Most people don’t know this, but if you were to walk into any store in Michigan and be overcharged, even by a penny, you have the right to demand a refund plus up to $5 back. If the store refuses, you can sue them for up to $250 plus $300 for any attorney’s fees. Today I had a terrible coupon/shopping experience at Target: They refused to accept my coupon because the item was $0.97 and the coupon was for $1 off! The manager wouldn’t even lower it down by $0.03 pennies! To top it off, the cashier scanned my dozen eggs and it rang up as $1.89 as “merchandise” which caused me to also have to pay 6% tax! When I got to my car, I realized that the price she charged me was more than the listed price of the eggs ($1.63 as was listed on the shelf tag). I went back into the store and walked to the customer service line to tell the manager that I was over charged and that she was required to compensate me for the difference plus $5, which she gladly and quickly paid me! In addition, I walked away with a few booklets of coupons with over $25 in savings.
Under the Michigan Scanner Law, The 2011 shopping reform and modernization act, if you are overcharged
“You must notify the seller that you were overcharged, within 30 days of the transaction, either in person or in writing. Within two days of receiving your notice, the seller may choose to refund you the difference between the amount charged and the price displayed plus a “bonus” of ten times the difference, with a minimum of $1.00 and a maximum of $5.00. If the seller does not pay you both the refund and the bonus, you may bring a lawsuit to recover your actual damages or $250.00, whichever is greater, plus reasonable attorney fees up to $300.00.”
Next time you walk into a store and walk out, make sure you know what you are being charged for! Could you imagine if this happened to 100 people, Target or any store would be very rich scamming people off by just a few cents! If you don’t live in Michigan, check your local or official state government website for similar laws that may apply to you!