Making Sure Merchants Measure Up

by Dianne Molvig

Every day in communities across the country, certain people go about their jobs and by doing so save your family roughly $600 a year. Chances are you've never met them, noticed them, or even realized they're out there.

They're the people who work for your state or local weights and measures department. "An important role we fill is making sure that consumers get what they pay for, and often in situations when they're not able to determine that for themselves," says Judy Cardin, chair of the National Conference on Weights and Measures, and chief of the Regulations and Safety Section within the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, in Madison.

Cardin and her colleagues nationwide are the folks who check up on things most of us take for granted. When we buy a pound of salami at the deli, we assume the scale is accurate. When the gasoline pump shows we filled our car's tank with 15 gallons, we figure that's exactly how much gasoline we got. When we go through the grocery checkout line, we don't give much thought to whether the scanner reading the bar codes on the items is charging us the right prices.

Behind the scenes

Their efforts protect not only consumers, but also businesses from unfair practices by competitors. Inspectors usually try to visit each location once a year, according to Cardin. "If they find problems," she adds, "they'll do additional tests and follow up."

Each state has a weights and measures department, plus in some areas there are county or municipal programs. The National Conference on Weights and Measures brings these officials together annually, along with representatives of the federal government, industry, and consumers, to set weights and measures standards.

"Some states automatically adopt these standards," Cardin says, "and some states have a special rule-making or statute process they go through." States are responsible for enforcement of the adopted standards.

You get a glimpse of the enormity of the task weights and measures officials face when you think about all the things you buy that are sold by some sort of measure: a gallon of paint, five pounds of potatoes, a two-cubic-foot bag of garden mulch, a cord of firewood, a 100-foot roll of wire fencing. The list goes on. While officials are responsible for inspecting for weights and measures accuracy, consumers have a role, too.

"It helps if consumers are aware we're out there," says Ross Andersen, director of the Bureau of Weights and Measures in the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Albany. "If they see something that doesn't make sense to them, they know there's somebody to call. Believe me, some of our best leads [on violations] come from consumer complaints."

Who to call

Officials regularly find violations of one sort or another that cost consumers money. Rarely, however, is the violation an act of outright cheating, notes Andersen. Scales, meters, and other equipment simply can function improperly. "As with any device," he says, "they begin to drift a little with age. That's why we need to be out there checking."

Andersen notes, for instance, that gas pumps have a 95% accuracy rate nationwide. "And when they're wrong," he adds, "the errors are about equally spread on either side. Sometimes you're getting extra gas; in other cases, you're getting less." For any type of product, violations that short-change consumers can lead to hefty fines for vendors. That helps to keep vendors honest.

Although state laws vary on specifics, vendors are required to set matters right with customers when errors occur. Often when officials follow up on a complaint, they learn the consumer never contacted the vendor. But talk to the vendor first, Andersen emphasizes. "Most vendors rely on repeat business," he says, "so they want to make you happy."

If you get no satisfaction from the vendor, don't hesitate to contact your weights and measures officials. Where to find these folks varies by state, but usually weights and measures is part of the state agriculture department, says Cardin. "It goes back to those roots in most states," she explains, "because that's where commerce started." The National Conference on Weights and Measures Web site provides contact information for each state's program.

Shopping tips

• Watch the scanned price that shows up at checkout. Be sure it matches the price posted in the store. As you shop, jot down prices to make it easy to determine if the price you're charged at checkout is correct.
• Jot down prices on grocery packages having bar codes and no price labels. Use a marker to write the price right on the package. Then you can compare it with the scanned price at checkout.
  Weights and measures officials check for accuracy of deli scales, price scanners, gas pumps, and other devices.
• If you notice an error at checkout, tell the cashier on the spot, before you pay. Ask about the store's policy on scanner errors.
• Check your receipts before you leave the store. See store personnel about any mistakes.
• Watch a measuring or weighing device to be sure it starts at zero. Items should be weighed with no wrapping or container, or the scale should be set to deduct for the wrapping or container (called tare weight). You should be paying for net weight, not packaging.
• Bring store ads with you when you shop. Advertised sale prices may not be in the computer, and a clerk may need to enter them manually.
• When buying online or through a catalog, look for specific weight designations on products such as food. Avoid buying anything that only has descriptions such as "jumbo" or "serves 10 people." These are vague and usually mean the vendor doesn't want you to know how much you're actually paying per pound or other weight unit.

Published November 26, 2007

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