The dodgy way we’re getting ripped off with our groceries

‘Shrinkflation’ has become a buzzword in the 21st century but there’s another dodgy practice that’s ripping us off at the checkout.

Are you being ripped off at the checkout?

Shoppers are often not getting what they pay for at the checkout buying fresh meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables, with hundreds of retailers found to have mismeasured the weight of popular items.

The latest figures from the National Measurement Institute found that of the more than 5000 trader audits it completed nationally, close to a third were flouting laws.

Traders can include retailers selling items by weight and other measurement, including major supermarkets, delis, pubs and bottle shops, independent grocers, butcheries, bakeries, frozen yoghurt stores and even fuel stations.

In one of its targeted operations last year on wholefoods businesses selling pre-packaged goods in over-the-counter transactions, such as flour, nuts, sweets, dried fruits, grains and cereals a shocking 181 of the 416 businesses were deemed “non-compliant”.

Non-compliance of the country’s measurement laws can include not zeroing a shop scale before weighing a product, short measures in pre-packaged goods and using dodgy measuring instruments that are either unapproved or inaccurate.

In the last financial year 1971 noncompliance notes were issued along with 59 warning letters, while 24 fines were handed out. The fines totalled $91,970.

Some of the fines dished out included visits to multiple stores of a butchery chain that found around 5 per cent of all pre-packaged meat lines were short weight. The business was first hit with a $6875 infringement notice but, after follow-up visits found the issue persisted, another fine for the same amount was issued.

Generic photo groceries, grocery, shopping, cost of living, inflation. Photo: Blair Jackson

A frozen yoghurt chain was also fined $6260 after inspectors visited seven of its stores, acting on a tip from the public, that the weight of the disposable bowls was not being removed in its transactions.

The NMI also takes responsibly for ensuring fuel pumps are delivering the correct number of litres paid for, with 2484 fuel dispensers tested in 2023-24. It found that 6.1 per cent had an error that meant the customer received more fuel than what was indicated on the display and 4.9 per cent saw the consumer receive less.

The NMI’s report stated: “Measurement errors are usually relatively minor and large errors are rare. However, even minor measurement errors can have a significant impact on competition and consumer disadvantage.”

For example, if the plastic container used by a deli to sell products is not taken off at the point of sale, it will add 10 to 20 grams each transaction. Over a year, it could result in customers losing thousands of dollars.

Queensland Consumers Association’s Ian Jarratt said he would like to see more people submitting complaints.

“(Consumers) should make more complaints about the quality of quantity information on packages which should be clear and legible and on the front of the pack, and in many instances, they aren’t, and that reduces the extent to which consumers even bother about exactly how much is in a pack,” he said.

Originally published as The dodgy way we’re getting ripped off with our groceries