Coles shopper shares little-known hack to score a $50 refund: ‘Most people don’t know’

A Coles customer has revealed his little-known hack to potentially take serious dollars off your grocery bill.

Sharing on social media, a shopper revealed how he received just under $150 in refunds in just two days after several trips to his local store.

In his TikTok video, the customer – who uses the handle @SydneyTamrin – explained how familiarising yourself with Coles’ Promise on Price Scanning can save you money.

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The policy states that if an item scans at a higher price than the advertised or ticketed shelf price, a shopper will receive that item for free.

The shopper said he received the $48 off his first Coles shopping trip after a packet of dishwashing tablets scanned at the incorrect price.

“Notice how the first line of 74-pack of dishwasher tablets is free?” the shopper asked, showing a photo of his Coles receipt.

“This is why it pays to take notice of prices while you’re shopping.

“Most people don’t know this, but all of the major supermarkets are bound by something call the Supermarket Scanning Code of Practice – as it’s generally known.

“And in that code, there’s a caveat where if you scan an item and it scans at higher than the ticketed price, you get it for free.

“So yeah, I just saved $50.”

He then showed footage of himself kissing a $50 note.

In a later video, the shopper showed how he returned to the store the following day and purchased another two packs of the dishwashing tablets – only to find that they too had scanned incorrectly.

“I did what any normal, reasonable and rational person would do in the same circumstances, I doubled down and went two for two,” he said.

The new video showed him celebrating the discovery by kissing two more $50 notes.

Several TikTok users were quick to point out that shoppers must first purchase the item and then return to the service desk to receive the refund.

“It doesn’t work if you flag it with the checkout worker before you’ve paid for it,” one said.

A Coles spokesperson has told 7NEWS.com.au that the supermarket is proud to offer the policy.

“All Coles Supermarkets apply ‘Our Promise on Price Scanning’ to ensure confidence in the pricing accuracy at our registers,” the spokesperson said.

“If a single item scans at a higher price than the advertised or ticketed shelf price for that item, we will give the customer that item free.

“Our Promise on Price Scanning goes above and beyond the requirements of the Australian Consumer Law, which requires businesses to refund the difference between any overcharged amount and the correct price of the item.”

Coles Promise of Price Scanning*

Coles says the policy applies to all of its supermarkets to ensure pricing accuracy at our in-store registers.

“A scanning error can happen if an item has been scanned, or the correct Price Lookup Up (PLU) number entered, and a price higher than the advertised or ticketed price displays at the checkout or on the receipt,” Coles says on its website.

Here are the rules for scanning errors:

• Multiple identical items scanning incorrectly: If multiple identical items scan at higher price than the advertised or ticketed shelf price, we will give you the first item free, and the remaining items at the advertised or ticketed shelf price.
• Single item scanning incorrectly: If a single item scans at a higher price than the advertised or ticketed shelf price for that item, we will give you that item free.
• Other promotions scanning incorrectly: If a multi buy promotion scans incorrectly (for example a promotion offering 2 for $3), the first item is free and the second at the correct promotional price. If a promotion such as “Buy one, get one free” or “Spend $30 and get 15% off”, the promotion will be honoured but no free item will be offered.

Coles’ Promise on Price Scanning is not applicable to the following:

• Items without a barcode or PLU number
• 3rd party gift card products and Telco recharge vouchers
• Tobacco or liquor products
• Items over $50
• When the wrong PLU number is entered

* Source: Coles website

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