change of a tenner

[JamesEverton]

Legal question: if I go into a fast food shop and receive the change for a fiver when I know that I've paid with a tenner, what options do I have to get my money back? There's only my word against the bloke serving (and his couple of dodgy mates). It's only five quid but I hate being ripped off.

[fo3nix]

IANAL but if you believe you've been short changed, then you can tell the person at the till. They can then tell their supervisor or manager, and have the till checked to see if it's �5 up. If so, they'll give you the �5 you are owed. But you have to do that pretty soon, within the day. Don't go back the next day or a few days later, it will probably be too late.

[joko]

my mum puts notes ontop of the till until the change is given to the customer, so they cannot claim they gave her a higher note

also your note would be the topmost note in the drawer so it should be easy to see what you gave them - unless there is two comparments, though my mum oses one for 5s and 10s and the other for 20s and 50s - bit late now though

[john91]

do as fo3nix suggests, I was shortchanged by mistake in a pub and after a till check got my �5 back, however the problem would be if the barman had given �5 too much to a previous customer who had kept it, then the till would have appeared to be correct.

[woofgang]

this happened to me in our local car spares shop. I got change for a tenner and had handed over a twenty. The chap made a note and said that he would check when the till was cashed up thast night and could I return the following day. I did and got an apology and my tenner. If you think that the shop is ripping you offf, what else are they doing?? I probably wouldn't eat anything from there!!

[darkstar]

Believe it or not I always rip a small bit of the corner off, till Ive received my change then throw it away. If there is a problem show them the corner . Or rememember the last three numbers

[JamesEverton]

darkstar that's really ingenious.

Sadly I think the bloke behind the counter was pocketing the difference. woofgang you're dead right about not eating food from there any more (it was a moment of weakness).

[WoWo]

Too late now but when you had over the money say the amount out loud.

[don1]

I do what WoWo does, when you hand over the note say out loud "it's a ten pound note" and look at the person who is serving you, you don't have to appear hostile in anyway, but you should always look and act wide awake and look in charge of what you are doing.

People who get ripped off are usually half drunk dreamers or worse still the elderly who can be deliberately confused by unscrupulous people.

Sorry to say even if it is a genuine mistake you may not get your money back anyway because tills frequently dont add up as they should.

BE ALERT ALWAYS when handing over your hard earned cash.

[Hermia]

This happened to me in a shop where they only gave me change from a tenner when I paid with �20. The manager clearly thought I was trying it on and said she couldn't check the till until the shop had closed. I said I would wait. She looked very annoyed and suggested I come back at closing time. I refused as I didn't want the money to be removed from the till in my absence. So, I sat there waiting whilst the staff all gave me diry looks! When the manager checked the till there was about �50 extra in there! She apologised profusely and gave me the money back. I assume that (i) a member of staff was on the fiddle or (ii) a member of staff was very stupid to make that many mistakes in a day.

Whenever I pay with a large note now I say, "Do you have change for a �x" so they are forced to acknowledge the amount.

[AliFlump]

When i was younger and my mum sent me to the shop with a note she used to write down the serial number incase i was shortchanged. Now i always remember the last 4 digits when i hand over a note, if you have been short changed it will resolve the issue immediatly

[Greeno]

Just a quick note Hermia that really shouldnt be happening. From my time in a well know fast food restraunt (whose founder goes by the name ronald!) we were told if the till is out by more than 50p at the end of the day we were in trouble. If it was out by a lot say �5 we we given a warning and 3 warnings and your out. If it was �50 then goodbye public humiliation on the spot. One time we had a crack addict who decided to hide �20 notes in his shoes whilst working there, all was well untill the tills came up almost �300 short at the end of the day! We were a different breed!!!!!!!!!

[MsBadely]

Ripping the corner off a note or remembering the digits are also used in popular scams so they won't really resolve matters if the shop decides to be arsey about it.

[GirlySam]

I`d just like to agree with the comment by MsBadely - this was my first thought on seeing the suggestions on numbers and tearing corner. This sort of scam was featured in a father and daughter film (also real life f + d I think). There really is no answer to your question as to getting your money back - just write it off.

[fo3nix]

the best advice is to simply check the change you get back, as you're handed it. that way you can't make any mistakes.

[Whickerman]

If you've been ripped off, and you know it, and they know it, get revenge. Phone in an order worth �20, then don't collect it. Twice.

[Hermia]

fo3nix - I did do this, but the shop assistant had put my note away before getting my change out. I saw the change was wrong as soon as she put it in my hand, but she had closed the till drawer by this time so I couldn't prove I had given her a �20.

[fo3nix]

well in which case you don't have to prove anything. just tell her that you gave her a �20 and not a �10 (or whatever). she'll most likely apologise and get her supervisor to open the till. if she's unsure she'll have to get her till checked. thats it. they cant just refuse to give you it. if they do, ask for the manager.

[MrPahoehoe]

Darkstar, thats a pretty ingenious effort. I'm guessing not many other people use that method. Question, have you ever got one of your old notes back from somewhere and if so, did you shed a tear ;-)

[lankeela]

I work on a market stall, and always say (for example) �1 from �5 or �1 from �10, if they give me a note, and hold it in my hand until I have given them the change. It works both ways, we sometimes get people say they have given us a tenner when we still have the fiver in our hands, but also we often get (particularly old people) walking off without their change while we go to the money box. The rarely thank us, just snatch the money and walk off.