To be cross with local corner shop short changing kids

[welshdeb]

All the time. Much too regularly for it to be a mistake. Not just my dc from talking to other mums I know it's a real problem.
I know of at least 2 older kids who have short changed from £10 when sent there to get bread/ milk by mum. In both cases mums have had to go back to get their money as children were fobbed off by shopkeeper.

My dc is now wise to it and I tell them to check change and ask for a reciept. I also try to avoid them going there but it's not easy as there isn't anywhere else so close.

I am so cross,though, the shop is just over the road from school and I know they get a huge amount of passing trade on the way to/from school also it's just off our estate with no roads to cross etc so is really safe to let dc go to on their own to give them some independence.

I think it's just too cynical and mean to fiddle kids out of a few pennies of their pocket money.

I feel like wanting to tell the police but I guess they will think it's trivial and in a way I agree that it's not the crime of the century.

Trading Standards perhaps? Don't know if they cover this sort of thing, but they might be able to tell you what to do.

You can report the shop to trading standards quite easily. If it's a widespread practice then they're probably coining a few hundred a week in small change... it's theft. Obviously, don't shop there if you can avoid it.

My mother used to think the shop was short changing her when I was sent to the shops when I was younger.

It was actually me taking some money and buying sweets with it as I was never allowed any.

Not saying that is what is happening, just thought I would share the story

yes - I would make absolutely sure 100% that it's not the children short changing their mothers.

I discovered a little stash of coins (and sweet wrappers that I know I didn't buy for him) in DS1's room last year. Think it added up to about £4 in total.

On interrogation he had been pilfering change to either buys sweets, or "save"...

I know it's not the dc buying sweets with the change.
In most cases the dc are spending their own money so no incentive. My dc told me that shop keeper " can't add up. " and gets his sums wrong. Dc is very good at maths and can add up sums to 50p /£1 and dc was aware it was happening some time ago. I was told about it by another mum and when I asked my dc he said that it happened all the time but he hadn't said anything about it or challenged shopkeeper before as he thought it was cheeky to question grown ups.
Apparently shopkeeper doesn't use the till to add up either but put money on top of the till drawer.