What would you have done?

I think you did just the right thing. A couple of years ago I was in Aldi and bought a bottle of bleach which I put in the very front of the trolley as I like to keep strong cleaning products away from food. The section I think meant for bottles to stand up in. When I unloaded my shopping at the till and got to the car I realised I hadn't put the bottle of bleach on and it had got left in the front section of the trolley. I went back in straight away and apologised straight away and explained why I had put the bleach there, the assistant seemed surprised I had come back to pay but thanked me and I left feeling so much better!

My DH and I found a load of banknotes outside a bank in the cash machine and rushed them inside so that the person who forget them wouldn't have long to panic when they realised what they had done and came back to ask at the cashdesk.

I also took some loo roll which were hanging off the hook in my trolley back into the shop to pay for them when (long ago) I realised that my squabbling children had distracted me from putting them on the conveyer belt to be paid for.

I like to be square with the world and to have a clear consience. I realise that this is a luxury not everyone can afford.

Not quite the same but I was queuing at a cashpoint at a busy time. The two ladies in front of me were busy chatting, one took her card and they walked off. As I stepped forward I noticed the lady's cash was still sitting in the tray, quite a lot of it. Without thinking I grabbed it and ran after them saying you've left this behind handing over the cash. The lady thanked me and off they went still chatting. I turned back to the cashpoint and found myself at the back of the queue... again! Oh well

I'm with the crowd that won't correct the mistake if it's Tesco - not sure about other large supermarkets. I lived in an area which had a small population over the winter, but swelled considerably during from about March to October. It was the only supermarket available to residents without cars at the time, and the minute the holiday makers came to town, all the prices in the store jumped up, unfairly penalising those of us who resided there all year round. And on another note, my son-in-law is a manager of a large grocery store in New York and when I asked about shop lifting, he told me that it was a very low percentage and went into the same account as things that might not have been scanned by employees etc. Not a big deal to a big store.

I would have done the same, honesty is the best policy.

When I was responsible for banking cash some years ago I opened the cash bag that had been returned from the bank and found £100 in the bottom. The cash book had been stamped and signed by the cashier. I rang the bank and asked to speak to her and told her that I would drop the money off on the way home. She was almost in tears as she had been trying to balance her till and realised what she had done. I have never forgotten how worried she was; there are generally consequences for someone if you are undercharged.

I also think that it’s important to be honest. A couple of years ago I got back to the car with my bags in the trolley and realised I hadn’t noticed, or paid for, a mascara, which was about £10. I took it back into the store and paid for it. And a couple of weeks ago, I inadvertently picked up 2 issues of a local weekly newspaper. I took that back too!

Exactly as you did.......you were right and your friend is wrong! Well done.

I was putting my shopping back into the trolley as the cashier was scanning them when I noticed my little bottle of vanilla essence was still tucked in the corner, I handed it to her to check if it had gone through and sure enough it hadn't. If I'd got home with it I'm not sure if I would have taken the trouble to go back .

Just read Schnackie’s post ....it’s not about the big stores ...it’s all about being able to stand up straight and look your grandchildren in the eyes when you instil in them that honesty is the best policy.

I would have pointed out the error. However, I once did just that and was spoken to very rudely by the checkout lady. My response was that I was merely being honest, but thank you for giving me some of my shopping for free!

I was in a well known bakery some years back (you know, the one which now sells vegetarian sausage rolls everyone's raving about). I was given a handful of change from a large note I had used to pay, and before I had had a chance to check it, (I was busy putting my purchase into my bag), the staff member shouted at me in front of a queue of customers "OH NO YOU DON'T ". I saw she had given me change of a larger amount (her mistake, not mine), snatched the money out of my hand and made out I was being dishonest!!! I was so gobsmacked I couldn't say anything and left in extreme embarrassment. I have never been back, and will certainly never try their perishing sausage rolls!

I would be honest like you I couldn’t go home knowing that I hadn’t paid the correct amount .

I'd have done the same as well.

I would have done the same , automatically. Years ago I worled for the Post Office. We had to balance our tills each week. If it was short we had to put in the loss or if large it would be put on our employment record.
I have though had occasions when I have gone back into a shop and queried the amount of change only for the staff member to be rude and insist that I had left the shop so errors couldn’t be corrected. On these occasions I left the shop with the overpayment as I knew that I had tried to correct the mistake.

I have always done the honest thing, the only action that is right, IMO.
That includes a £14+ undercharge in Primark, and swiping a 5p plastic bag in Waitrose only to find when packing outside that there were 2 stuck together. I returned to pay at the service desk.

Honesty is the best policy was drilled into my brother and myself in our house.

Telling the truth was another lecture we had too.
I've abided by those rules and I'm pretty sure my brother has as well.

I once bough a six pack of bottles of milk ...on checking the receipt at home, realised I had only been charged for ONE sole bottle of milk ..took the receipt back next day ready to pay for all six ..shop manageress said Thankyou, but it is our mistake so you do not pay …….she said she would talk to the cashier on that till...so then I felt guilty that I may have got the cashier into trouble ……..difficult one !

I would have done the same as all of you who have answered.

Not being good at mental arithmetic I don't always keep track of the exact amount, but I do have a rough idea of what it comes to before going to the check-out. I always ask for the chit and check it before leaving the shop, as well.

By now, I doubt anyone who behaves like OP's friend dares say so here!

I am generally honest in such situations too

One I wasnt and well it was tough.

Went to pay our paper bill, it had mounted a bit during to illness. New people had taken over the shop and usually their youngish daughter was on the counter. I knew the bill they had sent me was wrong. So I politely apologised for the late payment and asked them to check the bill because....at which she started ranting at me that people like me made her sick because we didn't pay for weeks and then moaned about it. So I just paid. Perfectly happy to be significantly UNDER charged.

You did the right thing. One thing your friend hasn't thought of is this will show up as a discrepancy somewhere in the system and someone could get in trouble. You can sleep at night with a clear conscience.

Guilty. I don't add up as I go round so I wouldn't know. In chucky's case though if it was one of the big main stores and the items were of small value I wouldn't have said anything. On a few occasions when I've got home and looked at my till receipt an item which should have been on offer for example half price, I've been charged full price. I do tend to ask the cashier if so and so has come up as reduced price now. Apart from that I am as honest as the day is long.

I would have to say something,I'd feel guilty if I didn't.But if the assistant started being rude when I said they'd made a mistake,I'd just leave it and enjoy the extra money and think at least I'd tried.

As you did, conscience would have git the better of me if I didn't.

Here’s a story from the opposite side. I went to Waitrose to use the cash machine inside. I withdrew £50 for a day out the next day. I thought I put it in my purse, in a rolled wad. I then went to the self serve cash register, put my shopping through, and paid by credit card. When I got home I found the £50 was missing. I searched my bags, purse etc then went straight back to the store. I searched the areas around the cash machine and till I had used. I spoke to customer service and they checked but no one had handed the money in. They took my phone number in case it turned up. I never heard another thing. So either a customer found my money and kept it, or a customer handed in the money and someone at the store pocketed it. I had to take out another £50 and both amounts showed up on the statement. I wish the world was as honest as you lot.