Self checkout theft - have you?
Poll: Self checkout theft - have you?
Total Members Polled: 299
Discussion
So - apparently as much as 1in6 folk cheat the system, who’s going to admit it?
I have put down the wrong type of apple when I couldn’t see the one I had immediately & escaped to tell the tale Although that was hardly the level of weighing bananas as carrots…
It strikes me as potentially an easy target for thieves & I’d love to see the background analysis & how they catch folk. On the face of it barcodes for similarly weighing items would seem the obvious choice & i’m not aware of random checks on self service items the same as shop & scan stuff.
Do these modern cameras at self scans have facial recognition & identify “this guy used to buy lots of bananas but now he buys carrots - check him out” & do the supervising staff get a ping in their ear to “watch customer at till 4”
For balance i occasionally fall victim to the questions
“Have you brought your own bags” at the beginning
&
“How many bags have you used today” where in my rush it’s kinda instinct for me to answer how many bags I used rather than if I took any of theirs…
I have put down the wrong type of apple when I couldn’t see the one I had immediately & escaped to tell the tale Although that was hardly the level of weighing bananas as carrots…
It strikes me as potentially an easy target for thieves & I’d love to see the background analysis & how they catch folk. On the face of it barcodes for similarly weighing items would seem the obvious choice & i’m not aware of random checks on self service items the same as shop & scan stuff.
Do these modern cameras at self scans have facial recognition & identify “this guy used to buy lots of bananas but now he buys carrots - check him out” & do the supervising staff get a ping in their ear to “watch customer at till 4”
For balance i occasionally fall victim to the questions
“Have you brought your own bags” at the beginning
&
“How many bags have you used today” where in my rush it’s kinda instinct for me to answer how many bags I used rather than if I took any of theirs…
Not actively no, but I do remember in the very early days about 15+ years ago they were basically an honesty system. Very light items such as sachets of spices and soups were very rarely picked up efficiently.
There were also hacks found out quickly. I think things like whisky could be processed as a banana etc.
There were also hacks found out quickly. I think things like whisky could be processed as a banana etc.
I wouldn't entertain theft due to my job (CEO of Acme Global Widgets).
I do wish there was more common sense with the stupid machines:
A birthday card is not going to register on the scales, so stop wasting everyone's time and allow the item to go through.
On some machines they stop you doing anything if I purchase something restricted (others let you finish scanning). Get a small chime machine to wake the bored teenager or two gassing housewives supposedly manning the self-service tills.
I do wish there was more common sense with the stupid machines:
A birthday card is not going to register on the scales, so stop wasting everyone's time and allow the item to go through.
On some machines they stop you doing anything if I purchase something restricted (others let you finish scanning). Get a small chime machine to wake the bored teenager or two gassing housewives supposedly manning the self-service tills.
Never, unless you count the time when an item refused to scan, I called over the assistant and after several attempts at manually entering the item into the system - the assistant said - f
k it - just take it.
I'm not sure if it's theft if you've got the permission of a representative of the organisation.
Then there was the time when the pay at pump system failed to register that I'd taken a full tank of fuel - I went into the shop and was told - "computer says you don't owe anything". I went back a few weeks later in case it had caught up with me but they said computer still says no.
k it - just take it.I'm not sure if it's theft if you've got the permission of a representative of the organisation.
Then there was the time when the pay at pump system failed to register that I'd taken a full tank of fuel - I went into the shop and was told - "computer says you don't owe anything". I went back a few weeks later in case it had caught up with me but they said computer still says no.
A while back I was shopping with a self scanner in Sainsbury’s, choosing some wine. My wife toddled off to another aisle to get some Marigold gloves, and when she got back asked me a question about them. I was in the middle of scanning half a dozen bottles of claret, so no prizes for guessing what happened - one got through without being zapped.
When we got to the checkout it was random repack time, and of course, it came up a bottle of wine short. Of all things to get caught ‘nicking’ - alcohol. I wouldn’t mind, but there was a bottle of olive oil in there that cost more. The omission was soon sorted, but for weeks after the system remembered us and we were subjected to red flashing lights and checks on our purchases, until the computer decided it trusted us again.
When we got to the checkout it was random repack time, and of course, it came up a bottle of wine short. Of all things to get caught ‘nicking’ - alcohol. I wouldn’t mind, but there was a bottle of olive oil in there that cost more. The omission was soon sorted, but for weeks after the system remembered us and we were subjected to red flashing lights and checks on our purchases, until the computer decided it trusted us again.
Countdown said:
"It's fun gaming the system" should really have been called "I'm a sneaky thieving ".
That’s what we’d call them but some folk genuinely believe it’s ok to steal sometimes - especially if it’s a faceless Robin Hood type thing.".The “gaming the system” term was one i picked up reading about why they believe some of the 1in6 folk do it.
I’m in the never camp for two reasons: first, I just don’t steal. Second, as a solicitor the theft of even something minor is pretty much a guarantee of being permanently struck off and therefore losing my career - I always get a receipt from the self checkout out of paranoia.
My then 12-yo daughter caught someone in the local M&S. she and her mum went to use a self checkout till and discovered that it was still open on the “choose your payment option” screen after the previous shopper had walked off. Daughter approached the nearest store colleague who gave chase. The shoplifter, on being returned to pay, simply said “oh it must have scanned - you know how these things are”. I suspect she was in the “always steal what you can camp.”
It happens a lot. Retailers don’t want leakage as it is obviously margin impacting, but there is a trade off vs the overall cost savings of installing self-checkouts.
My then 12-yo daughter caught someone in the local M&S. she and her mum went to use a self checkout till and discovered that it was still open on the “choose your payment option” screen after the previous shopper had walked off. Daughter approached the nearest store colleague who gave chase. The shoplifter, on being returned to pay, simply said “oh it must have scanned - you know how these things are”. I suspect she was in the “always steal what you can camp.”
It happens a lot. Retailers don’t want leakage as it is obviously margin impacting, but there is a trade off vs the overall cost savings of installing self-checkouts.
I did, through a normal checkout, had put some stem ginger in early on, put everything in and didnt spot it, there was the odd leaf and coupons, got out and saw it.
Did I go back, no, but still waiting for the tap on the shoulder....
But nicking stuff from supermarkets, nope, dont need to, dont need the agro and always brought up not to nick stuff.
Then you see videos of people helping themselves and walking out.
Did I go back, no, but still waiting for the tap on the shoulder....
But nicking stuff from supermarkets, nope, dont need to, dont need the agro and always brought up not to nick stuff.
Then you see videos of people helping themselves and walking out.
We had a huge haul from Ikea one year.
We scanned everything through and the bill came to something like £78, thought it was a bit low but it wasn't until we looked at the receipt when in the car that we noticed everything scanned after the knife wasn't on the receipt. Got a couple hundred £ of stuff for free.
Assuming because the knife needed approval even though we were scanning stuff it wasn't being added on as approval was needed before the next item was scanned.
We scanned everything through and the bill came to something like £78, thought it was a bit low but it wasn't until we looked at the receipt when in the car that we noticed everything scanned after the knife wasn't on the receipt. Got a couple hundred £ of stuff for free.
Assuming because the knife needed approval even though we were scanning stuff it wasn't being added on as approval was needed before the next item was scanned.
Once. A full shop too. Bagged up and ready to pay and see a friend at an adjacent checkout. Start chatting for a bit then I just picked up my bags and left. Thought nothing of it until I went in the same supermarket over a year later and get pounced on by a security guard, who shows me a video of my 'mistake'. Couldn't believe it until faced with actual video evidence. The guard was most triumphant but the store manager just told me to be more careful in future. Didn't even ask me to pay. Which was nice.
Nearly happened at M&S recently too. My card hadn't gone through on contactless and was waiting for a PIN but I was already nearly out the door with my beers when a member of staff shouted me back.
I'd wager a lot of self-checkout fraud is just customers being a bit dim rather than hardcore megatheft.
Nearly happened at M&S recently too. My card hadn't gone through on contactless and was waiting for a PIN but I was already nearly out the door with my beers when a member of staff shouted me back.
I'd wager a lot of self-checkout fraud is just customers being a bit dim rather than hardcore megatheft.
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