Shops and small change

[Woody John]

Happy New Year all.

An increasing number of times this last year I have noticed that when paying with cash they do not refund the small change, (generally 1p's and 2p's), Had a cheeky git tell me the other day he had no 5p's in the till and expected me to be on my way.

When did this carry on start? Does it work the other way if the shopper is a few pence short?
Obviously it's a insignificant amount of money involved, but it is my money. What entitles them to attempt such liberties?

Any thoughts?

[bloomen]

I've never come across that. If I did I'd read a book in the shop assistant's lap until someone else came in to refill the change. They would not give me a discount if I didn't have the full amount.

[Lozw86]

I’d be glad not to have it cluttering my pockets to be honest. I would usually ask them to keep the change when it’s a small amount anyway

[daddy cool]

Never had that myself...

Woody John said:

Had a cheeky git tell me the other day he had no 5p's in the till and expected me to be on my way.

I'd say "no worries, you can give me a 10p instead".

[Sheepshanks]

I got some spiky squashy ball things from my physio just before Christmas and she'd said they'd be £9. Gave her a tenner and she said 'thanks' and moved on to someone else!

[Woody John]

daddy cool said:

Never had that myself...

Woody John said:

Had a cheeky git tell me the other day he had no 5p's in the till and expected me to be on my way.

I'd say "no worries, you can give me a 10p instead".

Will have this up my sleeve for next time.

[CypSIdders]

Works both ways in Cyprus, if either party doesn't have the change then it's just forgotten about.
Nine times out of ten, even in larger shops, if the bill comes to, say, 20 cents over a Euro, it will be rounded down, simply, to eliminate handing out the change!

[21TonyK]

From what I remember its normal practice in the US. I'd rather have the change, if its just coppers it always going in the local charity pot they have next to the till anyway. Better in their bank than the shops.

[Woody John]

CypSIdders said:

Works both ways in Cyprus, if either party doesn't have the change then it's just forgotten about.
Nine times out of ten, even in larger shops, if the bill comes to, say, 20 cents over a Euro, it will be rounded down, simply, to eliminate handing out the change!

Obviously I don't mind if the shopper is getting the benefit. Can't help thinking certain shops would abuse this loose way of conducting business.

[Zetec-S]

Sheepshanks said:

I got some spiky squashy ball things from my physio just before Christmas and she'd said they'd be £9. Gave her a tenner and she said 'thanks' and moved on to someone else!

Almost had something similar just before Christmas. Advertising a few items on facebook, should have realised putting a price of £45 was asking for trouble. Sure enough the person turns up with 2 £20 notes and a tenner and says if you haven't got any change then I might as well have it for £40

Still, it was a good way for me to empty out the jar of coppers we've been collecting

[Teddy Lop]

Little privately run stores can take the p so badly. Keep having to tell people not to buy light bulbs from them as they get whole batches of dodge ones then get me out insistent they must have a wiring fault. Had some bloke today, he replaced all his smoke alarm batteries and still had issues so calls me, one of his "new" (and very highly priced) Duracell 9v batteries was reading only 5.5v on the meter, marked best before 2020 (they normally have at least 5years). Store nobbles him for a couple quid, but it ends up costing the dude 20 times that once I'm paid.

Wouldn't use one for anything but emergency...

[Kermit power]

What is this "change" of which you speak?

I honestly can't remember the last time I paid for something with cash. It just seems so anachronistic these days compared to tapping a card or phone on a reader.

[PositronicRay]

It does go the other way, local shop undercharged me by 18p the other day. I didn't have enough change. My few coppers change often go into the charity box anyway.

[PF62]

Woody John said:

Any thoughts?

Strictly speaking they are in the right as they don't have to give you any change at all (although that is obviously terrible customer service).

Probably just down to the fact that fewer and fewer people are paying in cash. Personally I cannot remember the last time I paid for anything in cash.

[Woody John]

PF62 said:

Woody John said:

Any thoughts?

Strictly speaking they are in the right as they don't have to give you any change at all (although that is obviously terrible customer service).

Probably just down to the fact that fewer and fewer people are paying in cash. Personally I cannot remember the last time I paid for anything in cash.

Don't have to give any change at all? What makes you say that?

[Balmoral]

Kermit power said:

tapping phone on a reader.

I get looks of astonishment around here when I do that, murmers go right down the queue.

[Robbo 27]

My local newsagent is notorious for giving the wrong change or badly damaged notes, when you point it out he laughs it off.

The other two bad places that I know of is the Marks and Spencers at Kings Cross station, run as a franchise, long queue of people, all in a hurry and no one checks their change, typically giving change for £5 when you have paid with £10/20 note.

The other bad place is the shops in Canary Wharf, especially the Prets, people just pocket the change without looking at it.

[eltawater]

Surely this is the ideal opportunity for:

[Woody John]

Kermit power said:

What is this "change" of which you speak?

I honestly can't remember the last time I paid for something with cash. It just seems so anachronistic these days compared to tapping a card or phone on a reader.

One day when the online banking is off line you might be glad to have some real money.

[bobtail4x4]

a local petrol station has a tray with copper in, for when you go a penny over,
I used it once, so next time I was in I put a handfull of change back in.