Protecting yourself from wrong ring-ups at SWFL stores this holiday season

Reporter: Sydney Persing
Published: Updated:
In an analysis of 53,000 product pages on 11,000 online stores, researchers from Princeton University and the University of Chicago found at least one instance on 11% of the most popular websites. Most of them were deceptive, covert or hid information. Credit: CNN.

Right now, we are in the last-minute rush for Christmas gifts. In that rush, the prices of items and the proper classification on a store’s system could be overlooked – intentionally or not. Nikki Fried, the Florida commissioner of agriculture, said some stores are ringing up holiday specials incorrectly. But there are ways to protect yourself from a holiday wrong ring-up.

If you are shopping between now and Christmas, you may notice that store after store is packed full of shoppers, all ready to shell out a lot of money.

“Two days before Christmas and everybody’s doing last-minute shopping,” said Jasmine Smith, from Fort Myers. “It’s just insane.”

“It was like lines outside the stores,” said Ginette Manso, visiting from Miami. “They were for hours wait in those lines.”

When you go to pay for all of your holiday gifts, it is imperative to make sure you were charged appropriately. The Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services said one in every 25 stores do not ring up holiday deals as advertised. One shopper told WINK News it happened to her.

“I’ve noticed that on some things it’s like, ‘wait a minute, that’s not what it said,'” said Pat Chapman, who lives in Lehigh Acres. “And then, when you get there, it’s a little bit more.”

When you check those receipts, if you do find an error, the FDACS said you should go ahead and file a complaint with it.

Talking with shoppers on Monday, there were mixed responses when asked if they check their receipts.

“Not as much as I should,” said Tanya Wolff, from Fort Myers.

“You always do,” Fletcher said, “because you know as old as we are, you just do that.”

It is vital because nobody wants to spend even more money during the holiday season.

“You have to be sharper than that if you’re going to be out there shopping,” Fletcher said. “That’s just part of the season.”

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.