Unfair Payless

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I write with utter disgust about a recent encounter I had at the Payless shoe store located in the Sagicor Shopping Centre.

My son and I visited the store on November 26, 2011 to make a purchase. It was around 4:45 p.m. when we identified the items we wanted to purchase. They were running a bogo sale, so I decided to maximise. To make a long story short, I identified a pair of shoes for my son which had a price tag on the inside stating $5,095. However, it was in a box with a yellow sale tag on it stating $2,395.

I then went to the cashier to pay, and when she totalled the items, she told me the bill was more than $9,000. I then said to her there was an error, because my calculations told me $7,000 plus. At this time, we started going through the items when she picked the shoes for my son and told me that that pair was for $3,895.00.

I went and got the box that the $2,395 tag was on and she told me that I could not get it for that price. I explained to her that I knew my rights as a consumer and as such I needed to speak with a manager. She eventually told me that I should take it or leave it.

Needless to say, I was livid at this point. Instead of she apologising for the error and letting me go on my way, she proceeded to berate me. What is appalling was that while she was cussing me, her colleagues were there urging her to stop. Of course, she justified her actions by saying she wasn't cussing and that I was the one who was heckling her.

Now clearly there is a huge disconnect, because I did not tag the item, they did. I have decided to pursue this matter out of principle. The things that some of these businesses continue to get away with is very unsettling.

Well, I will be taking the matter to both the Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading commissions because a message must be sent.

T. W.