ALDI shoppers have warned anyone who’s a fan of yellow sticker discounts to check their receipts when using self-checkouts.
Customers can find a range of food and other items reduced in price, usually at the end of the day, at a number of supermarkets.
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You can usually spot them thanks to a yellow sticker, which also shows the cheaper price, though at Aldi they are actually red.
But eagle-eyed bargain shoppers are reminding people that if you scan these items at the Aldi self-checkout, you could miss out and risk paying more.
Several shoppers claim to have fallen victim to the supermarket misstep – and are now telling others to be aware.
One shopper shared a picture of her shopping and her receipt in the Aldi UK shopper’s Facebook group, showing she she was charged the full price for the food without getting the promised reduction at the tills.
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The shopper said: “Having seen everyone’s great discounts I spotted some in-store this morning.”
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t discounted at the checkout.”
Hundreds of shoppers replied the the post explaining the issue is with Aldi’s self-checkout system.
Customers must call over a member of staff who will then manually input the savings, as they do not go through automatically like at other shops.
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One shopper said: “I always check the discounted items go through the till or ask the assistant at the till before I pay.”
“I’m at a loss as to why Aldi cannot introduce a ticketing system the self-service checkouts recognise??” declared a third user
Another said: “It’s crap they don’t tell you at self checkout you need to ask for every item so they can hit discount price.
“I noticed the first time I done it didn’t take it off and got girl to take it off.
“Now anytime I’m at checkout and see anyone with discount I tell them to make sure they ask. So many people don’t know this.”
How to avoid missing out on Aldi discounts
Anyone who pick up a discounted item and pays at the self-checkout should call over a member of staff to put the reduction through.
Alternatively they can pay at the manned checkouts where a member of staff should put the cheaper price through without asking.
For anyone caught out, Aldi’s customer service is a first port of call to make a complaint.
You can do this in store or by calling 0800 042 0800. It’s best to keep evidence of the issue, like the receipt and pictures of the items.
And shoppers have shared other tips for making the whole thing easier, and ensuring you get the money off – including checking your receipt before you leave the store.
One said: “I always put reduced items at the front and make sure stickers are face up.
“It’s not like other supermarkets where there’s a new bar code, these discounts have to be done manually by staff.”
Another seconded the idea, saying: “Best tip is to put all the discounts with sticker facing up together on the till belt at the start or end!”
A third said: “I always keep the discounted items separate and last and I always point out to the cashier that they are discounted items – and I check the till receipt before I leave to make sure all the discounted items are discounted.
“I do this because in the past they have not been and only discovered this when I got home. I am very careful now about that because they do have a short date on them.”
A retail expert previously warned that shoppers should be more vigilant when scanning their shopping.
Consumer champion Scott Dixon, known as “The Complaints Resolver”, says he has even been caught out by the same issue.
He told The Sun: “This is a problem I have experienced and it’s frustrating in having to wait for staff to duplicate a job you are doing for them.
“Shoppers need to be vigilant and check their receipts before they leave the store, as mistakes are often made by checkout staff on tills from scanning shopping too fast.”
He feels the issue could be “easily” resolved by taking up the same systems used by rivals.
Other retailers like Asda and Tesco use systems that can scan discounted items on self-checkout machines.
Meanwhile one food boss has said that self-checkouts are encouraging people to steal.
H Forman & Son chief executive Lance Forman said it was a “sad fact of life”.
He said: “Self service really annoys people, especially older customers, and they think that if you are not prepared to protect your goods you can’t care about them too much.
“If you leave your front door open, people will come in and steal.”
The firm manufactures smoked salmon, which is one of the most commonly stolen items.
How to save money in Aldi
Aldi is known for its already low prices, so any day you visit the budget supermarket, you’ll likely come across a bargain.
But there are a few things you can do to save even more money.
Reduced prices usually come into effect on Wednesdays so that’s one of the best days to shop.
Every two weeks Aldi carefully selects six products to feature in its Super Six offer, so make sure to check those out.
However, the deal is refreshed every two weeks, shoppers only have a short window to make the most of the offers until they are changed.
The red stickers in Aldi usually indicate an item has been reduced in price, so they should keep their eyes peeled if they are looking for discounted food.
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