Legal Reference Blog by Renee C. Walsh, Attorney

went to walgreens they charged me for something i did not even buy went right back in got the refund asked about bounty was told law was changed back in september and they did not give them any more came home and checked not true called store talked to manger it was they same person when asked about it she hung up called back and asked for district mang number called them and they took care of bounty it was not cover buy the law but if u climb coprate ladder thing do get done i just did not like being lied to

Dear Mark:

If you have a proper receipt, you could return the product. Also, yes, there is a limit from a store in one day: $250.00 per day.

can you get the bounty and then return the product? and is there a limit on how much bounty you get in one day

There are some serious scammers out there who do things like pick up a TV that is marked $2.00, when clearly it is more like $200.00. I heard that if the price difference is more than half of the correct price of the item- then it is gross human error and the price does not have to be honored. I work in retail and cannot tell you how many times I have caught customer switching stickers. SO frustrating.

I purchased tea that was marked 1.11 on the clearance shelf and it rung up as 1.59 for at least 4 straight days. Customer service was very cordial about it and even recognized me each time. I then bought a 2 litre of Diet Crush pop that was yellow tagged .88 cents for a 2 day sale but charged the marked price of 1.59. I was told that the price has to be marked for bounty. I don't understand the difference in wrongful charges for bounty but isn't that a loop hole for retail stores and why wouldn't they just tag instead of marking the item.

Question is it legal to look for stuff that are over priced buy them then ask for the michigan bounty. Once i have the bounty which i do all the time is it then legal to return the items to teh store and pocket the cash. Does the store have to honor there return policy even if its a bounty or can they say no to this and yes to other returns.

I just left Meijer after being embarressed by a couple of the "Blue Shirts". I had picked up a tool kit that was apparently mismarked by an employee with a clearance tag. When I checked out the cashier called the "Blue Shirts" who then had at least a five minute conference at the end of our checkout isle. They refused to honor the price that was marked, almost insinuating that I could have changed the tag. One of the "Blue Shirts" then scrated off the clearence tag and said I could purchase it at cost. I said I wanted it for the marked price. They refused. Is this legal.

Dear Inquirers:

I posted an article discussing the "exceptions" today. Sorry it took so long. We need to start taking these matters up with the courts. The retailers are making up excuses and since there is no legal action, they are getting away with it.

I suggest that if you are scammed by the automatic checkout system at a major retailer, then notify the store. When they refuse the bounty, get their name and any other identifying information. Clarify their reason why and note the date and the time. Follow-up immediately if possible, putting the issue in writing noting the identity of the person who represented the store, their refusal and reason for their refusal, anything else discussed, and the date and time. In this fashion, you have laid a foundation to collect the larger $250 minimum damages award.

I will be happy to be involved in whatever fashion, and perhaps a larger class action could evolve.

Telling the CHECK OUT CLERK about it DOES NOT FIX IT. It just lets the next 10 people keep getting overcharged.

And no you do not get the bounty if there is no price on the item. Meijer loves leaving up outdated shelf tags.

AG needs to sue them.

Answers:
http://www.michigan.gov/ag/...

I bought some produce that was on sale last night and was charged the full price. When I asked for the bounty law the clerk said it does not pertain to sale items. Is she correct? The produce (cuke's) did not have any price stickers on them.

I personally think this law needs to be reconsidered. I read some of the comments at the beginning of this and while it is true that it is the store's responsibity to make sure the correct price is charged, I think that simply getting one's money back on an overcharge is sufficient.
I work in retail, and I think if you ask anyone who's worked in retail in the state of MI, you will find that there is not a lack of horror stories involving this law.
I have had people pull price stickers off of items and stick them on other items and then want their "Michigan Bounty" when they get overcharged. One customer was very slick about handing me items with the price stickers facing down. And when you are a cashier with a line 6 deep and your company pushes you to not dawdle, it's VERY easy to miss stickers.
Also, customers are not exactly what one would call "neat" when it comes to their shopping habits. Even though my store is straightened daily, not every item is pulled off the shelf. Customers are notorious for shoving things in little nooks and crannies. I once found a Cadbury Egg from Easter in October behind a stack of rugs. We keep our rug aisle very well stocked and the ones on the bottom never got moved. So, using this example it would be easy to see how something might be missed on a price change.
This law has no protection for the retail store to protect them from people who DO scam, who change price stickers and the like. It also has no protection for the hard-working underpaid cashiers (who at a great number of retail stores such as the one I am employed by, also are stockers, customer service reps, etc.) who are so busy multi-tasking that it's no wonder they made a mistake.
I have been overcharged many a time and as long as I get my money back and pay only the price marked, I am happy. I don't need a "reward" for making a cashier/stocker feel dumb.
It probably just results in stores having to up their prices to cover the losses anyway. What does that get you in the long run?

I bought a Logitech MX 3200 Wireless Mouse and Keyboard at Best Buy last October. We had been in the store 2 weeks before that pricing them (ours was damaged in an apartment fire). I had originally purched the damaged set at the same Best Buy store for $99.95 about 4 years earlier. While we were surprised that they were still the same price, I still needed to replace mine. This item was not a sale item. I made my purchase, left the store, called my husband and realized that I had been overcharged by $9.00. I immediately called the store and told them of the overcharge, stating that I would be back in within 2 days for the refund (it was 8 PM on a VERY rainy weekend). I returned on Monday with my box and receipt and went to customer service to get the refund and the bounty. The MOD did not want to even refund the $9 plus tax, accused me of actually changing the price sticker on the box, told me that I was not entitled to anything because the scanner law did not apply then went on to say it was simply "gross human error" that is exempt from the scanner law. The MOD also stated that the price sticker on the item had to have a description on it as well, and since it didn't, it's not a violation of the scanner law. After finally receiving my $9.56 credit, I informed them that I would be calling the Attorney General and left the store fuming. The next morning I called the Attorney General's office who confirmed that this was in fact a violation of the scanner law and that I should receive the bounty. My husband and I returned the next day, asked to see the MOD, showed him the box and the receipts and asked for the bounty. Again I was accused of changing the price sticker myself, treated rudely, told it was "gross human error" and the bounty was refused. We returned home called the store and wanted the District Manager's contact information. This information was refused. I called their corporate offices and explained the situation. Their corporate office stated that they would have said that I changed the price tag except they "weren't in the store". The only thing that the corporate office would do is send me a $20 discount coupon to their store. I have every intention and now the paperwork to sue them in small claims court. What would have been simply a total of $14.56 should now cost them much more than this. They have lost a pair of loyal customers because of this. I find it more than insulting to tell me that I would change a price tag to save a whopping $9.00 when I purchased a laptop and a $700 Canon zoom lens in that very same store. Over the previous 5 years we have shopped in that store frequently and have the receipts to prove it. Beware of Best Buy.