If something is priced wrong in the store.....

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amother

Tue, Nov 05 2024, 4:10 pm

and it's obvious and it's in my favor, am I allowed to buy it or do I have to bring it to the owner's attention?

Examples:
I go into a chain store where I buy t-shirts often which are always priced at $20. I find some on the rack priced at $2.00 on the rack. No signs about sales or markdowns and seems more a clerical error of missing a decimal place than an intentional mark-down. Can I grab an armload of tees and pay $2/ each at check out (assuming the girl at the register says nothing)?

I go to a large chain grocery store and decide I'll pick up some salmon while I'm there. I tell the guy behind the counter I'll take a whole side of salmon. It's $16/ lb. and I'm expecting the whole huge piece to be at least 4 lbs and so over $60 total. When the guy hands me the fish I see it's priced at $28. Upon examination of the label I see he weighed it wrong, or maybe the scale wasn't set right because it's showing my fish only weighs about 1.75 lbs. Can I just carry it to checkout and accept this mistake?

How about if I go to a kosher butcher and I see a large package of ribs priced really low and then realize it's because they weighed it right but the sticker says neck bones instead of ribs so it was marked really low price per pound. I can grab all the packages and give my family a feast tonight. Or can I?

I am curious to know what my obligation is in such situations. Am I obligated to correct these mistakes in all cases? In some cases?

amother

Gardenia

Tue, Nov 05 2024, 4:12 pm

I'm pretty sure you're only obligated if it's a jewish owner according to Halacha.
Hard to know if chain stores are owned by a jew.

amother

Periwinkle

Tue, Nov 05 2024, 4:16 pm

amother Gardenia wrote:

I'm pretty sure you're only obligated if it's a jewish owner according to Halacha.
Hard to know if chain stores are owned by a jew.

I have also heard this.

amother

NeonGreen

Tue, Nov 05 2024, 4:22 pm

So the problem is, it’s the worker who made the error, not the owner. The worker has no rights to give away things for free so now maybe you are taking on his chesbon. Will the owner fine him afterwards?

Personally, I would take the amount I had intended to take at the regular price, make them aware of the mistake on the shelf and ask if they could honor the price on the package or 2 I was taking.

Furthermore, if the mistake was not in your favor, would you tell them? I bet you would. I check my receipts and if the store overcharges me or didn’t give me the correct change, I tell them, so if they undercharge me or give me back too much change, how can I not say something?

amother

Powderblue

Tue, Nov 05 2024, 4:26 pm

Not a Rav lol but I think if the owner is Jewish you have to tell. If not, if you're not mechuyav to, but if you're obviously Jewish and it'll make a kiddush Hashem, it's praiseworthy to tell them.

I had this once. I was in a pharmacy, and once I got home I saw that they'd charged me for 2 bottles of shampoo instead of 3.

I paid for the extra one when I was next there, and OMG they made such a big deal over it! Said this has never happened before, and called the manager over who asked 'Are all 'you people' so honest!!

We were on vacation, they said they rarely have Jewish customers, altho the odd ones who do shop there are always super polite Very Happy

Molly Weasley

Tue, Nov 05 2024, 4:27 pm

amother Powderblue wrote:

Bravo! I love these stories

amother

Ginger

Tue, Nov 05 2024, 4:27 pm

I think it also depends if it's a small business where it will affect their bottom line or a huge chain store.
The big stores ShopRite target etc often have a policy that if it's labeled/ rings up wrong you get 1 free, or they honor the mistake.

Dev80

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 3:22 am

So for the t-shirts I wouldn't assume it's an error. Also if it's just marked $2 but meant to be $20, it will ring up at the cash register. So for those ones I wouldn't say anything but also probably wouldn't take more than I need. But maybe they had overstock or they're damaged...

For the butcher examples I would say something because it was someone weighing it incorrectly or marking it incorrectly and that's not going to show up on a register at checkout. I'd feel too guilty using it otherwise.
I don't know what Halacha permits but that's how I'd go about it

thegiver

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 5:06 am

If something is underpriced in a Jewish store you are obligated to tell the checkout person. Make sure he has the authority to honor the lesser price. If he is mochel it is muttar.

The Halacha hotline of 5 towns has an excellent guide on monetary matters. If you call them they email you one for no charge. (I’m sure they’d appreciate a donation). I LOVE it! So many different scenarios clarified.

It’s called The Bottom Line by Rav Moshe Kaufman.

amother

Tangerine

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 5:30 am

In a non Jewish store it's a Kiddush Hashem if they know you are Jewish.

amother

Mistyrose

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 5:36 am

So I had this today with a customer in a Jewish shop I work in
She brought pants yesterday and only paid 5 shekals when today she asked me they were 20
Shekais so today she was buying lots of more I told her it's a mistake and she paid for yesterday ones and today's ones she took less

amother

Rainbow

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 5:51 am

If they weigh something wrong I do tell them. They’re always so grateful. It’s happened more than once.

amother

Snowflake

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 6:40 am

If it's a Jewish store you definitely need to say something. I had a few instances like this recently and they always honored their error, and they were grateful I pointed it out.

amother

Honeysuckle

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 8:09 am

thegiver wrote:

What is the phone number?

Shani...

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 1:08 pm

Many chain stores are publicly traded and it is likely that Jews own a large amount of shares.

Essentially, you have to treat it the same way you would do for a jewish store

amother

Steelblue

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 1:31 pm

amother Ginger wrote:

I don't think Halacha works that way

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