Can you figure this out?

Question

A man went into a shoe store to buy a $12 pair of shoes. He handed the clerk a $20. It was early in the day and the clerk didn't have any $1 bills. He took the $20 and went to the restaurant next door, where he exchanged it for twenty $1s. He then gave the customer his change. Later that morning, the restaurant owner came to the clerk and said, "This is a counterfeit $20." The clerk apologized, took the phony $20 back, and gave the restaurant owner two good $10s. Not counting the cost of the shoes, how much did the shoe store lose?

I read this recently and have been stumped by it. I seem to get a different answer every time. What can you come up with?

Answer 1

We start with:

Restaurant:
$20
Clerk:
shoes
Customer:
counterfeit money

After the "sale"
Restaurant
counterfeit money
Clerk:
$12, no shoes
Customer:
shoes + $8

After paying back the restaurant:
Restaurant:
$20
Clerk:
-$8, counterfeit money, no shoes
Customer:
$8 and the shoes

So the clerk is out $8 (plus the value of the shoes). In exchange he has gained a worthless piece of paper.

The reason some people seem to be getting different answers is they are trying to include the value of the shoes ($12). If the questioned what is the total amount (including shoes) that the store owner has lost, the answer is a straightforward $20. He has given away $8 plus $12 of merchandise in exchange for a counterfeit note.

But the answer to your question (not counting shoes) is the $8 in change.

Answer 2

The store owner gave the restaurent 2 10's for 20 1's, so that is even. In return for the counterfeit 20, he gave the customer $8 & the shoes. He lost $8 not counting the shoes.

Answer 3

The unscrupulous customer got a pair of shoes and $8.

The store owner lost $8, along with the pair of shoes.

* * * * *

Heh, it IS pretty amusing how everyone is giving a different answer. To clarify:

The store owner and restaurant owner are fine with each other. The store owner received $20 and gave back $20 - it's a wash.

The only loss is between the store owner and the customer. The customer got $8 and the shoes in exchange for the bogus twenty.

Answer 4

The shoe store is out $28. $8 in change that was handed back to customer plus the $20 handed back to the restaurant.

Answer 5

For the fake $20 , the store owner got 20 good $1 bills. He gave good 8 $1 bills back to the customer i.e he is left with good 12 $1 bills
Restaurant owner was given 2 good $10 bills i.e the store owner lost $20, but he still has good 12 $1 bills. Effectively then he lost only 20-12= 8 i.e 8 dollars

Answer 6

The clerk gave away 8$ (for shoes) and 20$ (to the restaurant owner),
but he gained 12$ (at the beginning from the restaurant owner),
So the answer is 16$ - his total losses,
and 16-12=4$ his loses beside the shoe prise

Answer 7

He lost 8$
To start with he gave a phoney note and got 20$. Out of which he kept 12$ and gave 8$ to customer. In this transction not counting the shoe he gained 12$. Next morning he returned 20$. In effect he lost only 8$

Answer 8

The net for the resturant owner is zero. gave $20 received $20.
The net for the customer is $8 in change plus the pair of shoes.
The cash net for the store is negative $8. (Plus the loss of the shoes.)

Answer 9

$20

The transaction with the customer is neutral. The first transaction with the restaurant is neutral.

The last transaction involves losing $20 by giving 2 good 10s for one worthless piece of paper.

Or $8 + a pair of shoes, if the cost of the shoes doesn't count.

Answer 10

the shoe store lost $20 dollars, the cost of the shoes and the change given to the customer. Total $40