October 16, 2007

Help Me Hank: Container confusion

Does your bottle of water require a nickel bottle deposit? Or are you getting overcharged? To stop the nickel and diming, here's "Help Me Hank."

Perusing the Sunday fliers for a discount, scanning the store shelves for a sale. Robin is a savvy shopper, that's why she picked this bottled water.
 
Robin Saunders, shopper
"It was a great price."
 
It was only 50 cents a bottle.
 
Robin Saunders, shopper
"My kids love water."
 
But when this savvy shopper checked her receipt, she found she'd paid a 5-cent deposit for each bottle.
 
Robin Saunders, shopper
"I said, well I don't think this is right."
 
She checked the bottle for info, but nothing. It certainly didn't say MA 5-cents. So, why pay the extra nickel? Robin called the store, but the manager told her if that's how it rang up, it must be right.
 
Robin Saunders, shopper
"I thought it was kind of irresponsible."
 
She was baffled by the bottle charge.
 
Robin Saunders, shopper
"Then I said hmm...let me call Hank."
 
So let's see. We sent our producer to buy the same kind of water in the same kind of bottle, in the same store. And here's her receipt, 50 cents for the water, and in addition a 5-cent deposit. Armed with our own overcharge, we called in the expert at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative reporter
"Should people be charged a deposit on this bottle?"
 
Greg Cooper, DEP Director of Consumer Affairs
"No they should not."
 
Look again, there's nothing on the bottle that says MA 5 cents. It turns out Robin's container is not covered under the Massachusetts returnable bottle bill. Only beer and malt beverages, carbonated soft drinks, or mineral water require the nickel deposit. Not plain water.
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative reporter
"So this does not say MA, so that means no deposit?"
 
Greg Cooper, DEP Director of Consumer Affairs
"Absolutely correct. Anything that is a deposit container will be clearly labeled with a Massachusetts code on it."
 
We called the store and said what's up with the extra nickel? When they checked, they told us that brand of water was new to their shelves. They said when the bottle was entered in their computer it was flagged as requiring a bottle deposit. So every time it was scanned well, they admitted, customers were charged the 5-cents.
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative reporter
"The extra money that was charged on this bottle is just pure profit?"
 
Greg Cooper, DEP Director of Consumer Affairs
"Correct. And obviously they're welcome to charge whatever price they want for their product, but they shouldn't be identifying the product as a deposit container when it is not."
 
The store tells us they changed the system, we checked and they have, and now customers won't be charged the extra nickel.
 
Robin Saunders, shopper
"I'm glad that they've made the change."
 
Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative reporter
Watch your receipts! Twenty-four years ago when the bottle bill was passed single servings of bottled water just weren't being sold. As a result, now those containers don't require a 5-cent deposit. If you're fighting a consumer battle, maybe I can help.

http://www1.whdh.com/features/articles/helpmehank/BO64656/