Errors on German supermarket receipts can cause customers to lose money unnecessarily, and are more common on certain days. Here’s what you should look out for on your receipt:
According to reports from German newspapers, including consumer magazine Stiftung Warentest, and the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband), customer receipts from German supermarkets are less likely to be accurate on Mondays.
This is because deals offered during that coming week may not have been added to the digital system by the time shops open on Monday mornings. As such, customers are encouraged to check their receipts more diligently on Monday mornings, in case advertised discounts have not been applied.
Alongside offers not being applied punctually, German consumer magazines and consumer rights bodies warn of four additional common checkout errors that customers should look out for:
Cashiers working quickly can lead to products being scanned incorrectly or scanned too many times. Customers should check the amounts of each product they have bought immediately after getting their receipt, as claiming a refund for double-scanned products is much harder once you’ve left the shop.
Price changes can mean that a product is advertised as costing one price on the shelf, and another price once it has been scanned at the checkout. Customers may be inclined to think that a shop must sell them the product at the price advertised on the shelf. However, according to Stiftung Warentest, prices listed on the shelf are “not binding”.
If you still pay for your food shopping in cash, like many people in Germany, it is also worth properly checking your change from the cashier. Employees scanning customers’ shopping quickly can lead to short change or other inconsistencies, which are difficult for customers to challenge later on. To avoid being shortchanged, make sure to always count your change as it is given to you by the cashier.
While many may assume that it is relatively easy to return unsatisfactory purchases to a brick-and-mortar shop in Germany, supermarkets are only obliged to process your return if you purchased a faulty product. However, there are exceptions to this rule. If the exceptions apply to any products you purchased, the shop is likely to note them on your receipt.
If you find an error on your receipt, you should let the cashier know immediately. In larger German supermarkets, you can also visit the customer service point, usually located near the front of the shop.
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