A viewer named Karen wrote in to ask about the accuracy of scanning devices at BC Liquor Stores.
She was recently at the checkout at the liquor store when a man was credited $1 when his $9.99 wine accidentally scanned at $10.99.
Karen said she thought that if retail stores overcharge on an item under $10 the customer gets the item for free – not just the difference.
It's not a law, but more than a thousand grocery and retail stores opt into Canada's Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Code.
If the scanned price of a non-ticketed item is higher than the shelf price the customer is entitled to get it for free, up to $10.
If the item has a price tag the lowest price applies.
The Code, implemented in June 2002, applies to all scanned Universal Product Code (UPC), bar coded, and/or Price Look Up (PLU) merchandise sold in all participating stores, with the exception of goods such as prescription drugs which are not easily accessible to the public and price-ticketed items.
In this case B.C. government liquor stores don't abide by the codes, so the rules don't apply.
In a statement to CTV News, the BC Liquor Distribution Branch said even though it isn't a part of the program, "in the event the shelf price in LDB stores does not match the price at the cash register, we would honour the lower of the two prices."
Ontario liquor stores have also opted out of the scanner policy.
Click here to learn more about the scanning code.
Watch CTV News for a full report from Lynda Steele…
