Store spills?

[ktheodos]

If you knock something over or cause something to spill in the store, accidentally, do you feel it's your responsibility to pay for it? Or just consider it what it is...an accident?

[dreamyxo]

I knocked over a bottle once at a grocery store.  The worker there just cleaned it up.  Nothing was said about paying and I didn't offer to pay.

[gaylasue]

I have done that before and have always offered to pay for it.

[autumnsparklemom]

I guess depending on what spilled and the amount?

[lvstephanie]

I feel that if you caused something to spill or be ruined, even if what you did was an accident, you should at least owe up to causing the damage like offer to pay for it. That being said, most businesses have contingencies for such accidents. Some may purchase insurance that protects their inventory from accidental damage. Or they may have slightly higher prices to cover for inventory loss. Thus even though you may tell a manager about the spill and offer to pay, the manager may just tell you not to worry about it knowing that they'll be covered from the accidental loss.

[bremer51]

I dropped a 40 pound bag of cracked corn that I use to feed the pheasants.  It broke open and some spilled on the floor.  A store employee came over and said to get a different and proceeded to clean it up.  I offered to take the broken one, but the store said "no".  I got help carrying the new bag so I wouldn't drop it again.

[bleyd]

If I knock somethiing over, then I would just pick it up. If it broke, I never offered to pay for it. The staff just wiped it up.

[vickysue]

I always offer to pay for after i get  a hold of some one to clean it up. Rarely have i dropped something that will spill or knock it over. But they have never let me pay for it. I think they are so glad that a person has let them know what happened so it could be cleaned up before a person slipped and got hurt.

[countrygirl12]

If you knock something over or cause something to spill in the store, accidentally, do you feel it's your responsibility to pay for it? Or just consider it what it is...an accident?

No I do not think I am responsible for paying for something accidentally knocked off a shelf.  Most stores seem to have so much crap stuffed on the shelf there is no way you can keep from knocking stuff off.  Willful destruction is an entirely different thing.

[pkrahmer]

I have knocked thing off the shelf before most of the time I can put them back. I think once I dropped a container of yogurt which broke and spilled on the floor. They cleaned it up without a problem. I was embarrassed but don't think I offered to pay for it.
spills or broken items are expected in the retail world it considered a business expense
no business wants to have too many of them.

[betlynjua]

Yes, if I were to knock something over, break something or spill something, I will at least offer to correct the issue. 

I had a situation happen a couple of years ago.  It didn't have anything to do with an accident on my part but a mistake on the part of the associate.  I bought a case of cat food; 24 cans, the clerk scanned one can and only charged me for the one can.  Even though I had coupons and discounts, I couldn't understand why my bill was such a bargain.  Typically I watch closely as my items are being scanned. This time I didn't.

Anyway, I got home and realized what happened.  I went back to that store the next day with my receipt and took care of the balance of the bill. 

Even though stores usually calculate some figure for a loss on items, for me, personally, I still like to bring it to the attention of the manager.