Long Weekend Alert!

Something happened to me this past weekend that may have already happened to you. While you are shopping, especially during the busy holiday long weekend, you need to be aware. It all started in my local grocery store, I had a buggy full of stuff ( in other words I had over $200 worth of goods to buy). When I checked out, I ran my credit card through the machine and pressed “No” to the question of “Do you want $20 cash back?” The cashier fooled around with the register and then asked me to run the card again because it did not work the first time. I don’t recall pressing “No” again or even if the question came up on the card terminal. While I was moving my bags back to the cart, I didn’t pay any attention to my receipt. Anyway, the next morning I looked at my receipt (I usually just throw it away without looking at it). There was a line on it that read “$20 Cash Back” and another that said “Change Due $20.” I called the manager and explained to him what happened. How I did not request $20 back, nor did I get $20 back. He did not seem a bit surprised. It seems that this is a well known scheme that cashiers use to slip $20 in their pockets, at the customer’s expense. The manager said I should come back to the store for the credit. I wonder how many times this has happened to me in the past? Were there other times I did not catch? I am not sure if the cashier can override the “No” or if she charged the extra $20 during the second swipe of the card.
Well, what’s the moral of the story kids? Pay attention to your receipt and don’t let these thieves steal your hard earned money!