While I was leaving the parking lot, I spotted a 99 cents store. I suddenly remembered that I needed rolls of lint remover. Aha, siguro meron silang tindang lint remover.
I went inside and made usyoso.
I happily found a white plastic wash basin (palanggana) $1.99, white picture frame for my son’s high school graduation photo, S1.99, 6 corns for 3 for a dollar, and I got 4 rolls of lint remover for 99 cents each.
While I was lining up at the check-out counter I noticed that the cashier was a Filipina. She was making chika-chika with the cashier at the next counter, Filipina din.
I was 4 guys behind so medyo nababagalan ako sa kanya. I wanted to tell her “miss pwede ba bukas na lang kayo magkwkentuhan”. Pinigilan ko lang sarili ko dahil wala ako sa teritoryo ko.
It was my turn, when she scanned the picture frame, the correct price appeared– dollar ninety nine ($1.99) but when the four rolls of lint remover were scanned, the prices that appeared in the machine was $1 each. I asked the Filipina cashier, in English, kasi maraming Pinoy dito ayaw mag Tagalog.
OMB—- Miss, how come the price became a dollar, it says in the rack ninety nine cents.
Pinay cashier—- “The machine, round it….”
Me——“Why, it says it’s only 99 cents”.
She frowned and asked me “Are you still taking it? Are you still taking it?”
Siguro iniisip nya para one cent lang nagrereklamo pa ako. Naku sigurado ko na pag-alis ko, ako ang pagkukwentuhan nilang dalawang cashier.
The palanggana and picture frame still were $1.99 each. Oh bakit yan hindi naman ni round off. Eh di dapat naging $2 na. Pwede naman palang i program yung cash register with .99 eh bakit ganun.
She repeated her question if I still wanted to take it.
Siguro ang tingin nya sa akin either mukha akong pulubi or super barat.
I just found it not right if they would charge a customer a dollar for merchandises that are priced 99 cents each. They should not round it off. Okay lang if they price it a dollar, I am sure people would still buy, but they should change the name of their store to Dollar Store. And they should properly mark the items $1 and not .99 cents. That is deceiving.
Most people who go to the dollar or 99 cents stores are conscious of their expenses. I think it’s safe to say that a lot of them are poor. If they regularly shop there and every time they are ripped of a cent, that could translate to a few dollars in several weeks. They can use that money already to buy a day’s food supply.
