starling supermarket BEWARE

jazzaktai


Joined: 14/04/2009
Posts: 136

Message Posted:
20/05/2010 19:38

THIS MAY BE A TRAINING ISSUE but beware when receiving your change from the new staff at there lapta branch 3 times this week i have been short changed tonight 68 lira change on till gave me 63 with the change being given in half lira coins i asked to see the manager and without checking my hand quickly gave me a 5 lira note so BEWARE

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
20/05/2010 20:21

Lemar are also at it, went shopping there last Wednesday, bill 8.60TL, gave 10TL bill, change 1.25TL and when challenged .15TL miraculously but begrudgingly appeared from the till!



Richard

gooligan


Joined: 30/01/2007
Posts: 1591

Message Posted:
20/05/2010 20:22

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
20/05/2010 20:28

jazzaktai,

'A TRAINING ISSUE' !! - too right!

They're trained to do it!

measey


Joined: 07/02/2009
Posts: 1037

Message Posted:
20/05/2010 20:29

could be just a simple mistake, less of course there are many more people that have .ie not just two people.

jazzaktai


Joined: 14/04/2009
Posts: 136

Message Posted:
20/05/2010 20:39

yes measey i agree but 3 times this week the three times i have been in this topic is not for debate just warning cyprus 44 members to beware

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
20/05/2010 21:24

measey,

No disrespect to you intended, but your profile shows that you live in Oxford...Very nice!....Very civilised...

We live here, and shop in these places all the time, we KNOW what they're like!

I have adopted the ploy of always carrying sufficient small change that I am able to proffer somewhat less than the amount requested, and giving a 'Cyprus Shrug' if the shortfall is pointed out (and making no move whatever to remedy the situation )

- It works!

bestty


Joined: 08/09/2009
Posts: 44

Message Posted:
20/05/2010 21:40

You think thats bad, I've bought some gravy granules from one of their shops and when I opened it, it was half full of maggots. I returned it to the shop and they offered me another one, as you can quess I declines on that offer. So they gave me my money back and could barely bring themselves to appoligise.

Tinkie


Joined: 16/03/2009
Posts: 1256

Message Posted:
20/05/2010 22:01

I have to say that I have always found the girls to be nice and honest and have never been short changed in there. They do have several new members of staff who are still training, as stated in msg 1.

HildySmith


Joined: 02/07/2009
Posts: 1708

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 03:31

if they are not competent they should not be in the job unsupervised yet

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 05:58

I am so fed up of being short changed in starling, this week i went to buy a chicken for my dogs, cost 10 75. i gave 10.50 and shurgged when the cashier looked at me for the extra 25, a;ll she said was ok.If this money they rip off from us went to charties i would not mind but day in day out they do it. how do the tills balance. We have mentioned it to the manager but it still goes on.With not having cash n carrys here we have to shop at these stores and ask for a fatura (invoice) for some reason it does not happen then x

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 07:03

Measey, if you re-read the original thread you will see that it appears the till operator was quite well aware of the amount of the shortfall without the need to check, Do you not find that telling? (pardon the pun).

professoregit


Joined: 30/08/2008
Posts: 381

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 07:14

Was in there last week. Girl shortchanged me by 1 lira exactly. When I quized her after looking at the checkout display as opposed to the change she gave me, she pointed to the receipt. Did'nt have my

glasses with me so could'nt read it! When I got home, checked the bill and low and behold the brazen

little cow had done the deed. No more big shops at Starling, just basic necessities.

cyprusishome


Joined: 31/03/2007
Posts: 2381

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 07:52

Do what many TC do, and ourselves, use a credit card. Avoids the problem of no small change in particular.

Stewart


Joined: 19/07/2008
Posts: 1107

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 11:58

Hi....I used to work for J.sainsbury...sometimes ( quite often )..the short changing is due to the cashier being on the fiddle....when cashing up..ie accounting at the end of the night, any surplus, they may simply pocket or take from the till during their shift...it happens the world over

mamachina


Joined: 22/11/2008
Posts: 730

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 12:54

Use debit card and check amount against bill immediately it rolls out! Any probs call Manager.

Dusterbruce


Joined: 03/08/2007
Posts: 1125

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 14:41

Msg 15



I once saw an operator in Lemar Karakum take a 50lira note from the till and slip it into her pocket.

If she short changed customers all day it would not take long to make the till shortage up.

TopTen


Joined: 15/04/2009
Posts: 1246

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 17:42

Starling in Alsancak shortchanged me by 5 lira when I queried it she quickly gave me the 5, but then when I got home I had left some fruit on the counter so they got my 5 lira anyway. TT's lizzie

paulc


Joined: 11/04/2009
Posts: 182

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 17:53

Shopped today at Sterling Alsancak and got short changed, held my hand out until she made the change right, and got it

Hilltop



Joined: 28/04/2008
Posts: 636

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 17:54

It seems to work both ways at the Iskele Lemar. Never a problem with up to 25kurus either way. Life is too short to worry about amounts like that.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
21/05/2010 19:06

All very strange; when shopping in RoC everything is charged down to the last cent and also given in change. I would have to conclude that this is not a 'Cyprus' mentality problem but pure theft by certain individuals.



Richard

littlejohn


Joined: 09/03/2009
Posts: 316

Message Posted:
23/05/2010 00:56

Message 21 - for once I agree.

But I have to say I have never been ripped off in 40 years of visits to both sides - except for Oscar car hire who claimed I had returned a car without the spare wheel!

Mind you it did cost me a fortune in excess baggage!

Zoony


Joined: 26/03/2010
Posts: 136

Message Posted:
23/05/2010 08:29

I left my wallet in Supreme and only realised when I got home I phoned them and they put it in a safe for me till the next day I have always found Supreme to be very helpfull and honest.

Pippie


Joined: 02/12/2009
Posts: 1288

Message Posted:
23/05/2010 08:56

I used to find it very frustrating and we had a similar debate to this on here last year when I was voicing my frustrations then. After listening to some of the other frustrated people on this forum I felt better that I wasn't on my own. Lilli is right though, if any discrepancies in the tills went to charities at the end of the day, it wouldn't be so bad.



I've now resigned myself to having the odd 5 or 10 in my purse so that it more often ends up being the odd 2 or 3 kuruş in my favour. However, I don't hand over anything until I've tottied it all up - if you're too quick to hand over a big note and then start looking for the coins (which I always thought was doing them a favour!), they're too quick to give you your change without giving you the chance to offer them the coins.



And if they try to short change me more than 5 kuruş I now ask for the change - much to the embarrassment of hubby!!

Pippie


Joined: 02/12/2009
Posts: 1288

Message Posted:
23/05/2010 08:59

Oh, I found it quite amusing in Starling the other day when taking notice of the prices displayed (which is very unusual I know!!). How can they write 2.63 when there's no such thing as 3 kuruş? I feel sorry for holidaymakers.

Marvo


Joined: 30/04/2007
Posts: 194

Message Posted:
23/05/2010 09:41

We shop at the Ilelli supermarket opposite the Denizkizi and have never been short changed, the opposite in fact.



The staff are very friendly and they have most things. If they don't have it in, talk to the girls and they'll get it for you.



An excellent family run shop.

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
23/05/2010 09:49

marvo totally agree, we use them for most things now x they are the most helpful girls.

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
23/05/2010 13:08

We use Ilelli too - very helpful and, more unusually, cheerful!



Great shop IMHO.

Karanfil


Joined: 28/03/2009
Posts: 187

Message Posted:
23/05/2010 16:52

Went to Lemar in Karakum yesterday There seems to be only one cashier in there that gives exact change. Last week I was underchanged by 50 kuros so was prepared yesterday. I just knew that the girl was going to try and pull a fast one and decided to make a stand if she did.

She should have given me 17.25tl change but "accidently" dropped the coins as she was giving them to me so that I ended up with 15 lira in my hand. She then passed me 1 lira and made no attempt to give me the other 1 lira which had fallen next to her. I picked it up myself and showed her my change and politely said "yermi bes kuros lutfen". She glared at me as she gave me my 25 kuros but in 5 kuros coins!

I've decided that next time I go into Lemar and I'm short-changed I'm seeing the manager and telling him about his dishonest staff. In my experience it is worse during the holiday season when you get mistaken for a tourist. Time it was stamped out!

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
23/05/2010 17:56

You know after seeing how often this happens we should not write it off, get the manager next time. I always seem to get the same cashier who has a lovely smile, now i know why she sees MUG printed all over me. If I count up all the times in 6 years I could have a lovely relaxing facial and manicure and loads of dog food. Ilelli for everything from now on. Only trouble is they dont sell the cooked chickens and rice which i treat the little devils too.. God when my Max was alive I bought him a whole chicken and rice every day to get his strenght back, never ever checked the change xx

TurkBankRep


Joined: 22/01/2009
Posts: 219

Message Posted:
24/05/2010 08:25

thats why i now used Turkbanks new cash/debit card

linda

measey


Joined: 07/02/2009
Posts: 1037

Message Posted:
25/05/2010 20:41

i recon you need to always use credit or debit cards problem solved.

measey


Joined: 07/02/2009
Posts: 1037

Message Posted:
25/05/2010 20:44

Lilli. your no mug , those type of people in live will get there come uppance.xxxx



mease.

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
25/05/2010 21:21

Never mind the short change. I stand by the till and watch the prices come on screen as scanned. Numerous items are often a higher price at the till than marked at the shelf. For example I bought Saithe when it was marked 7.5 TL at the shelf but came up on the till as 16 plus lira which was the price of Cod at the time. After 20 minutes of my refusing to change it for Cod as I wanted Saithe for my cats but not at Cod prices I gave up and walked out. Weeks later, having been made aware of their errror, and no apology made the scam was still operating. Have also watched 2 girls on adjacent tills work in tandem, one to give the nod when the supervisor is engaged elsewhere, then scan a carton of 200 cigs, charge the customer the right price for all goods received but keep the receipt which does not show the cigarettes as they were only scanned but not put through the till acccounting process. How do I know this. I walked around the kiosk and snatched the receipt from the bin.

alanka


Joined: 15/09/2007
Posts: 154

Message Posted:
26/05/2010 03:00

I am sorry for the bad experiences, I shop at the Lemar at Bogaz, and they have never been anything other than honest and helpful.



I would like to shop more at a local family store (to support it) but find that if the son is not there, the mother will try and take advantage - do they not understand about repeat trade??

Pixie


Joined: 18/03/2009
Posts: 489

Message Posted:
26/05/2010 03:14

Alas they only understand about ripping off once and customers were forced to repeat trade for many years simply because there was never anywhere else.

Now it's a different story as there is competition, the economic crisis(meaning specials), shopping on the other side.

And when people accuse me of being a traitor to North Cyprus when I buy something that costs a quarter of the price on the other side, I simply state that the actual traitors are the ones who have become millionaires by profitting on the gains of people who simply didn't have any other choice.

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
26/05/2010 07:35

To illustrate Pixie's point, you only have to look at the price of a jar of, say, Nescafe 'Colombie', here, and then go and check it in the South - unless you have already!

kathy1


Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 39

Message Posted:
26/05/2010 13:40

We find Ilelli fantastic, as you say they are so friendly,and open untill 3am,which is very usefull for us as we always have a late flight

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
26/05/2010 14:23

Meat products are half the price, or less, in the South - no wonder there's a very 'convenient' ban in 'importing' it!



Ilelli seems to be picking up the trade that all the others are losing.

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
26/05/2010 14:28

Tenakoutou - I think you're absolutely right about Ilelli - the thing is, they can see what some other supermarkets don't seem able to and that is, if you're honest, friendly and go out of your way to help people, those people will return and also recommend to others.

keldanreb


Joined: 17/09/2009
Posts: 212

Message Posted:
26/05/2010 14:42

thank god for lemar!

Karanfil


Joined: 28/03/2009
Posts: 187

Message Posted:
26/05/2010 17:25

Keldanreb



Did you read my post (No.29)?

Geejay


Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 475

Message Posted:
26/05/2010 18:11

Illeli tried to overcharge my wife today. After complaining, the small change was "discovered". This problem is endemic in this country and becomes worse during the "visitor season". No supermarket is exempt from this cheating.

It's not as if the currency regulations do not permit smaller coins than 5 kurus. The currency regulations allow for 1 and 2 kurus to be issued, but they're not requested or issued. Even the Turk Bankasi short changed me when closing an account.

Corruption is rife ! The only way to stop this is to make ones displeasure known by complaining.

Pippie


Joined: 02/12/2009
Posts: 1288

Message Posted:
27/05/2010 11:58

My shopping takes ages these days, even if I'm only popping in for a few things. I make a point now of checking the prices on the shelf of everything - but don't rely on the price tag below the product, make sure you check the bar codes cos the price tags are never in the right place. And those that are missing, I make a point of going to the till girls to check every item.



Re. the meat importing, there's no ban on importing. I checked out importing a container of meat here not long ago. Good prices too, but the problem is everything has to be tested in the health ministry first to get their approval to import - not just the food but the packaging too. Trying to get a supplier to send a sample is a task in itself but getting a sample here in a condition that will remain fresh until the ministry gets around to checking that it's fit for human consumption is another problem. There's no ban, it's just the regulations that make it so difficult.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
27/05/2010 12:13

The TRNC embargo is only helped by the self-inflicted nature of this type of bureaucracy isn't it?

everon


Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 956

Message Posted:
27/05/2010 12:30

Hos Bes overcharged me sooooooooo much for some peppers (she didn't even weigh them) she just thought of a price, so before I paid, I challenged her to weigh them, guess what! she had charged me treble!! so I gave her them back, I have not been back x