Both way errors

[094] ... [General]

Found an old hand-written bill that has been marking a page in an old book. No doubt the date and prices were nostalgic. Wonder if the shop still exists or continues in a new get-up. But what interested was the little phrase at the bottom-right. E&OE, supposedly "Errors & Omissions Excepted", a disclaimer used in an attempt to reduce legal liability for potentially incorrect or incomplete information supplied in a contractually related document such as a quotation or specification. Though in general, it was humorously considered as Accepted than Excepted.

Don't know if the little phrase still exists as haven't noticed in the electronic printouts that we normally encounter these days--on or offline, or perhaps used in bill books of some trades. But errors do exist despite the all sure electronic way. Like you buy something that's offered much lower on the day, but ovelook the original price printed out while billing that doesn't seem to be programmed for the day, standing to lose if the item wasn't really of immediate need as you went by the catchy price. It has happened many times when you get sick of the slow moving queues at the malls, amid devoted shoppers with loaded carts and wish to be done with sooner. And even if noticed, you find another line of similarly placed at the help desk, some arguing on the mistake, and prefer walking away than bear with the time consuming hassles.

Ironically I stood to gain once, as if partly making up for the previous losses. An item was billed much lower and when duly brought to their notice, turned out to be a festive discount a month back which wasn't updated at the POS, and was asked to enjoy at their expense. May be some would have made hay while the sun shone by buying more of the same in the second round, but didn't seem worth wasting another hour or taking advantage of the lapse. Sometimes we do benefit from the errors that are accepted with grace...