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Token

United States
Member #138,110
January 19, 2013
1 Post
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Jan 20, 2013, 12:01 am

The other day I was at the store and turned in 3 ($2) scratcher tickets worth $7 dollars. Two were $2 and one was $3. The clerk quickly scanned them and tells me it's $6 and If I want store or cash credit. I request cash but the whole time I’m thinking there’s a mistake. I look at the lottery scan machine screen and it says $6. I never had a dishonest clerk at that store but I never saw this dude before. I walked out the store thinking maybe there was an error with the screen or the card. I decided to go back in the store. This dude said he thrown the cards in the trash like they were gone but I wanted to see them. I thought all winning tickets are sent back to the lottery. I always sign my cards even if it’s a $2 card. I had no idea that the store throws winning tickets in the trash after scanning them. I’ve been putting my signature and address on these winning cards. He fumbles throw the trash like he can’t find them. That store wasn’t busy and I had returned less than 5 minutes. He finally pulled these cards out the trash and on to the table. We both see they're worth $7 but he’s looking at me like he can’t help me. He said I can only scan the ticket one time. I guess it was good my signature was on these tickets because he had other tickets in the trash behind that counter. He said something like sometimes the machine won’t pay out a $1 or something like that. So I questioned what he said. I had winning tickets worth $7 dollars and I’m only allowed to get back $6? He realized that I wasn’t going to let it slide so he scans the ticket and pays me $1. He thought the confrontation was over but I wanted to know why the lottery doesn’t pay their customers in full for winning tickets? This dude takes his fingers and does a move on gesture and says you got your money back! No apology or nothing. Should I report him or let it slide?
lotsofwins

Texas
United States
Member #114,696
August 5, 2011
4,623 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 12:50 am

Hey token-I wouldn't report over a $1 but I would definitely not go back to the same store-also I used to work as a clerk and when there is a winning ticket it prints out a ticket with how much the ticket won, it is possible it was a simple mistake but you never know...
emilyg

50

United States
Member #14
November 9, 2001
31,615 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 12:52 am

Report him. He might be doing this to other customers for larger amts.

love to nibble those micey feet.
rdgrnr

100

The Hall Of The Mountain Kings Tennessee
United States
Member #73,901
April 28, 2009
15,378 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 1:11 am

Quote: Originally posted by Token on Jan 20, 2013
The other day I was at the store and turned in 3 ($2) scratcher tickets worth $7 dollars. Two were $2 and one was $3. The clerk quickly scanned them and tells me it's $6 and If I want store or cash credit. I request cash but the whole time I’m thinking there’s a mistake. I look at the lottery scan machine screen and it says $6. I never had a dishonest clerk at that store but I never saw this dude before. I walked out the store thinking maybe there was an error with the screen or the card. I decided to go back in the store. This dude said he thrown the cards in the trash like they were gone but I wanted to see them. I thought all winning tickets are sent back to the lottery. I always sign my cards even if it’s a $2 card. I had no idea that the store throws winning tickets in the trash after scanning them. I’ve been putting my signature and address on these winning cards. He fumbles throw the trash like he can’t find them. That store wasn’t busy and I had returned less than 5 minutes. He finally pulled these cards out the trash and on to the table. We both see they're worth $7 but he’s looking at me like he can’t help me. He said I can only scan the ticket one time. I guess it was good my signature was on these tickets because he had other tickets in the trash behind that counter. He said something like sometimes the machine won’t pay out a $1 or something like that. So I questioned what he said. I had winning tickets worth $7 dollars and I’m only allowed to get back $6? He realized that I wasn’t going to let it slide so he scans the ticket and pays me $1. He thought the confrontation was over but I wanted to know why the lottery doesn’t pay their customers in full for winning tickets? This dude takes his fingers and does a move on gesture and says you got your money back! No apology or nothing. Should I report him or let it slide?

Report that SOB without fail.

He tried ripping you off and then treated you disrespectfully when you called him out on it.

Report him to the store manager or owner and also to the State Lottery.
grwurston

100

Same digits. Different games.

United States
Member #90,245
April 24, 2010
16,864 Posts
Online

Jan 20, 2013, 1:25 am

When you cash a winning ticket here in Maryland the machine kicks out two receipts. One retailer copy, one customer copy.

Ask for your copy.

I would report him. If he's cheating cutomers on the scratch offs, no doubt he's doing it on other games too. If it was an

honest mistake on his part he would have apologized. Which he didn't.

When playing the lottery the thing that should matter the most is: Are you winning more than you spend? Good Luck!!!
maringoman

Massachusetts
United States
Member #37,432
April 14, 2006
2,747 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 1:43 am

You did the right thing in going back and insisting to get your money. However, you almost messed up by leaving the store. What if he told you he ripped apart the ticket soon after you left? I am not sure about this but I always thought that after the ticket has been scanned it ceases to have any value and that is why stores in MA love to display them near the counter to entice customers to buy scratchers.
Uluska

United States
Member #134,619
November 2, 2012
1,178 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 6:41 am

Definitely report him. Customers should be responsible ( means to respond to situation), instead of letting things slide until someone is ripped off big time, and it might be you. there is always voice in your head when things aren't right. How he got $6 on a machine if it was $7? It's because he scanned different ticket, perhaps one he scammed another customer off. Then he could scan your not scanned $3.00 ticket for someone's $4 ticket, and so on. This way gradually he'd have an expensive ticket in his hands. May be he'd stop on $10 , pocket them and then start over. It will only work if almost all the customers are gullible and let things slide.

I think people should always demand their scratch tickets back, because they can be eligible for second draw, when you plug their numbers online, and then send the ticket if it wins.
Barbmac63

Pompano Beach
United States
Member #122,185
January 26, 2012
602 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 6:57 am

I had a 2 dollar winner and gave it to the clerk she scanned it and said it wasn't a winner. I questioned her and she kinda got snooty with me, I took the print out saying not a winner and the ticket back. Later I looked at the barcode and was a completely different number. I went to another store and the click informs me it was already paid. I was pissed. I did call the lottery headquarters and they suggested I call the store manager. If this clerk takes 2 or 3 dollars from everybody during a 8 hour shift she's walking away with some good pocket money at the end of each day. I never went back there again.

"You can't take it with you."
billionaire2bee

United States
Member #130,807
July 25, 2012
1,636 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 7:26 am

Quote: Originally posted by Barbmac63 on Jan 20, 2013
I had a 2 dollar winner and gave it to the clerk she scanned it and said it wasn't a winner. I questioned her and she kinda got snooty with me, I took the print out saying not a winner and the ticket back. Later I looked at the barcode and was a completely different number. I went to another store and the click informs me it was already paid. I was pissed. I did call the lottery headquarters and they suggested I call the store manager. If this clerk takes 2 or 3 dollars from everybody during a 8 hour shift she's walking away with some good pocket money at the end of each day. I never went back there again.

Yeah everybody when this happens you need to report them....especially to the store OWNER....because its him who can lose his lottery retailer's liscense...and that's business and believe me they don't want to lose that or even be known for a store that's ripping people off...that's bad for business too...
Uluska

United States
Member #134,619
November 2, 2012
1,178 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 7:28 am

I think lottery stores should have a policy that no used scratch tickets be kept at the store for any reason, they should be all returned to people. If anything, they should notify people if tickets are eligible for second chance draw.
msharkey2001

New Hampshire
United States
Member #136,484
December 12, 2012
379 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 8:01 am

Which state lottery doesn't require winners to be kept by the retailer as back up? Sounds suspect to me. Finding a completely trustworthy clerk is very important much like finding a good honest mechanic. I always go to the same store and have a good rapport with several of the clerks as I'm in there 4-5 times per week for tickets and other items. Good for Token calling this guy out AND knowing the value of his winning tickets.
CinCin

Columbia, SC
United States
Member #135,277
November 21, 2012
584 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 8:46 am

REPORT HIM!!

He's probably doing this to others as well. The least he could've done was to apologize for the error!

"If you can DREAM it, you can DO it!"- Walt Disney
riscknight

Athens
Greece
Member #133,226
September 24, 2012
209 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 9:16 am

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Jan 20, 2013
Report that SOB without fail.

He tried ripping you off and then treated you disrespectfully when you called him out on it.

Report him to the store manager or owner and also to the State Lottery.

> Report that SOB without fail.

He tried ripping you off and then treated you disrespectfully when you called him out on it.

Report him to the store manager or owner and also to the State Lottery.

+ 1000

Couldn't agree more. Personally I'd raise hell.

I'd rather ask for forgiveness instead of permission

6/49 dis(assembly)
zxchris

Texas
United States
Member #58,737
February 24, 2008
59 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 10:16 am

Keep your eye on them when you give them your ticket. I try to give my customers an unobstructed view of what I am doing, in order to avoid any accusations or something of the sort. We keep the paid out lottery tickets until the following monday, then we just trash them.

Just a thought from my experience: I cash lottery at my job, and 100% of the time it is the customer who is mistaken when they thought they won a certain amount but didn't.

Luck is the residue of design.
Ronnie316

100

United States
Member #116,261
September 7, 2011
20,244 Posts
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Jan 20, 2013, 10:21 am

Quote: Originally posted by zxchris on Jan 20, 2013
Keep your eye on them when you give them your ticket. I try to give my customers an unobstructed view of what I am doing, in order to avoid any accusations or something of the sort. We keep the paid out lottery tickets until the following monday, then we just trash them.

Just a thought from my experience: I cash lottery at my job, and 100% of the time it is the customer who is mistaken when they thought they won a certain amount but didn't.

I can only imagine how often people must try to scam extra change, extra gas, extra merchandise, and extra cash off of lottery tickets.

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