Consumer Association unhappy: the supermarket receipt is full of errors

Frumpy, people who subject the receipt to a thorough inspection after paying? Not at all, as it turns out to be very smart, because according to the Consumer Association, the receipt is still full of errors.

You would think that what is stated on the receipt corresponds to the price on the product or shelf label. But what has the Consumer Association found after years of research? That grocery prices on the receipt are often different – and you can guess: usually the difference is to the customer’s disadvantage.

Receipt full of errors

We wrote about it before: the price at the checkout or the price on the shelf: sometimes there is (a lot of!) difference between them. Six months ago, the Consumer Association found that in a random sample, the receipt was incorrect at 59 of the 64 branches checked. Jumbo, Albert Heijn and Plus were particularly at fault then. After three years of research, it still appears that the prices of 1 in 6 special offers are incorrect.

Aldi: thank you

Test shoppers visited Albert Heijn, Aldi, Coop, Jumbo, Lidl, Plus and Spar for the random sample. At three stores from each chain, the receipt and shelf prices of 25 products were recorded. The fewest errors were found at Aldi. There, 1 in 25 items was incorrectly priced. The testers found errors most often at Albert Heijn (1 in 4 products) and Jumbo (1 in 5). Twenty times the receipt was incorrect, and once it was correct; at Aldi, the association received one error-free receipt.

Sad, because after a similar random sample, the supermarkets had actually promised to improve last year.

On special offer

Coffee, beer and wine were especially often affected. Recognisable: according to the price label, these products were on special offer, but according to the checkout they were not. You think you have found a bargain, but you still pay full price. In the random sample, price differences sometimes even amounted to more than 4 euros.

Latest research: still not okay

You would think (hope) that after the previous research, the supermarkets would be on high alert, but nothing could be further from the truth. In the latest research, 240 random special offers were checked at various branches of each supermarket chain. At Albert Heijn, the price was incorrect in 13% of cases; at Plus, this was 15%, and at Jumbo as much as 20%.

The Consumer Association is not amused

The Consumer Association has had enough. Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumer Association, told LevensmiddelenKrant that she would not shy away from legal proceedings: “Last year, we discussed this extensively with Albert Heijn and Jumbo, and Plus also promised to improve. But the receipts are still incorrect. Millions of families are already barely making ends meet, partly due to the sharply rising prices in supermarkets. That is why we have demanded that the supermarkets stop their unlawful conduct and resolve the problems before 30 June 2023. And if necessary, we will not shy away from legal proceedings.”

Whether supermarkets will be impressed this time remains to be seen. So it is still smart to check your receipts carefully.

Read also:

• Albert Heijn introduces a digital receipt
• Bonuskaart Premium: Albert Heijn makes customers pay for discounts
• 7 astonishing facts about the Big Mac