I love to share my shopping success stories. Last Sunday, my wife and I were grocery shopping at Safeway for their sub $1 / pound turkey special.

scanning code of practice example

We like to use the self checkout and you will see how important it is to look at your receipts. The turkey scanned in at the wrong price ($14.55 instead of $10.26).

In Canada since the price of the turkey was over $10 the retailer had to give me $10 off the price! If it was under $10 we would have gotten the turkey for free. This year I can count 5 times this happened (close to $45 in free merchandise)! You would be surprised how often this happens.

The Scanning Code of Practice is a voluntary code that nearly every major retailer in Canada adheres to. It promises the customer accurate price scanning at the register on all UPC scanned or Price Look Up (PLU) merchandise. If an item scans in at a price higher than the shelf price the customer gets it for free (or $10 off if the item is more than $10).

The scanning code is endorsed by The Competition Bureau of Canada was created from the collaborative efforts of the Retail Council of Canada, the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores, the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers and the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors.

At participating retailers you should see this sign on the entrance doors and at the till that reads:
Scanning Code of Practice If the scanned price of a non-price item is higher than the shelf price or any other displayed price, the customer is entitled to receive the first item free, up to a $10 maximum. If a Code of Practice problem cannot be resolved at the store level, please call 1-866-499-4599 to register your complaint.

For more information visit the Competition Bureau website.

So if you take anything away from this is that you should always look at your receipts!