Poll: Ask for a refund or let it slide?

Question

Scenario #1:

Let’s say you’re at Wal-Mart and they have your favorite box of cereal on sale for $1.99 each. You later look at your receipt and realize you were charged the normal price of $2.99 each. Would you go back to the store for a refund or let it ride?

Scenario #2:

You and a friend are at a restaurant eating dinner. You meant to tip the waitress $5.00 but you later realize you accidentally left $20. Would you contact the restaurant for a refund or let it ride?

Scenario #3:

You go to a new hair stylist and she gives you highlights and a cut. You also decide to purchase the shampoo and conditioner that she used; however, you decide you’re not going to leave her a tip for whatever reason. The bill comes to $150.00 and you give her $200.00 (two $100.00 bills) because that’s all you have. She gives you back $20.00, assuming you left her a 20% ($30.00). Do you confront her about it or let it ride?

These are just EXAMPLES people.

Answer 1

Really good questions . . .

Scenario 1: It depends, how far away is the store. With gas prices at $3.00 per gallon, it would depend if the store was in close distance or not.

As my mother-n-law would say: A dollar is a dollar, if it's owed to me, I want it!

Scenario 2: I would probably feel like an idiot after this one, so no, because I would see that as MY mistake, not the waiters.

Scenario 3: Yeah, you bet I'd say something. You never "assume" your getting anything, so for the stylist to "assume" I'm leaving her a tip, would piss me off, even if I was leaving a $30.00 tip. You never take until it's offered!

Answer 2

The $1.00 over payment at Wal-mart I would let slide if I was already home. Simply because it would probably cost me more in gas to get the refund than $1.

The $20 I'd probably let ride as well as it probably made the waiter (ess) day to get the extra money. Not to mention by the time I discovered the problem, there may have already been a shift change and since it was a tip I can't imagine the restaurant giving a refund for it.

The stylist taking out her own type is another issue altogether. I certainly would confront her and inform her that it is awfully presumptuous of her to assume the amount you were planning on tipping her. I wouldn't worry too much about offending her because quite frankly I find it offensive that she would have done this in the first place. Not to mention the fact that she charged you 20% on the product as well as the cut and highlights. I would tell her I want my $30 and would not book with her again.

Answer 3

Senario #1 : Go back with receipt in hand and get my money back. But it would also depend on the # of boxes I bought and the amount of time I had free to actually go back to Walmart. Sometimes it is not worth the gas used and my time to go back for $1.

Senario #2: As must as I would hate to, I'd probably kiss the $15 good-bye. It would be very difficult to prove the mistake after I'd left and would be a very akward topic to bring up to the restaurant.

Senario #3: I would correct her right then and there. Then maybe leave SOME tip just because it's good human relations at that point. But not a 20% tip.

Answer 4

1) Let it ride. Although I would be irritated about it, I would not want to get back in the car, drive up there, stand in line and explain what had happened all for a dollar.
2)Let it ride. Again, I would be annoyed but not as much as someone charging me the wrong price because this would be my own fault. And since it is my own fault I have to take the consequences. Also the waitress would not be obligated to give me back anything and I would have a hard time proving I had left it anyway. It also would be embarrassing to go and ask for it back.
3)Confront her. This time it is okay to confront because she should never assume anything when it comes to someone else's money. Unless you agreed in someway or signed a contract beforehand saying that you would pay a certain amount of gratuity then what she has done is steal money from you. She must wait for you to give her the tip and you must decide how much you will leave. She will have, in affect, reached into your purse and taken what she wanted, and that of course is wrong.

Answer 5

1. Get the refund... it is Walmart and it was on sale after all.

2. Let it ride. Asking for it back would be rude and insulting if you gave back a five. Plus you never know... she/he might could really use the extra 15 for something they couldn't otherwise have afforded. Where I live waiter and waitresses only get 2.50 an hour plus have to claim their tips which are lousy. A friend of mine needed to get meds for her daughter and had to depend on her tips... working at Pizza Hut on a night it was literally slammed with people... at the end of the night her tips were only about 100 bucks... gas money and her kid's medicine. So I would deffinately let it ride and not ask for it back.

3. Tell the hair stylist she short changed you and will be needing the other 30. Use the reciept to show her this since you don't have to tip her... she has to give you the money back. You don't have to explain anything, just that you'd like the rest of your change.

Answer 6

1. Take the receipt back and get the difference. They should also give you a sales reward for over charging you. I hate Wal*Mart. They do that ALL the time thinking people either won't notice or won't go back.

2. I would chalk it up to experience and realize just how happy you made your server!!!

3. Unfortunately, I would let that ride as well. I think it is too bold of the stylist to assume you meant to tip but next time I would most certainly have smaller bills to get closer to the actual bill.

Answer 7

1. Wal-mart does to much business to let them get away with over charging. This would indicate all people buying that cereal was over charged because the computer was not changed.

2. At a restaurant I would never return to take back a tip.

3. You should not be basing your hair stylist tip on products purchased on the cut and highlight. You are tipping for service.

Answer 8

Scenario #1: If I was going back to the store in the near future (or hadn't left yet) I would bring it up and ask for a refund...otherwise let in go

Scenario #2: Let it go, you probably just made her day/week. Waitresses work hard, what's the loss of $15

Scenario #3: Bring it up to her. That is very presumptuous of her to assume a tip. I always leave the same tip with my stylist, etc. (for years) and they still always ask me if I need change and are very gracious. I think that is just rude to take someones money.

Answer 9

1) Yes, I would have the error corrected on my next visit.
2) No, I wouldn't because that was my error. I should've been more attentive to what I was doing. The waitress is not at fault and was probably happy to get a $20 tip. I wouldn't want to take it away from her.
3) Yes, because I'm standing right there when I notice it. I would not if I had already left the salon. Again, if I don't notice the error, it's my fault. (However, I always tip.)

Answer 10

Scenario 1: Go back and ask for a refund, there's no shame in it.
Scenario 2: Oops or no oops, go back and tell them you made a mistake on the tip, ask for the money back less the correct amount.
Scenario 3: Isn't it terrible when people assume? Too bad, ask for all of the change to be returned, no explanation necessary.