Canadian retailers are committed to accurate scanner pricing. Incorrect prices can result in poor
customer relations and legal sanctions. Consequently many retailers are now implementing a variety of procedures that were developed to help achieve and maintain accurate scanner pricing
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Dissappointing & Sad News for Customers of the Sundre Pharmasave:
    
     The owner of the Sundre Pharmasave store chose not to participate in The Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Code according to a representative for the store.

     I was told that:  'If we were giving things away free that would just not be good.  We're too small to offer that.  We take our customer service and satisfaction VERY seriously.' Unfortunately for their customers, not seriously enough to support their statement by practicing the Code.

     I was assured that if there ever was an instance where a customer is charged a higher price than that advertised and/or on the shelf due to a higher scan price, the store would definitely provide the item at the lower correct advertised price.  But not for free.  

     The consumer is thus put in the position of monitoring whether or not data entry has been carried out correctly with respect to product pricing, with no real consequential incentive for management to ensure accuracy.

     As taken from the Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Code, endorsed by the Competition Bureau, it states in part:  (The entire Code can be viewed here.) 
The purpose of the Code is to:
1. Visibly demonstrate retailer commitment to scanner price accuracy;

2. Provide retailers with a consistent national framework for dealing with scanner price
accuracy issues; and
3. Provide the retail industry with a mechanism for consumer redress in scanner price
accuracy cases, to be managed by the industry through an industry committee.
    It was explained to me that because they were independently owned, the decision whether to participate in the Code was not made by Head Office - which is where I called first to inquire - but by the store owner.

     This is unsettling news from a consumer's point of view.  

     At the present time there are 6 - CACDS (Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores) Companies - including Pharmasave's in B.C. & Saskatchewan, 18 RCC (Retail Council of Canada) Companies, 5 CFIG (Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers) Companies and 1,374 independent locations supporting the Code as per the Retail Council of Canada website.

     A list of those supporting companies can be viewed or downloaded here.

     



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