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Minor legal question - consumers

posted a year ago by enriquesingh (1771)
4 replies | jump to latest

I own an ice cream shop in Texas.

The layout of the store is quite weird... but that's the space we were able to find.

We do have SEVERAL signs which request customers to first place their orders at the register.

We also have a visible printed menu with all correct menu prices.

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Yesterday (Saturday evening) the place was packed, all staff was busy... a man came into the shop and the first staff member he saw behind the counter was an employee in training who is NOT familiar with the prices. He's just a 16 year old kid who has been told NOT to engage with customers since he is in training.

The employee in training engaged with the customer anyways instead of directing him towards the register. The customer began asking several menu prices and the employee began answering.

When the man finally came over to the register to pay for the item the cashier told him the actual price (which was higher).

The man got upset and said that the other employee told him it was a lower amount.

The cashier told him that we do have several signs requesting customers to queue here first (which 99% of people follow since we also have a stanchion line and signs) and we have a visible printed menu to the public with all menu items listed with the correct prices.

The man kept saying that the employee verbally told him another price and he added something regarding the law in the state of Texas.

The cashier had a long line in front of her and gave the man the price the employee in training told him because she didn't want to spend any more time dealing with this.

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I am not familiar with any such law as the one this man is referring to... wish I had been there to hear what did he told them.

We do have the correct prices posted in a visible sign (menu) to the public which is what I understand is our legal duty.

Anyone wants to share their thoughts about this very minor incident... I am just curious if the man was right... I think he was NOT... we could or couldn't have honored the price the employee in training gave him as long as the POSTED MENU has the right price.

[–] Kowalski (58146) a year ago

HE USED THE LAW OF THE WAL-MART...MAKE A SCENE AND COMPLAIN UNTIL YOU GET YOUR WAY.

[–] April-151-CT (10210) a year ago

I don't know about the law. But I think the cashier, after explaining about the employee and the signs and everything, should have just given him the price to begin with after he said it the first time because you want to keep the customer happy and coming back. It really shouldn't have gotten to the point where he had to keep saying it and start talking about laws and this and that. I'm sure it wasn't that much of a price difference to begin with. And then you just have a talk with the new employee not to do that again.

[–] Otter (24464) a year ago

There is no law backing this man up, he had no legal right to demand the incorrect price.

However, if it cost the business a dollar or two to avoid a scene in the store that might drive away other customers, and to keep this man from bad-mouthing the business to everyone he knows, then well. Better to lose a little bit of money than more than a little bit.

[–] nyctc7 (41244) a year ago

I Googled--what happens when quoted an incorrect price--and this is a problem that does comes up, most typically with a mistaken price appearing in an advertisement.

Consumer protection laws do vary state to state. But I can't imagine a scenario such as yours where you would be legally required to sell the man the ice cream at the mistaken price. However, when dealing with such a small amount of money, I agree with what Otter said^