Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Perhaps due to popular demand (???), Newtons are now giving out laminated cardboard tokens instead of 2 rupee coins in your change.

That's one way of getting you to come back................:eek::eek:

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Perhaps they have been reading our site! Well it is only ice when we have visitors we buy there, and then pop in for a walk around and blast of the A/c.

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

believe me, Noni, it was like an icebox in there today. What with that & my damp shirt, I'll probably get pneumonia:rofl::rofl:

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

But do they take these laminated cards back in currency?

Dread - x

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Haven't used mine yet, Dread, but I saw a guy pass over a 3 rupee token yesterday as part of his payment.

On closer inspection the tokens state " For Private circulation Only" & "Valid at Candolim/Calangute". So no fear of Newtons Bank - YET!!!

Who knows? It might be loyalty cards next!!!:rofl::rofl::rofl:

I'd settle for just the odd smile, a please and a thank you from the ungracious staff on the tills - what a sorry bunch!

;)
Iain

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Don't shop there! :confused:
I went once, not long after they opened. It seemed to me mostly expensive imports. Other stuff I can get anywhere. Nice shoppe though.:D

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

They are a miserable lot aren't they !
Then again if you consider how Newtons treat their customers, consider what it might be like to work there.

Dread - x

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Who actually 'works' there,people standing around every isle looking totally disinterested,unable to give you any information about the products they are standing in front of all day.May be badly trained or just used as cheap alternatives to security cameras.
Tried to pay with my debit card last week,after manually calculating the 2 percent they add for cards,the cashier punched the amount into the card machine which did'nt work.After 3 attempts I went to a nearby atm and withdrew cash.On returning was quoted the same amount.I pointed out that this included the 2 percent which obviously no longer applied.The cashier was adamant that she had not yet added the 2 percent.I did'nt have time or inclination to add up a long bill to prove the 'error',so I told them they've just lost a customer for 80 rups.Blank stare in reaction as expected.

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Yep they do take the tokens back, I have been refusing to take sweets for a very long time, the staff all think i'm diabetic, if they don't have the change i get them to sign a credit note on the receipt. Still a scam though, a sweet costing 50 paise or less wholesale being used as currency 1 rupee, strangely though when I go to the south or Panjim, no such problem.

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Kader's supermarket in Benaulim (south goa) tries the same thing 'sweet'change trick - no such problem in margao or the smaller shops in/around benaulim as the locals would not stand for this.

whenever i do have to shop at kaders, i make sure i have enough change or if not, i insist he gives me proper change or a credit note for next time

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

It would be nice if the staff wore deodrant also or at least washed regularly. Some of them really stink of BO - I was in there yesterday and the checkout girl smelt like mouldy cheese - made me feel quite sick!

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Have they turned off the A/C to save money in monsoon? Should give them deodorant instead.

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Just dont shop at Newtons Noni..we always use Hazels supermarket in Mapusa..by the old fish market on the back road..its small but she has everything in there and doesnt mess around with your change..

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Hazel opened up a shop in Calangute last season !

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Well what can I say, we get the retail we deserve! If we didn't frequent such establishments then they would close down due to lack of business. The fact that Newtons is semi-clean (not downright filthy as most other shops in Goa) keeps people coming back again. The staff do need to freshen up though! They sell so many brands of deodrant here, and should probably issue them to staff along with their uniform :)

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

They should also stop one member of staff i`ve seen cleaning her finger nails with a carving knife off the shelf!!!!!:eek::eek:

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

I don't shop at Newton's unless we're looking for something that is unavailable elsewhere, so I'm not sure whether this 2% is a standard thing, or they are scamming customers. In fact, we've not been there since the last time we did so and bought a VCD in store that works for the first 10 minutes and then stops! As usual in India, no one accepts responsibility for anything that they sell that does not work.

At all other grocery stores/restaurants, I have often used both my debit card as well as credit card (Indian bank) and have never yet been told that I would be charged 2% to use them. The sales person totals up the bill, tells me what the amount is and if I feel I'm running low on cash I give them a card. The amount put through on the card appears to be the same as the amount totalled on the till.

I will however make a note to match the till receipt against the card receipt printout the next time I use the card, just to be sure.

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

I simply tell them that if they're going to give me change in sweets then I'm going to pay them with the same sweets the next time. Amazing how fast they find change. Where it involves stores that I shop regularly at, invariably they'll say "give it next time" or I take an IOU from them when they don't have change.

Thinking about it, maybe if I actually ate these sweets I'd buy a bag and keep a few with me to pay with in the event that I was offered sweets in lieu of change :lol: - I mean if they can offer me sweets in lieu of change, why can't I return the favour?? :D ... but unfortunately I don't like sweets much.

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

I have kept the sweets in my wallet and returned them, a little flatter than they were originally, they've laughed but not refused, probably because i'm a regular.

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

As someone that only visits for 6 or so weeks (although a little longer this year:thumbsup:) I can view this situation from the outside looking in and frankly find it hilarious! The very idea of offering sweets in lieu of cash makes me laugh; but I think I should try it in my business! ''Sorry Madam we've run out of 5-00 notes would you like a Mars bar?'' I don't really think the response would be printable! Only in India, I think the expression gos!

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Try it Steve and report back to us - would give us a laugh!
We only use Newtons to cool down free use of their AC. and to buy a large bag of ice.:rolleyes:

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Actually as I have said before it wasn't funny in the old days of the small paise coins (25 paise; only just been withdrawn).
What could you do with these coins? at least a few sweets for the children had some use.
When most prices became in rupees the practice ended except it seems in Goa. Sweets instead of rupees ridiculous.

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

On the rare occasions I do shop in Newtons, I stand there insisting that they give me my change in full.
Amazingly how the change then magically appears.
Last season I did this and one of the guys went out back, returning with a bag of 500 rupees which he tried to hide up his top. Just proves that it is an outright scam, which if you consider the amount of times they do it must make them absolutley thousands every week.
I was pleased to notice that several people behind m in the queue started to insist on getting their change too.

Dread - x

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Excellent! If more of us refuse to put up with this ridiculous situation maybe it will start to change.

I heard that they (read a generic 'they' here) collect the coins given to them by customers and sell them for more than the face value. Not sure who buys them though; or why anyone would pay more to buy them ?? :confused: :confused: Doesn't make sense to me.

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Every time I insist on being given proper change, a large bags of rupee coins suddenly appears.
I reckon they bag them up and the owner takes great pleasure in counting them at the end of the week laughing at how much he has scammed of of tourists - bet he or she even looks like the archetypal scrooge !
Then I expect there is a bit of tax evasion too !!

Dread - x

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

He has a Merc! and shares in a sweet factory!

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

Gosh! Shock! Horror!

You will never believe this, but today I bought goods totalling Rs 805 in Newtons and I only had a Rs 1000 note. Beleive it or not they let me off the 5 rups and gave me back 200 in change! I knew you wouldn't believe it but it happened. And I didn't even have to give them any sweets :)

Julia x

Re: Latest ploy at NEWTONS
 

For those of you with a Newtons phobia: Bardez Bazaar have opened a small branch just around the corner in Highland Beach Resort - complete with trademark turnstile!

happy shopping!

AndyD 8-)#