Only Interchangeable If You’re Desperate

As I’ve advanced in my pregnancy, I’ve found that I need new underwear, and the store I get them from usually has them at good quality for pretty cheap. Imagine my delight when I walk in the day I decide to go shopping, and the prices on certain styles are now on clearance for an even lower price! However, there’s a snafu at the register that leaves me and both cashiers more than a little confused.

Cashier #1: “Huh. This particular pair is ringing up as a sweater. Just go grab another one from that clearance table, I guess.”

Me: “Sure thing.”

I get another pair in the same style and print… and the same thing happens! [Cashier #1] sighs in frustration.

Cashier #1: “I’m worried this is gonna be an issue with the whole batch…”

She calls [Cashier #2] over, and [Cashier #2] sees that the barcodes are the same.

Cashier #2: “Yeah, that’s gonna be a no-go on this particular style if they both rang that way. Ma’am, so that you have the right number of pairs for the sale, can you go pick something different?”

I did just that, and sure enough, it worked. I was very happy with the sale, but I’m glad I was the only one in the store, because as [Cashier #1] rang me up, poor [Cashier #2] then had to go through all the clearance bins and clear out the pairs that had the barcode issue. I don’t even know how you would fix something like that.