Savvy shopper reveals how to score free groceries at Coles and Woolies
An Australian mum has shared her tips on snagging free groceries at the till.
The woman from Sydney's north shore took to Facebook to reveal her secrets which managed to bag her a one kilogram tin of Milo and a roast chicken for free last week.
“Is everyone aware of the Code of Scanning Practice 1984 at supermarkets?” she asked.
“If the price on the shelf is lower than the price the item scans, you get it free."
“Check your receipts before leaving [the] shop ladies. They have to refund [you] and give you [the] item."
“I usually find two to three items every week!”
The Scanning Code of Practice is a voluntary code that many supermarkets have signed up to, including Woolies, Coles, and some IGA and Aldi stores.
Under the policy, if an item scans higher than what the shelf price says, the customer is entitled to receive the first item for free.
Any subsequent item will be charged at the lower price.
The code however, does exclude alcohol, tobacco and items without a barcode, while purchases disputed must be under $50.
The policy is well detailed on Coles' website as part of its "promise on price scanning".
“If a single item scans at a higher price than the advertised or ticket shelf price for that item, we will give you that item free,” it says.
Many people shared their experiences of utilising the policy on the Facebook post, while others shared times they have still been charged full price.
“A lot of the time they think people don’t know this, and they will try to just change it to the shelf price,” someone said.
“At the service desk, they have a Code of Scanning Practice brochure,” another wrote. “ If they try to argue, I whip it out of my purse.”
“I never used to bother saying anything but got sick of getting ripped off at every shop,” someone else added.
Image credits: Getty Images