Yep! Yep! One does have to watch some of those Store Clerks, especially here in New Jersey where I am. One incident I've personally experienced when buying scratch-offs was the clerk after opening a new package of scratch offs, didn't validate them or key the package code numbers in on the lottery machine before selling them. Low and behold I bought one of them, but did not scratch it off until I got home. It turned out to be worth $50.00 so, I decided to redeem it at another store. Surely enough the clerk at the store asked me where did I buy that ticket from and I told her where and she told me to go back to that store and tell the clerk there that she needs to key the package codes into the lottery machine which when completed I would be able to claim the prize. Low and behold when I went back, the woman that I originally bought the ticket from scanned the ticket, when no number came up she asked me "where did I buy that ticket" and I looked at her directly in the eyes and said: You sold me that ticket about 40 minutes ago however when I tried to redeem it at a different store they told me to come right back here and tell you that you failed to key into the lottery machine the package codes in order to make this ticket and all the rest of the tickets within that package from which you took it - redeemable. Turns out she didn't know how to do it - so the owner had to come in and do it. I've often wondered if anyone else had that trouble from that store and actually out of discouragement and being upset - just left out of haste - their ticket on the counter and walked out, leaving the store clerk to validate and redeem it. Then a different incident - I had bought some quick 6 picks from another store and the total won was about $256.00 - anyway the clerk instead of scanning the ticket punched his own codes in to the machine to make it appear like I had won less, so I made my eyes like fish eyes and told him to scan those tickets so that the correct total would come up and if he didn't I would report him and his store to the NJ Lottery Commission because here in Jersey, they don't play. All one has to do is get in touch with them about any type of trouble redeeming anything Lottery and they will come that very next day and shut down their entire operation. I've seen them do it! So he scanned my tickets so that I could redeem the correct amount. I don't have to tell you all that he felt like a "Giant A-hole" especially because other customers had since come in there and witnessed it. I truly believe that some of those Clerks have figured out a way in which they know how to tell which tickets - especially scratch-offs are big winners and also some have figured out which code numbers to punch into their machines to make the total amount won appear less - then they pocket the rest of the money that's left over IF the person redeeming their tickek(s) does not speak up!
GoldenEgg