The Convenient Conspiracy

When I wrote in my last post about how local convenience stores have a rather convenient habit for them of ripping off their customers, I never actually thought I could find myself in the middle of a minor scandal just days later...

Upon a visit to a Lidl store which is virtually on my doorstep, I realised I had no chocolate biscuits left at all. When I've finished eating my lunch or tea, for some reason I can't feel satisfied until the meal has been rounded off with a good dose of chocolate biscuit. Penguins used to do the job, but I've gone off them now. To save money I've regressed to ASDA's chocolate caramel biscuits, of which I can get 21 for £1.50. Not bad value.

But last night I ran out of them and, with no prospect of going shopping until next week, I decided that I would just have to bite the biscuit bullet and go buy some more. Lidl is usually decent value, as long as you're prepared to accept foreign chocolate like "70% KOKOA!" or its inferior cousin "55% KOKOA: FOR KHOCKLATE WUSSES!".

So when I spotted the opportunity of 18 Rocky biscuits for £1.39, the decision was made. A normal, branded chocolately biscuit with added cheapness. How rare. I then picked up a bottle of milk, and totting up how much money this would cost came out to £2.38 - just 2p less than the contents of my pocket. This day could not get much better. With the sun shining in Hull for the first time since 1497, I had chosen to forego the coat - containing all my money - and just took out with me the money that was already in my jeans pocket.

I arrived at the checkout, to the usual monstrous queue of people waiting to buy a handful of items being held up by the only person in Hull who manages to do a weekly shop in Lidl with a whole trolley full of items. That was normal, so I decided to not let it ruin my day. I would simply wait patiently, and smile at my good fortune.

The Cosmos then delivered a reward! Or maybe it was the manager, who demanded a second till be opened. As I had only just joined the queue, I immediately changed direction and went straight to the front. Instant service. Also very rare. Nothing could stop this glorious day.

"That's £2.88, please."

Except that. The Rocky biscuits were actually £1.89. I wanted to argue and say the price has come up wrong. But Computers Are Never Wrong! And there were other Rocky biscuits next to it which had less in the packet. The likelihood of me looking at the wrong price originally is very high, especially as Lidl is so badly organised and priced-up anyway.

Sheepishly, I had to sacrifice the Rockys and I muttered some excuse about not realising I had so little money with me. I paid and scuttled off with the milk, wondering if I had just paid the price for letting down my cynical and pessimistic guard for just a brief second, caught out by the glorious sunshine and bargain potential.

So now I have no biscuits. I will return to Lidl tomorrow and see if I was right or wrong. The anticipation is high...

Friday Update: I take it all back, Lidl. Well, not all, but some of it. I had looked at the wrong price after all. But this isn't the first time. Lidl have a rather scandalous tactic of putting the price for the items on the bottom shelf on the lip of the shelf above it - and the goods are often stacked up to the top so it looks like the price quoted could well be the one for the items below... while the price for the items on the top shelf is way above the eyeline. Sounds like a scam to me, and I know I've fell for them doing this before. Seems I never learn.