and equivalent entry most be posted to the P&L to balance the reduction in CASH/BANK.

I guarantee as a person qualified in this area that this should be the way it is treated in the accounts (or something similar, especially if it is a big number). The central database issue is irrelevant to the accounting entries that need to be made once the R&R is established. Have we uncovered a rouse to keep the auditors off the scent of the overcharge pot ?

I think that this is a most interesting discussion, I am hopeful that I can get to the bottom of why the auditors are not on the case, and it seems that we are getting closer to why, thanks to your input.

MissG_2

!!!!!!_Dastardly wrote:

Not entirely true, Tescos have an advertised policy, (in some branches (not shown in all), but can be confirmed with HQ) that says something on the lines of 'if you have no receipt we will give you an exchange to the value of the current price of the item'.

Therefore they are not doing you a favour they are adhering to an advertised policy. Also it makes business sense to do this, as customers would soon be miffed if they could do nothing about an item if the receipt was lost, especially when there might be loads of other shopping on the receipt thus easy to lose/bin.

Thanks that's a good one to remember!!

Does it have to be another book if you had no receipt for a book or could you exchange it for anything in the none food section??

ben500

reme-bod wrote:

littlemissfrugal, I agree with you wholeheartedly. It's hard trying to keep your mind on one thing when there are so many other factors in your private life.

For instance, I had the misfortune to have my pet kidnapped and received a ransome note. Now this pet was no ordinary pet; it was a very rare albino penguin... called Fido. My great-grandfather discovered him during an expedition to the North Pole, and was extremely attached to him.

When Fido was kidnapped, the ransom was for a massive £1000, and we all had to scrape together our life savings in order to meet the demands. Eventually, our whole family amassed a total of £1001.48p. This was enough to meet the ransom demands and buy a small 'welcome home' treat for Fido. So, with a bag full of £5 notes and loads of pound coins and pennies, I headed to my local Tesco (quite possibly the one where you work), and went to buy a packet of Fox's Glacier Mints - Fido's favourites. These were advertised on the SEL as being £1.48, so I'd have exactly £1000 to give the kidnappers.

I was in a real hurry I had to meet the kidnappers in less than 10 minutes to do the exchange. I didn't have time to count the change, so I gave the nice lady at the checkout a fiver, and she gave me my change.

I met up with 'Big Dave - proffessional kidnapper' just behind the bike sheds in the local library carpark... he had a big bag with Fido in it. He took my bag of money and got into his rusty white van, and started counting every penny. I waited nervously... anxiously... for half an hour whilst he counted and recounted.
Without warning, the engine roared into life and he sped away in a cloud of black oily smoke. Confused and upset, I didn't understand what had just happened, until I looked at my receipt... instead of being charged £1.48, I had been OVERCHARGED and had paid £1.84!

This meant that Big Dave didn't receive his full £1000, and the result was a single white penguin feather delivered to our door the next day. There was a tiny spot of blood on the end. This was more than my poor great-grandad could take, and he died that night from a broken heart, at the sprightly young age of 140.

So you see, littlemissfrugal, I DO understand how these little innacuracies, although stressful to all, can have dramatic effects on innocents.

I wish you had said something earlier, I know big dave well and he actually does a monthly budget plan for a small fee! I could have arranged something for you, I'm sad however to hear of your loss and I have posted you a jumping bean to replace your lost pet.

ben500

redfox wrote:

I agree, all they have to do is give you the £20 off. Technically this is not an overcharge because you are paying the correct price for the phone as noted on the SEL. The £20 discount is an additional incentive and all they have to refund you is the £20 discount that they omitted to give. IMO anyway

I see your reasoning but think you will find that the offer to treat comprises of a £20 discount should you fulfill the given criteria, ie spend £40 or more, having spent £40 or more the price of the phone is now £20 less than sel as per offer, if the discount is not applied you have been overcharged.

Effectively the "bargain" cannot be reduced between the shelf and the till.

spender

Joel can you help. the last couple of times at Tescos when I have presented my Tesco's plus card they have hesitated whilst looking at the screen and then very closely scrutinised the money off vouchers. I have used several of the additional 150 points for welcoming me to clubcard. Do they bring up information on screen about you such as "check extra close, extra fast one being pulled". I am getting paranoid.

Dick_Dastardly_3

ben500 wrote:

I see your reasoning but think you will find that the offer to treat comprises of a £20 discount should you fulfill the given criteria, ie spend £40 or more, having spent £40 or more the price of the phone is now £20 less than sel as per offer, if the discount is not applied you have been overcharged.

Effectively the "bargain" cannot be reduced between the shelf and the till.

Absolutely correcto-mondo, in Ninja turtle speak !

Exactly the same of offers like BOGOFs, buy chart DVD get other for 9.94, buy 2 for £2, etc. The display on shelf clearly shows when these offers should be applied, if they are not an overcharge has occured, and you are entitled to R&R.

ben500

spa2k wrote:

I will add no more to this thread as i feel it is no becoming pointless. Best of luck to Joel in whatever role you play within or outside of Tesco. Have fun with the overcharges and refunds people

I think you should hang around myself, if for no other reason than your own benefit, there are many people with many opinions on these threads you are welcome to yours as much as anyone else, there are also some extremely resourceful posters who when seing something which they know to be incorrect will make a counter post for clarity, that is the nature of the site our resources are pooled and our expertise grows and all benefit as a result, I understand your desire to support your employer and your loyalty is to be commended whether misguided or otherwise, that having been said the lengths that some employees are prepared to go to in order to support their employer or spite their customers is quite often criminal not just downright ignorant and obstructive, and this being done in support of the original criminal offence on the part of the retailer is for most an unbreachable barrier so they continue to allow themselves to be robbed, and yes I'm sure you probably would question my choice of phrase on many occasion, I like to add a little colour to my comments, it makes for more interesting reading than a stream of statistics, better to hang around and have the odd disagreement whilst utilising the rest of the site than to deprive yourself of the uncountable benefits of the site. Some of us have quite intimate knowledge of some subjects some little, between us a great deal that coupled with the ability and willingness to research a given topic is what makes this community a formidable force against sharp practice and in the search of minimal expenditure.

fifo_2

Hiya,

in additinion to spender and ben500s posts, I wonder if we could set up an "Ask Joel and Spa2k" thread ?!

I've got a couple of very straightforward questions, nothing to do with r and r, that I'd love to ask a tesco expert.

how about it joel ?

--Tony--

spender wrote:

Joel can you help. the last couple of times at Tescos when I have presented my Tesco's plus card they have hesitated whilst looking at the screen and then very closely scrutinised the money off vouchers. I have used several of the additional 150 points for welcoming me to clubcard. Do they bring up information on screen about you such as "check extra close, extra fast one being pulled". I am getting paranoid.

Please please dont say you have been using more than one welcome 150 point voucher!

No wonder they hesitated, they know you can only get one with a new account.

WELSH-DRAGON_2

Tony, checkout ebay and for the info to get the 150 point voucher people are paying at least 99p sometimes more. I read on another thread that someone was planning to use the 150 vouchers at least one or twice a week. If you are going to use the 150 voucher NEVER use more than one in a transaction as you will be sussed. (Though, it's an easy way to get the points I wouldn't recommend it).