Customers urged to report self-checkout thieves

[Retro]

I really despise stealing and the thieves who do it. It's now running rampant in shops, especially in supermarkets with their self-checkouts where apparently it's easier to do. No, it doesn't matter if it's a big chain like Tesco with cashflow in the billions, it's still wrong and isn't a victimless crime as those who suffer from the losses aren't the big bosses, but the ordinary staff who might get lower wages or even be made redundant due to this rampant crime, along with the customer paying higher prices to make up for those losses.

I make sure to never steal and I have a great example here. Only recently when I did my shopping at Tesco, I asked for 6 carrier bags (I'd bought a lot!) where the cashier after a minute asked me to check the number of bags she'd given me as she thought she might have given me 7. I counted and I indeed had 7, but I could have just said 6, but no, I told her the true figure and assumed she charged me for it. I did have a use for that 7th bag in the end as some of the packets were somewhat bigger than I'd anticipated.

Now, you might think it's only a 30p carrier bag so it doesn't matter either way to myself or Tesco and to a degree it doesn't, but it was the principle that counted. That cashier trusted me to give her the correct answer, so I wasn't about to betray that trust, lie to her and rip off Tesco, no matter how small that ripoff would have been. I especially didn't want to lie to her and that's on a personal level. I'd have felt like a hypocrite doing so.

Security experts are urging shoppers to inform staff if they see someone not scanning an item at self-checkouts, as the trend is costing the industry more than £4billion a year. Nearly two in five shoppers intentionally steal from self-checkouts, according to survey, costing retailers more than 4% of their total retail sales.

As far as reporting a self checkout thief is concerned, I'd be careful about that as it might make you a target of physical attack if they notice - and these bastards are as alert af and often come in gangs. Your safety is much more important than attempting to bring a criminal to justice and protect the shop's profits. That's a job for the security staff and the police who are paid to put themselves at risk.

People urged to 'tell' on self-scan shoplifters as 37pc now do it

Security experts say the growing trend is adding £137 a year to everyone's shopping bill

uk.news.yahoo.com

 

[Retro]

@Astro What @Geffers @Mars @petermarkley @Tiffany I reckon this one will interest you.

 

[petermarkley]

… it was the principle that counted. That cashier trusted me to give her the correct answer, so I wasn't about to betray that trust, lie to her and rip off Tesco, no matter how small that ripoff would have been. I especially didn't want to lie to her and that's on a personal level. I'd have felt like a hypocrite doing so.

Ah, you seem to be thinking not far from Biblical morality! I wish more professing Christians had your attitude.

Security experts are urging shoppers to inform staff if they see someone not scanning an item at self-checkouts

Oh boy, that won’t happen with me. Not because I’m afraid for my safety (although you certainly make a valid point), but because as an autistic person I am horrendously overstimulated while in a store (especially when there are lots of other people).

My capacity to function heavily relies on my ability to compartmentalize and mentally block out stimuli that are irrelevant to my task, especially including the business of other shoppers. What a nightmare to think I’d be expected to also keep track of them and their shopping!

I’m afraid that’s one request of the public that will have to be handled by others

 

[Tiffany]

I keep to myself when I shop and it's all about self-preservation too. Having been a victim of crime a number of times, I've learned to keep a low profile. I ain't tellin'.

 

[Geffers]

100% agree with @Retro - I have corrected staff when inadvertently undercharged for item(s) before, this is less likely now with barcode scanning. On the opposite side of the coin I have found quite often the auto scan does not apply a discount and have to subsequently query. This can be quite annoying as it usually involves just a few pence but involved q bit of time.

 

[petermarkley]

On the opposite side of the coin I have found quite often the auto scan does not apply a discount …

Slightly different topic, but I never quite understood the point behind coupons and discounts.

If a company can afford to lower a price, just lower the price … why turn it into a game where it only applies to a subset of customers who perform an otherwise pointless task, which basically means you are penalizing the customers who don’t? It creates more complexity and headache in the (already overly complex and headache-inducing) retail experience, for what seems like no functional benefit.

(For a proper comparison, let’s say 20% of your customers are likely to earn a $1.00 discount. Why not instead reduce the price by $0.20 for all customers? Seems to me like it’s the same result to the company, but more fairly and simply applied.)

My wife sees it completely differently. Her attitude is basically “If they’re gonna reward me for doing the task, I’ll do the task”—and she enjoys it. I guess I always hated it because I felt handicapped in the game.

 

[Geffers]

(For a proper comparison, let’s say 20% of your customers are likely to earn a $1.00 discount. Why not instead reduce the price by $0.20 for all customers? Seems to me like it’s the same result to the company, but more fairly and simply applied.)

My wife sees it completely differently. Her attitude is basically “If they’re gonna reward me for doing the task, I’ll do the task”—and she enjoys it. I guess I always hated it because I felt handicapped in the game.

My opinion, the $1.00 discount is more of a headline grabber than $0.20. Bit like lottery prizes, the potential big wins attract the investments.