Do you think the shop clerk was trying to rip me off or does this sound like it was an honest mistake?

Since you got your change with a hassle, think I’d give him the benefit of doubt.

If he was trying to rip you off, why would he wait until you’re almost out of the store and then agree with you and give you your money back. Sounds like an honest mistake.

Sounds like an honest mistake to me. Maybe a lesson we can all learn about watching what we do more carefully. Glad you didn’t get ripped off.

He did the right thing in the end for whatever reason. I would just chalk it up with a shrug.

That is why cashiers are trained to leave the money on the ledge of the register until the transaction is complete.

I would give him the benefit of the doubt. But it might be that he was afraid that he would get caught, so in a panic he admitted to making a mistake. But hey. All’s well that ends well.

Sounds like an honest mistake. I used to have that happen every so often when I was a cashier in a high volume store..I could always just check the drawer easily, plus we were to always put 20s in a machine as we got them…people will always correct you, and sometimes try to scam you.
Glad he noticed, and was honest :)

It was an honest mistake:)

I once made that mistake when I was a bartender. I also have gotten too much change back from people making that mistake in the other direction. It happens. I don’t think he tried to rip you off. Especially since he stopped you from leaving. Your friend seem a bit negative here. But who knows? Everything is possible.

I had that happen to me a couple times and now I verbally state the denomination when I hand it to the clerk so there is no mistake about it.

It sounds like an honest mistake. Honestly.

@Cruiser -I think you should sing it out loud and clear in Ethel Merman’s voice!

I can’t say for sure. In the future, when you hand a clerk a bill (currency) say, “Here’s a $20, that should cover it!” It’s especially useful when other customers are present. Make this a habit!

@lucillelucillelucille That is a bit out of my range….I find saying it in a Buddy Hacket voice does the job well enough.

@Cruiser -No need to flirt with the cashier!lol!

@lucillelucillelucille I can’t count the number of phone numbers saying “Hello!!!..that’s a Twenty”” has got me!!! ;)

@Cruiser -If you can’t count,how do you know you’re not getting short-changed??;0

If the clerk had tried to rip you off, he would have never said anything about the twenty dollar bill and his mistake. BUT, did the store have a camera? did the clerk suddenly realize that he made have been taped taking your money? hmmmmm….either way, the outcome was to your advantage, so take your money and run.

In the future if this happens, just saying “I gave you $20” won’t really get you anywhere. When I’ve worked as a cashier, sometimes the opposite would happen- customers would occasionally pay with a five and say they gave me a twenty and ask for all their change back. The solution is to have an impartial third party like a manager come over and count the change.

I nearly always say “All I have is a 20, is that OK?” That way they know what I’m giving them.

You need to be more assertive. You say you know you gave $20. So why back down in the first place. Totally beyond me why you basically gave up what you knew to be true.

Definitely an honest mistake or he wouldn’t have called you back in the store.

@ucme: his denying that i gave him the $20 made me think it was my mistake.

to all the people that suggested calling out the denomination: someone actually told me that a long time ago. she said she does that when she pays with a large denomination, or a combination of bills that is unusual. She said she would say “Out of $20” or “out of $32” or whatever. i think that’s good advice and i will try to remember to do that in the future. If i had said to him “Out of $20” it would have made him look harder at what i gave him, and i would have made me more aware and sure of myself.

@ucme I think that would be a great idea.