BBC secret shopper finds ‘two thirds of Tesco customers overcharged by expired deals’
Shoppers are being left out of pocket because Tesco doesn’t take down pricing promotion signs when they’ve ended
TESCO has been caught overcharging shoppers by advertising deals that have already expired.
The supermarket has promised to double-check promotions in stores as a result of the investigation by the BBC Inside Out programme.
In 33 out of 50 Tesco stores visited by a secret shopper over a three month period, customers were being short-changed after a discount marked on the shelf was not applied at the till because it was out of date.
It also uncovered multi-buy deals still being advertised on Tesco shelves days, weeks - and in some cases months - after the deductions were no longer being applied at the till.
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In one store, Tesco gingerbread were on offer for “any 2 for £3” or £1.75 each but the discount was not applied at the till because the deal had expired.
Tesco is the UK’s biggest supermarket with more than 3,500 stores across the UK.
In every case that the BBC investigation found Tesco staff honoured the offer when they were asked about it.
The supermarket relies on its little-known “double the difference” pricing policy which refunds shoppers who have been overcharged at the till.
It means that shoppers must spot the mistake on their receipt and ask at the customer service desk for an error.
Shoppers then receive back double the amount they were overcharged.
Martin Fisher, from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute told the BBC Inside Out programme which airs tonight on BBC One: “If customer A has come back and complained and been refunded that doesn’t mean there weren’t 20 other customers who didn’t spot it and didn’t complain.”
A Tesco spokesperson said: “We take great care to deliver clear and accurate price labels for our customers so they can make informed decisions on the products they buy.
“We are disappointed that errors occurred and will be working with the stores involved to reinforce our responsibilities to our customers.”
The full investigation can be seen on Monday 13t February during Inside Out at 7:30pm on BBC1 and for 30 days after on the BBC iPlayer.
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