Fraud Tip of the Day - March 3
Checkout Counter Overcharges
No one likes being charged more for an item than the price it's listed at. Who doesn't feel a flash of anger
upon discovering they paid too much for a sale item? It ticks me right off and I usually return to the store
as soon as I can to get my .10 back. Sometimes it's more and sometimes it's less. I often think about how it
adds up over time. Those few cents gradually turn into an avalanche of my money that goes straight into a
retailer's till. Do you know your rights and what you can do to reclaim your money?
Michigan Item Pricing Law
Michigan has enacted a law designed to protect consumers at the checkout counter. Michigan's law requires
readable price on products. There are a few exceptions to this law but the vast majrity of items on store
shelves must have a price attached to them that people can read. This allows customers to compare prices
throughout the store and give them the ability to watch the accuracy of store clerks as they scan each item.
If you want you can wait until you get home. Having the prices on the items gives consumers a lot of flexibility.
Michigan Consumer Rights
- Under the law, retailers can choose not to mark prices on 25 products or classes of similar products. But even though products are not marked with a price, there must be a sign posted near the product indicating the price.
- It's also against the law to charge a higher price that the one marked on the product. With stores changing prices frequently, this is especially important since the scanner may be reprogrammed to raise prices very quickly.
- If an electronic checkout system overcharges you, you have the right to sue the store for $250 plus up to $200 in attorneys' fees. However, if the store is willing to do so, you can collect a penalty - in some instances - that takes away your right to sue the store but gives you a small monetary award for reporting their error.
In order to collect this "bonus," all of the following facts must be present:
- The product must have a price marked on it.
- An electronic checkout system must have charged you more than the price marked on the item.
- You must have received a receipt which identifies the item and lists the higher, incorrect price.
- You must report the overcharge and present your evidence within 14 days of when the overcharge occurred.
If these four facts fit your situation, the store may offer you the "bonus" which then prevents you from suing it for the overcharge. The "bonus" is calculated as the total of the following:
- A refund of the overcharge.
- Ten times the overcharge but at least $1.00 and no more than $5.00
You won't be able to collect a "bonus" if you are overcharged outside of Michigan but several
states besides Michigan require retail items to be individually priced.
