Supermarket items become more expensive at checkout

Supermarket chain Carrefour regularly overcharges its customers, reports De Standaard, with items more expensive at the checkout than indicated in the aisles. This twice came to light via the VRT consumer programme Volt. More than a year ago, a Volt crew conducted tests in several Carrefour stores, armed with a self-scanner and a hidden camera. Among the many examples, a box of cereals is labelled at €3.09 but scans at €3.69 at the checkout. A packet of biscuits turns out to cost €1 more than indicated on the shelves. Carrefour then promised improvement – but one year on little progress has been made. The chain says it has “made great efforts”. Special offers that expired months ago are still posted, yet at the checkout the full amount is charged. The programme also noticed that even when products are on special offer, too much is sometimes charged. Not paying attention can easily leave customers several euros out of pocket at each visit. “There is unfortunately nothing we can do here,” says one member of staff. “All products are priced by a central computer.” “A lot has improved over the past year,” says Vera Vermeeren of Carrefour. “Our special offers now remain valid for two weeks instead of one. This reduces the risk of posters staying up too long and our customers paying more than is indicated. But we work with people, who occasionally make mistakes. But those mistakes turn out to be just as often the benefit as to the detriment of the customer.”