Today’s tip is all about the freebie…
Yesterday, I was grocery shopping and, while in the baby aisle, picked up some onesies for baby #2. When it came time to pay, I noticed that the price was incorrect when the cashier scanned them in. I kindly mentioned to the cashier that the price was incorrect and she acknowledged it and entered the correct price. However, I reminded her of a little thing called the Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP). By being frugal and paying attention I’ve managed to get these items, as well as sippy cups, pacifiers, grocery items, and more… all free, due to this policy. I’ve told a lot of my mama friends about this, yet not many have heard of it.
In short, it’s a voluntary code that nearly every major grocery and drug store chain in Canada adheres to. It promises the customer accurate price scanning at the register on all UPC scanned or Price Look Up (PLU) merchandise. If an item scans in at a price higher than the shelf price the customer gets it for free (or $10 off if the item is more than $10).
I suggest you check it out – it’s a policy that was established to protect us, the consumers, against misleading pricing practices and I encourage you to take advantage of it!
What if the item is on sale and it scans at the regular price?
You get it for free – up to $10 value! If the item is more than $10, you get $10 off the item's SALE price. I've had many instances where a cashier tried to simply give me $10 off the scanned (i.e. higher) price, until I reminded them of the policy… then they grudgingly complied.
Wow! That's happened to me so many times – I'm so glad I know about this now! Thanks Fab Frugal Mama!