Errors on supermarket bills are unacceptable, says consumer group

Supermarkets Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Plus are still making mistakes by putting incorrect amounts on receipts. The Dutch consumer association Consumentenbond said on Tuesday that new research showed that there are still many problems where the price stated on the store shelf does not match the price charged at checkout. The price of one in six purchased items on offer turned out to be incorrect at the checkout line. In most cases, these errors are to the detriment of the consumer.

The organization raised the subject before and also spoke to the supermarkets about it, but promises to improve have not helped. The union called it "unacceptable and definitely unlawful," and said it will hold the supermarkets liable for the false pricing problems. It is the third year in a row the Consumentenbond has raised the issue based on research.

Sandra Molenaar, the general director of the Consumentenbond, said in a statement that the association has ordered the supermarkets to stop their unlawful actions, and demanded that the problems be resolved before June 30. If necessary, the group “will not shy away from legal proceedings," she continued.

The Consumentenbond checked 240 random offers per supermarket chain, spread over eight branches in different cities. At Albert Heijn, 13 percent of the price on the shelves did not match the price on the receipt. At Plus that was 15 percent, and it reached 20 percent at Jumbo. The association said things often go wrong with refrigerated products, and with products that are placed in cardboard racks in the aisles. But mistakes are also made with vegetables and stuff that are on the highly visible racks in the center lane of stores.

Albert Heijn said it is taking the results of the study seriously. To prevent mistakes with prices, the chain is also working on using digital displays with prices and offers clearly stated. This is already happening with the regular range to always show the correct price. Customers also receive a product for free if the price on the shelf differs from that on the receipt. According to the supermarket chain, these measures have already led to a decrease in errors.

Jumbo called "every price deviation one too many" and, according to a spokesperson, has also taken measures to combat the number of price deviations. "Customers must be able to trust that the prices of offers on the signs are identical to the prices at the checkout."