I was in this medium-size supermarket called “R” in a mall in Cijantung East Jakarta. I was there because there were few things I need to buy.
Soon after I put my shopping into the basket, I went to the counter and paid the amount displayed on the small screen. Then I left.
About fifteen meters away from the counter, I checked the receipt and I was surprised to find out that I had been overcharged for one item. I had paid 29,000 rupiahs for an item costing 17,500 rupiahs.
My shopping includes a can of 70 grams of chain wax; it was for my daughter’s bicycle’s chain. I was very sure that it cost 17,500 rupiahs because the price was stuck on the shelf where it was displayed. And I saw it very clearly before I took and put it into the basket. But I also remembered there were two sizes of cans; one was 70 grams and the other was 150 grams. The price printed in the check must have been for the other size.
“They must have made a mistake”, I thought. The difference was maybe not much, but it was my money.
Instantly, I turned around and got back to the supermarket. Before I went to the counter for a refund, I headed to where the product was displayed in case it was I who made a mistake. You know in Indonesia we often hear that a customer is a king, but in real life customers are often in a fragile position. I have some other experiences being in this distasteful position.
I was right. I should have been charged only 17,500 rupiahs for the item. I also checked the other bottle, and yes, it cost 29,000 rupiahs.
Seeing what I had seen, I walked to the counter confidently carrying the two different sizes of the cans from the shelf. At the counter I told the cashier about what happened and showed the two cans. Then she took a look at them. It took minutes before she spotted the source of the problem; the wrong barcode was stuck onto the 70 gram can. Now I was even more confident.
But the real problem, in fact, appeared when the cashier said, “I’m sorry, Sir, but the purchase has been input into the system.”
“So?” I responded in confusion.
“It is not possible to change what has been in the system.” The cashier added some informative explanation and continued, “Maybe…you would like to buy another thing with your money.”