♪
>> IT JUST CAME AS A SHOCK TO ME
THAT THEY WOULD JUST TAKE MY
MONEY WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING.
BEN: WHEN SHERYL JACOB STOPPED
BY THE WALMART IN FRAMINGHAM ON
HER LUNCH BREAK MONDAY, SHE
PICKED UP A SMALL SNACK, AND
WASN’T THINKING ABOUT THE
NATIONAL COIN SHORTAGE.
>> SHE SAID THAT WILL BE TWO
DOLLARS.
AND I SAID OK, AND I HANDED HER
TWO DOLLARS.
WELL, I DIDN’T HAVE ANY IDEA HOW
MUCH THE THINGS COST, SO I JUST
GAVE HER THE MONEY.
DID NOT THINK TWICE ABOUT IT.
BEN: BUT THEN SHE HAPPENED TO
GLANCE AT HER RECEIPT, IT SHOWED
THE BAG OF CHEETOS AND A CANDY
BAR.
BUT ALSO A THIRD ITEM MARKED
DONATION FOR $.63, WHICH ROUNDED
UP OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN $1.37
PURCHASE TO TWO DOLLARS.
>> AND I MEAN, WHAT YOU MEAN A
DONATION?
$.63?
I WENT OVER AND I ASKED HER AND
SHE SAID WELL WE DON’T GIVE
CHANGE.
BEN: JACOB SAYS AT NO POINT
DURING THE TRANSACTION DID THE
CASHIER ASK HER FOR EXACT
CHANGE, OR OFFER HER THE CHANCE
TO PAY BY DEBIT OR CREDIT CARD.
>> SHE NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT
IT.
NOTHING.
IF I DID NOT LOOK AT MY RECEIPT,
I WOULD’VE NEVER KNOWN.
BEN: THE COIN SHORTAGE IS DUE TO
THE PANDEMIC, AS STORES ACROSS
THE NATION SHUT DOWN, PEOPLE
WERE STILL USING COINS FOR
THINGS LIKE VENDING MACHINES OR
AT LAUNDROMATS, BUT COIN
CIRCULATION SLOWED.
SEVERAL BIG RETAILERS RECENTLY
STARTED POSTING SIGNS, ASKING
CUSTOMERS FOR EXACT CHANGE IF
POSSIBLE.
AND WALMART IS AMONG THEM.
WE FOUND THESE SIGNS POSTED AT
THE FRAMINGHAM STORE, ALTHOUGH
THEY ARE BELOW EYE LEVEL AT THE
BEGINNING OF A CHECKOUT LANE,
AND DON’T SAY CASHIERS WILL NO
LONGER GIVE CHANGE.
>> THEY NEVER SAID ANYTHING.
AND IT IS THE PRINCIPAL OF THE
FACT THAT THIS BIG HUGE COMPANY
IS TAKING MY MONEY WITHOUT
BASICALLY ME KNOWING ABOUT IT.
BEN: NATIONAL GROCERY CHAIN
KROGER IS NO LONGER OFFERING
CHANGE IN COINS, BUT WILL PUT
THE CREDIT ON CUSTOMERS’ LOYALTY
CARDS.
WALMART TELLS US CASH IS STILL
WELCOME AT ITS STORES, ALTHOUGH
IT IS CONVERTING SELF-CHECKOUT
LANES TO CARD-ONLY, AND SAYS
CUSTOMERS ARE GIVEN THE OPTION
TO ROUND UP THE PURCHASE AND
DONATE THE DIFFERENCE.
A WALMART SPOKESPERSON TOLD US
TODAY, THEY BELIEVE THIS WAS
JUST SOME SORT OF
MISCOMMUNICATION BECAUSE THE
COMPANY’S POLICY IS STILL TO
GIVE CUSTOMERS THE CHOICE OF
WHETHER GET THERE CHANGE OR
DONATE
