There are still errors on the receipts of Jumbo, Albert Heijn and Plus, according to new research by the Consumers’ Association. One in six purchased offers at the checkout turn out to be incorrect. The union now holds the supermarkets liable for these incorrect prices at the checkouts and threatens legal action if the errors are not resolved before the end of June.
The supermarkets promised improvement last year, but despite the promises, some of the prices still turn out to be wrong. Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumers’ Association, calls this ‘unacceptable and definitely unlawful’.
The Consumers’ Association checked 240 random offers per supermarket chain, spread over eight branches in different cities. At Jumbo, 20 percent of the price on the shelves did not match the price on the receipt. At Albert Heijn this was 13 percent and at Plus 15 percent.
According to the Consumers’ Association, things often go wrong with offers from refrigerators and with products from cardboard promotional displays that are in the aisle. But also offers from the vegetable department and on end shelves often do not match the price at the checkout.
Jumbo ‘regrets’ the mistakes
“Customers must be able to trust that the prices of offers on the boards are identical to the prices at the checkout. We regret that this is not always the case. Every price deviation is one too many,” says a spokesman for Jumbo in a response.
Jumbo has taken additional measures to minimize price deviations for customers. “Of course we will continue to discuss this with the Consumers’ Association,” said the spokesperson.
Millions of families are barely making ends meet due to the sharply rising prices in supermarkets
Responsibility abdicated
‘Millions of families are barely making ends meet, partly due to the sharply rising prices in the supermarkets,’ says Molenaar. The Consumers’ Association therefore demands supermarkets to solve the problems before 30 June 2023. In addition, they are held liable for the damage suffered by consumers due to incorrect, often higher, prices at the cash registers. ‘If necessary, we will not shy away from legal proceedings.’
At Jumbo, customers have already been getting a product for free if the price at the checkout differs from the price on the shelf. And Albert Heijn is now also making this promise. Molenaar: ‘That may seem like a nice gesture, but it doesn’t solve the problem. The supermarkets are thus only shifting the responsibility onto their customers. They must then always check the receipt and take action themselves in the event of errors. So a lot of hassle. Consumers should simply be able to assume that their receipt is always correct.’
Customers previously responded to the receipt issue at Jumbo.
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