Thread: Super Cheap Auto - Super Crap Service

Originally Posted by BMKal

I went in to the local Supercheap last Sunday and selected some electrical items I needed - came to just over $18. I had a $5 note and a $50 note in the wallet, and offered the $50 in payment.

The girl at the counter said that she could not accept this. When I asked why, she told me that the manager had instructed that $50 and $100 notes were not to be accepted on Sundays, as the business would not carry change for them.

I have reported this to Dep't of Consumer Affairs, as it is against the law. What I should have done was walk out of the shop with the goods and then waited while they called the cops and attempted to charge me for theft. Would have been interesting, because as I had offered legal tender in payment, I could not have been charged.

Anyway, it's the last time I'll go to Supercrap. With an attitude like that to their customers, who needs them.

I found this on the Reserve Bank site
"It is the Bank's understanding that, although Australian currency has legal tender status, it does not necessarily have to be used in transactions. Under the legal tender provisions of the Currency Act 1965 and the Reserve Bank Act 1959, refusal to accept payment in legal tender notes and coins is not unlawful. This is the case even where an existing debt is involved. However, a refusal to accept legal tender in payment of an existing debt, where no other means of payment/settlement has been specified in advance, conceivably could have consequences in legal proceedings, i.e. the creditor may be unable to enforce payment in any other form.

It appears that the provider of goods or services is at liberty to set the commercial terms upon which payment will take place before the "contract" is entered into. For example, some toll collection points indicate by signs that they will not accept low denomination coins. If a provider of goods or services specifies other means of payment prior to the contract, then there is usually no obligation for legal tender to be accepted as payment."

This seems to say that they can do this - but only if they have a notice saying so, presumably visible before you enter the store.

John

Coin is not legal tender, Notes of any denomination is and as such are a Bill of Exchange, so therefore the Bills of Exchange Act must be read in conjunction with the Currency Act.

Whilst I can accept that a trader reserves the right to specifiy the terms under which they are prepared to sell and which medium they are prepared to accept they generally would be required to specify this before entering into a contract of sale.

Supercheap have not disclosed this prior to the contact being entered into. They have widely advertised their wares for sale and the amount and medium which they are prepared to accept in exchange for the wares, access to their place of business has not been restricted, Their door was not barred.

Therefore a reasonable person could make the assumption that Supercheap have invited them to enter into a sale with them for their advertised wares and that all medium that is legal tender within the Commonwealth is acceptable in exchange for the offered goods.

A reasonable person should be able to assume that if the goods are advertised for sale ( by media or by display) and if they attend the advertised place of business, make their selection of the offered wares and tender legal tender in settlement of the sale contract that they can have the enjoyment of the item.

If the reasonable person fulfills all the conditions of the 'contract' (a) attends the advertised place of business. (b) makes a selection from the displayed wares. (c) offers the agreed amount (the advertised price) then Supercheap in obliged to settle the contract of sale entered into with the reasonable person and take all reasonable steps to ensure that they are able to do so.

This of course opens up a whole can of worms in the relm of 'Contracts of sale'.

I believe that given that some items advertised by Supercheap are over $50 then one could have a reasonable assumption that they are able to make change e.g. Item displays a price of $79.50, I offer 2 x $50 note or 1 x $100 note or 8 x $20 then I would have a reasonable belief that they have the capacity to make change in settlement of the contract of sale, as the sale banner makes no mention of the fact that they require the exact amount in settlement, which if it did would become a condition of sale.

That completes my thoughts on the matter .......Pssst ! ! ! ! I know a good commercial lawer

i agree with ya mate thats a bit lame i mean maybe a 100 but a fifty its only 32 dollars in change.


Mark

Some of the Pizza delivery places state that they only carry change for $50 - this is stated up-front and that seems reasonable to me. For a large store to NOT carry change for $50 is ridiculous. If they find they need a larger "float" for Sunday, so be it. If not, a statement in large letters out the front would save a lot of hastles, legel or otherwise.

What next, hiring a Security Guard to deal with agro customers demanding to get change for $50?

we run a small baby store open thursday night and saturday and will always accept payment by $50 or $100 notes, worse case I have to go split it at the local servo for an Ice Coffee!

(or the department store next door!, or deli etc)

That is very lame and extremely poor service. As said a sign would alleviate it a little but why not just put up a sign to the effect that if paying for items over $50 or whatever we would appreciate payment by card. Thanks!

How hard is it really, just sounds like a lazy manager as I'm sure they would carry spare change in the safe or failing that buy the change back out of the banking from fri & sat. (If that is picked up then they are using a security company... most of which do change runs

A general malaise seems to be affecting that outlets stores inother places, too... having been to three of them in the last month, but one local outlet did ring me back this morning (too busy to take the call at the time) with a quote for a part.

GQ

I was chasing a o2 sensor for our Feroza, went in Thursday before last... They found the Bosch part number but had to call the next day for price and availability so left details....... Still waiting!

Originally Posted by cookiesa

we run a small baby store open thursday night and saturday and will always accept payment by $50 or $100 notes, worse case I have to go split it at the local servo for an Ice Coffee!

(or the department store next door!, or deli etc)

That is very lame and extremely poor service. As said a sign would alleviate it a little but why not just put up a sign to the effect that if paying for items over $50 or whatever we would appreciate payment by card. Thanks!

How hard is it really, just sounds like a lazy manager as I'm sure they would carry spare change in the safe or failing that buy the change back out of the banking from fri & sat. (If that is picked up then they are using a security company... most of which do change runs

Yep I agree, sounds Like a lazy Manager or just plain hopeless ie no forward thinking to have enough change for the weekend........

Or even supercheap not wanting to pay for security for a cash escort later in the week, as Im in that game Im always surprised how companys put there staff at risk when making them do a bank run by them selves, poor people try and look normal when going to the bank, but they really stand out.....and to make it worse if the staff do the run the cash isnt covered by there insurance.....