Kim67

I went shopping to get last minute things for school today. It was my first real shopping expedition for anything other than groceries and school uniforms. Anyway I handed the guy in Shoemart 1000 AED note for some school shoes. He rung up 500 and tried to give me change for 500. I told him I'd given him 1000, but he insisted that I gave him 500 - stood my ground (because I knew that was the only notes I had in my purse) and he apologised and said he'd made a mistake, that I had in fact given him 1000. Do I have to keep a really close eye when shopping here, or do you think it was a genuine mistake?

Shadya

No, you have to watch your change here, especially at Choithrams where you also need to check the advertised price against the price charged, often very different.

Kim67

Thanks - I'll keep a close eye on change then.

MataHari

so that's where all my money goes...bunch of crooks

Madam Medusa

i've never had a problem...they usually go out of their way to count the change in front of you, don't get too paranoid...

MM, xx

Inselaffen

Choitrams actually price items

busybee2

the thing is that there arent that many 1000 notes around, so if you had paid with one, i doubt there would be another one in the till.

Eva

I think maybe the shop assistant would be well aware of the consequences of being caught 'ringing the changes'.For 500dhs????
Benefit of the doubt.

soukie

Never had a problem with this in UAE.

arbroath_abroad

Ditto soukie. Never had this problem. They rob you blind in many other ways....

Welivehere

I don't think it deliberate but I do think there is an elements of poor training + incompetence. A few that have happened to me are:

• OP example, Change given for wrong denom note.
• Wrong amount on credit card slip (twice and by significant amounts)
• Two items priced differently (happened yesterday in a well known vestal music store, two identical DVD’s one priced at 70AED one at 149AED)
• Items incorrectly priced (the green / yellow supermarket have done this a few times, i.e. braising steak labeled and charged a fillet steak)
• Paid a deposit for an item then when gone to collect the store tried to charge the full price and argued that deposit had not been paid despite that fact we had a receipt. Again resolved but not before a fairly heated exchange
• Goods brought as new then turned out to be used (exchanged ok but the hassle of getting them to agree was annoying)
• Items damaged on delivery, damage which the store claimed was there when we brought and we were aware of. Threat of police involvement got the driver to admit he had dropped the item (he claimed he had notified his office of this) and then the store replaced it ok.

I would like to think they none were deliberate or malicious, especially where the large chains were involved, but just a few examples to keep an eye on none the less.