Should I Feel Bad, I Inadvertently Stole from Woolworths

Hoju on 18/06/2015 - 10:38

So, I think I feel bad.

Just got back from a Woolies shop. At self checkout, the items totalled $47. I had used an everyday rewards deal that said I'd get X $5 product free when I swiped my card. Went through the process and all groceries in the bags and trolley ready and about to pay but the $5 hadn't come off. Meanwhile my toddler was running out of control (one of those days) and I had a bladder about to give way. I called the attendant who went through the deal on my phone, the items on the checkout screen and eventually took me and my trolley through to the front desk where she told the person the discount hadn't come off. They did the same thing then said ok we'll give your money back and handed me the $5. Meanwhile my toddler has run out down the escalators to go up and down…

Anyway, it wasn't til I got to the car that I realised I never actually paid for the shopping!
I could have grabbed my kid and gone back up to pay but… yeh.

What would you guys have done?

Poll Options

  • 335
    Yes, you stole and should go back and pay the money then say 400 hail marys
  • 164
    It's just one of those things that happen, make the most of it as the big guy usually wins
  • 47
    DAMN! If only you'd had a bigger shop!
Food & Grocery

Related Stores

Woolworths
Woolworths

Comments

  • rambutann on 18/06/2015 - 10:51
    +8

    I had a housemate that scanned like $80 of stuff at coles then walked out.

    It wasnt til he was just about out of the carpark when he realised.

    He went back with all the bagged items and told the woman that he had forgotten to pay for all of his items and they were just like 'uhhhh'.

    Morale of the story, if you get away with it then its all g.

    • GameChanger on 19/06/2015 - 12:35
      +3

      Love how you end with 'g' :D

        • [Deactivated] on 20/06/2015 - 09:39
          +39

          Sorry, I didn't understand that, I think you are missing quite a few words?

        • ronnknee on 20/06/2015 - 11:17
          +1

          … What?

        • johnno07 on 20/06/2015 - 11:34
          +3

          @The Land of Smeg: I think they are missing quite a lot of the English language.

        • toristo on 20/06/2015 - 18:05
          +29

          @johnno07:

          I love how quick people are to have a dig when someone tries to contribute to our community where English may not be their first language.

          How many of you smart asses actually speak a second language? Would you say your written usage is as eloquent as a native speaker?

        • secondstory on 20/06/2015 - 20:56
          +3

          @toristo: I did some light comment stalkering of the commenter in question and didn't see anyone taking any digs or negs. TBH my first thought was someone being lazy with a mobile device autocorrect.

          I also didn't perceive much smart-assing going on, but that aside, I couldn't really understand the comment either after reading it over 4 or 5 times. I think it's nicer to let the commenter know you don't understand their opinion because it gives them the opportunity to correct and improve on their language. I also think it would be difficult to "appropriately" word something to let them know you can't understand without sounding sarcastic. I don't really know, but to me it sounded like johnno and agent smeg were trying to politely offer constructive criticism.

        • AlexD on 21/06/2015 - 08:29
          +16

          Just because everyone is commenting on this saying they can't understand, it's pretty easy to work out.

          "That's how you end up on a police website. A few years ago I got petrol, went in to pay, grabbed a few items, then swiped my card.
          I then left, and police came to my door four days later to inform me of the incident. I almost lost my job at Woolworths because of the perceived petrol theft.
          I went back to the petrol station and apologised to the boss, to which he replied that the petrol was now free, and the staff member who served me had been fired for not asking if I needed to pay for petrol."

        • marquise on 21/06/2015 - 14:10
          +2

          @AlexD: holy shit, well done!

        • [Deactivated] on 21/06/2015 - 17:55
          +1

          @AlexD: Thanks Alex for helping to fill in the gaps, I can totally understand now.

        • vinni9284 on 21/06/2015 - 19:43

          Hi, every time I buy petrol I always ask for a receipt upon payment.
          I always pay by credit card. That way, the transaction can be proven if there is any doubt.

          In relation to self-checkouts, I always used a manned checkout just in case of issues that can arise such as the OP.

          A friend of mine scanned some items and paid by the self-checkout. With smaller transactions, there is an option to print out a receipt or not. He went for the latter. Then the security guard chased him into the car park, reached into his car and snatched his groceries, treated him like a criminal as he accused him of not paying. He then went back into the store to prove that he paid by reviewing video footage (as they video record transactions) which eventually was cleared.

          I don't understand why people don't get receipts, even for a small transactions. At the end of the day, the shops are saving their money on less print but then you cannot prove if you got a dud item or even that you have paid. The customer loses.

          The moral of the story is that get receipts for every transaction for non-repudiation if quizzed.

          I don't support self-checkouts (or they say "assisted" checkout lol .. yeah right!!) … automation which will lead people out of work eventually :-)

          Cheers

        • xyron on 23/06/2015 - 18:31

          @toristo: I don't go posting on Spanish/French/Chinese language forums with my limited knowledge of those languages…

        • renlireb on 24/06/2015 - 19:25

          @xyron:

          Right, it's probably because you don't have anything useful to contribute.

          A forum is only as helpful as their userbase. In forums based around a different language, there may be other users familiar with your language and is willing to help. I really don't see a reason why you shouldn't post if you have something to add.

    • supersabroso on 23/06/2015 - 00:05
      +2

      I normally leave without my items AFTER I've paid for them, not the other way around…

  • derweep on 18/06/2015 - 10:55
    -6

    Well, I believe in Karma and honesty, in this case inadvertently, you really should really go back and pay for it. As I found out many times, I thought I gain something but end up losing some money later to something else. It's a pain, but for peace of mind as well, just in case they have a check of security camera or whatever else they check.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2015 - 11:34
      +34

      Well, I believe in Karma

      By the very same wacky logic, you could look at this scenario and say "poor Greenspoon sounded like they really had a tough day, juggling the shopping with a bursting bladder and energetic toddler.. the inadvertent free groceries was just the universe's way of giving them something good in return…"

      Cos you know, if there are mysterious, inexplicable, magical forces out there which seek to make things 'right' and 'even' by punishing us for any bad we do, then why can't there be mysterious, inexplicable, magical, nice forces out there which seek to do good things by rewarding us for the hardships we endure?

      Are you really bitter enough to only believe we live in a universe that is incapable of compassion or random acts of kindness? It is all sterile and cold, heartless, you get what you give etc?

      Karma is crap. Have a think about it. Or start believing in more possibilities rather than just the one…

      Really does fascinate me how people get caught up in these belief systems.

      • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2015 - 12:03
        +8

        I believe in nothing.

        I think Karma is interesting because most people only consider it very simplistically - reward or punishment for an action. No one seems to consider: if someone does something negative to you, are you destined to repeat this negative action in the future? Is Karma really about learning and empathy?

      • iridiumstem on 19/06/2015 - 00:17
        +5

        I honestly think the idea of Karma is just for the effect that it has on people. It's not "something called Karma exists" but rather, the fact that people believe in it makes it useful. Belief that karma exists allow people to let things go (on the basis that people will suffer from their doing in long run). It allows people to be more prosocial. It doesn't have to be real for it to have effects on real life.

        • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2015 - 13:25
          +4

          I suppose the same could be said for all religions; tools of social control.

        • iridiumstem on 19/06/2015 - 15:55
          +1

          @woolfenstein: I wouldn't call them tools of social control, as they do have benefits for mental health as well. Believing that someone is watching over you can have positive affects on your mental health. Believing in Karma can allow you to let things go, which is also good for your mental health. If there is a positive affect, it's worth having in that area.

          Though that being said, there are areas where beliefs should be completely removed, where data, statistics and models should prevail over beliefs.

        • secondstory on 20/06/2015 - 21:12
          +1

          @woolfenstein: Karma wont take a percentage of your salary or tell you right from wrong - it just hopes you do good only.

        • secondstory on 20/06/2015 - 21:20

          @AznMitch: http://dilbert.com/strip/2005-08-06

          Jokes aside, letting go for mental health is a good perspective I hadn't thought about. I've always thought karma's teachings was a "do good unto others" kind of thing.

      • meowbert on 19/06/2015 - 15:57

        You assume derweep has the same definition of you for karma. By the sounds of the "camera" statement it might be a broader social belief "Don't be an ass so you don't get caught" kinda karma.

        Really does fascinate me how people get caught up believing they know everything.

        • secondstory on 20/06/2015 - 21:34

          As I found out many times, I thought I gain something but end up losing some money later to something else

          I think this is a pretty clear and common definition of his/her stance regarding karma.

          ..but for peace of mind as well, just in case..

          To me that sounded like the camera part was merely an after thought.

          Really does fascinate me how people get caught up believing that trying to justify one's own opinion for one thing means that think they know everything.

      • [Deactivated] on 21/06/2015 - 12:13
        +3

        tips fedora

      • Bullion78 on 22/06/2015 - 01:34

        I would never ever set out to thieve anything, but if we are talking Karma then why can't we look at from the perspective that maybe it's the multinational corporations and in this case Woolies that is getting the rough end of the karma stick? If I notice when I get home that something has come out in my favour on the receipt, or I have inadvertently not paid something.. my reaction would be.. Win for me, for a change… I have next to no sympathy for the monolithic evil that is Woolworths, wesfarmers, {insert any multinational you like}

      • tik tok on 22/06/2015 - 17:12

        Excellent reply. And, how do you know that Woolies was not paying for its karma (by letting the shopper out with free groceries) ?

        • Scorpiogirl on 22/06/2015 - 20:18

          Exactly, if one believes in Karma this way. Thing is, i assume you didn't steal with a motive to. Everyone makes a mistake. No one's perfect, including Woolies. Do i think you are a bad person? No. I understand it is possible. Woolies make mistakes too.

          Big W self serve once ate my $50 from a purchase of a couple of dollars. Talk about a hassle. Can u believe they actually said I'd have to come back for my money at the end of the day when the money is counted. The person watching was fine, she saw it happen. It was the person they called. I am like seriously? No i didn't accept that. They had stole from me in this case, accident of course but still! I wasn't leaving till i had my money.

    • Hoju on 18/06/2015 - 11:34

      Yeh I believe in karma too.

      But how do you tell when it's karma working in your favour? Because this time at the self checkout there was even a few dollars sitting in the change bin when I walked up. I was like woah, lucky day!

      • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2015 - 11:52

        Yeh I believe in karma too.

        What if you've been ripped off / short changed / overcharged in the past by Woolies (either in one go or it's been adding up.. to a mighty $47) and now this is the good karma for you… that money coming back to you?

        Or Woolies just ripped off someone by $47 and this is their 'karma' - losing that money. And you just happen to be the lucky recipient.

        ? ooooh the possibilities of karma!

        • Hoju on 18/06/2015 - 12:01
          +1

          :)
          Yeh more in a broad sense. That I try to be good to those that need it as I would hope for the same in return. Not sure what the strict definition of karma is…

        • vavs on 18/06/2015 - 23:42
          +1

          @Greenspoon:

          Hi Greenspoon, the word's root is 'kar' in sanskrit/hindi, which means 'to do' - an action.

          My understanding of it goes like this- what does your action do to you? Does it make you a more beautiful person or not? Think of it like the mirror in 'The Picture of Dorian Grey'. It is a guide as to what one ought to do, not an explanation for an event.

          I don't think it's as simple as an external punishment for a bad deed or an external reward for a good one.

          What will each act that you do over a period of a time make you feel internally as a person? What will the mirror reveal?

    • Dan_ on 18/06/2015 - 14:18
      +19

      Frankly, I find it disappointing that people need to convince themselves that the universe is going to somehow reward them just to be honourable and decent.

      • tikei on 19/06/2015 - 00:10
        +6

        Yeah. Back then it's God and hell. Now it's karma.

        • ChickenTalon on 19/06/2015 - 08:21
          +3

          yeah, and he (Karma) is pissed!

        • geoffellis on 19/06/2015 - 11:43
          +1

          not really… back then it was called karma as well.

          Karma is an Eastern (Asian/Indian) construct much like God is a Western (White?) construct. Both served essentially the same purposes. The major difference being in the karma system it is the universe making judgements, while in abrahamic religions it is an all powerful/sentient god

        • tikei on 19/06/2015 - 13:22

          @geoffellis:

          Guess the tone of my comment didn't come through. I meant it as 'what people bring up when something unfair happens'. So essentially they are the same - a being or force that even the scores. I find it strange whenever a self proclaimed atheist says they believe in karma.

        • iridiumstem on 19/06/2015 - 18:51
          +1

          @tikei: Technically speaking, atheism is also having a leap of faith in that you cannot disprove something completely (as disproving something completely requires you to prove that it is wrong in every single occasions). That's why some people claim they are agnostic atheists (which some people argue as an intellectual cowardice).

          I guess I sort of use karma as an excuse for me to let things go. I frankly don't believe that if you do bad things, bad things will happen. However, the idea is noble. I don't deny that. I hold grudge against worthless things that I refuse to call as a human being even. Thinking about even being in proximity with those human looking trash makes my blood boil. The idea of those things burning in hell or suffering as much as what they've caused give me a peace of mind, no matter how much of a fantasy it is. I've taken that thought as is and moved on.

        • diddy50 on 20/06/2015 - 14:04

          @ChickenTalon:
          Ahem…
          Gender neutral, thank you.

        • vavs on 21/06/2015 - 00:19

          @geoffellis:

          The word's root is 'kar' in sanskrit/hindi, which means 'to do' - an action.

          My understanding of it goes like this- what does your action do to you? Does it make you a more beautiful person or not? Think of it like the mirror in 'The Picture of Dorian Grey'. It is a guide as to what one ought to do, not an explanation for an event.

          I don't think it's as simple as an external punishment for a bad deed or an external reward for a good one.

          What will each act that you do over a period of a time make you feel internally as a person? What will the mirror reveal?

          BTW, geoffellis, please don't mind the second person pronoun - it is nothing about you personally. Initial posts, apologies for mistakes.

        • geoffellis on 21/06/2015 - 02:12
          +2

          @AznMitch:

          I hate this claim by theists.

          Is NOT believing in Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, or Monsters under the bed a leap of faith? Theres no evidence that they exist but theres no evidence that they don't exist either. But most adults, even religious ones, have no problem coming to the conclusion that they don't exist? Why? Because there is no evidence to support that they do. Find a 43 year old man that still believes in Santa Claus and he's either mentally handicapped or just plain insane. From his point of view you're all crazy for not believing!

          And yet, those exact same religious people, who don't believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or all that other garbage, have no problem positing that theres an all powerful being that gives a shit about you, floating around up there. From their point of view Atheists are crazy for not believing in the invisible being. From an atheists point of view, you have no evidence that this imaginary man exists. To an atheist, religious people sound as crazy as the 43 year old man in a mental institution who believes in Santa Claus.

          In case my point wasn't clear - Atheism is not a belief that god does not exist. It's simply a lack of belief that he does. lack of belief he exists is not the same as believing he does not exist…

        • iridiumstem on 21/06/2015 - 02:28

          @geoffellis: Me, a theist? I've always thought of myself as an atheist.

          It's like t-testing, statistically speaking, you cannot eliminate a chance of something happening by accident completely, the best you could do is reduce it low enough for it to be accepted as "not by chance". Technically speaking, atheism is making a leap of faith saying that god doesn't exist. You can say that it's highly highly improbable that god does exist (which is statistically valid), however, making that additional comment that he definitely do not exist requires you to eliminate the chance completely (which you cannot do). That's why people have coined terms like agnostic atheists, etc, which some people find it as an intellectual cowardice for the reasons you've mentioned. Yes, technically speaking, all the things you have mentioned are making a leap of faith, there is a huge difference between 100% chance and 99.999999% chance.

          That's why scientists have stopped using "law" in their theory and that's why we have something that is almost certainly true as a "theory" nowadays, it's impossible to argue something to be completely true or completely false. That being said, the differences between a scientific theory and just random jibberish is the fact that you can refute it/support it using experiments and other means.

        • geoffellis on 21/06/2015 - 03:56

          @AznMitch:

          You claim to be an atheist but don't understand atheism??

          Technically speaking, atheism is making a leap of faith saying that god doesn't exist

          Atheism isn't saying god doesn't exist. It's saying we don't believe/accept people when they say God does exist.

          Quite frankly, If you outright state that God does not exist, you're an idiot, not an atheist. If you have a belief, for example, that there absolutely no god, then you are still a theist making unsubstantiated claims. Atheism stems from the lack of compelling or observable evidence on the matter to conclude that theistic claims are not believable.

          And the difference between Agnosticism and Atheism - is Atheism rejects theism outright. Agnosticism says, maybe you're right, maybe your wrong. I dunno.

        • iridiumstem on 21/06/2015 - 15:16

          @geoffellis: :P I have to admit, I have confused the terms, antitheism and atheist.

    • belongsinforums on 19/06/2015 - 00:46
      -2

      i believe in jesus, and he loves you

    • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2015 - 12:20

      Karma is bs.

      It's something that's made up and can't be proven… Like religion.

      I've made a point to myself that I'll only do something "good" if there's a direct benefit to me.

      See, I used to believe in this karma bs… Gave away a fresh subway and drink to the homeless, cuz you know, something good will happen cuz karma. Got back to work, and got a phone call. Parents died in a car crash. After some thought, I said damn that sucks.

      You can't prove karma, like you can't prove religion. You can't say you believe in either one without being a hypocrite.

    • SlickMick on 19/06/2015 - 15:42

      I think we need a separate forum for this discussion. A lot of strong opinions, mainly judging beliefs not understood.
      Freedom of religion is in the constitution. If you want to stick with your own (wrong) ideas, that's okay with me. If you want to know the truth, you only have to ask :)

  • retiredfeline on 18/06/2015 - 10:57
    +2

    Offer to pay for it, and they might let it go. I suspect they will since the self-service scan was cancelled and there is no record of the goods being scanned at the front desk. Either way you'll feel better.

  • spychiatrist on 18/06/2015 - 11:17
    +75

    You realised you didn't pay, if you still don't pay - that's stealing. No two ways about it.

      • redlover on 18/06/2015 - 11:35
        +1

        you know if you found the mistake on the price tag vs cashier screen, you can claim the item for free- this is their policy and most of people did not aware . trust me I've been there, done that and a friend of mine use to work with woolies and he confirmed this.

        see this link:
        http://www.woolworths.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/website/woolwor…

        • Hoju on 18/06/2015 - 11:45
          +1

          Oh I know, I do that. It's more when they realise the mistake that they've been overcharging until I pointed it out, do they go back and pay back all the customers that bought it at the higher price. (No)

      • spychiatrist on 18/06/2015 - 11:40
        +45

        Looks like you made up your mind, then why ask for someone else's opinion when you will find ways to justify NOT PAYING

        • redlover on 18/06/2015 - 12:00

          downero - why so serious?

        • spychiatrist on 18/06/2015 - 12:04

          @redlover: That's an Adam Sandler voice

        • spychiatrist on 18/06/2015 - 12:05
          +2

          @Greenspoon: Glad you can sleep at night with that

        • RockyRaccoon on 18/06/2015 - 12:50
          +7

          @Greenspoon: You know the CEO had to resign. Interesting this happened so close to your "offence". Surely you should feel a little more remorse. 😋

        • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2015 - 15:53
          +8

          @RockyRaccoon: That poor, poor CEO who was paid millions of dorra every year.

        • Forfiet on 19/06/2015 - 05:28
          +2

          "I wasn't asking what I should do, I asked What would you have done." Title of post can imply otherwise……..

        • secondstory on 20/06/2015 - 21:49

          @Forfiet: "What would you guys have done?" content of post can imply otherwise otherwise.

          I think the title refers more towards the poll answers. It also only asks whether OP should feel bad and is answered with OP's opinion immediately in the very first line of the post.

      • R3XNebular on 18/06/2015 - 14:54
        +15

        So you received $5 on top of the $47 worth of groceries. They rectified their screw up and gave you $5. You realised you hadn't paid when you were at the car park and decided to steal the groceries anyway.

        • secondstory on 20/06/2015 - 22:15
          -4

          I think that's a little harsh. The groceries are already considered stolen the moment OP left the checkout.

          Toddlers can be quite the handful even when they don't want to be. OP could have parked really really far away. Going back to face the inconvenience, embarrassment and possible confrontation doesn't seem appealing at that point not to mention that if the scanned order was cancelled OP might need to bring back all the groceries to be rescanned into the system legitimately just to accept the payment - any milk in the bags would not be happy about that and OP already did mention a bladder but I don't know if that was still an issue at the time.

          OP might have even considered it petty theft. I mean given the same circumstances if you'd accidentally walked out of a store forgetting to scan a pack of gum or something you were holding behind your wallet at the time I don't know if as many people would be pushing for the "get back there and pay up you thief" kind of thing. It is woolies afterall with their high profit margins and all so it could just be chump change. I would be more worried it would hurt their suppliers with their sales insurance, but I don't know much about that.

      • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2015 - 12:38
        +3

        lol. amazing how you've convinced yourself you're not stealing.

      • Skinnerr on 19/06/2015 - 17:16
        +1

        You trying to justify theft with 'karma' and 'bad day' is funny. Teach your kid thats it's ok to steal then. If its an 'inconvenience' to pay then steal all you like, see how far it ges you.

        And yes they do go after people they think have thieved.

    • ronnknee on 20/06/2015 - 11:25
      +2

      Theft is only a crime if you both of these are true:

      1) You had physically taken the items from the shop. (Actus reus)
      2) You had the intention of taking the items from the shop. (Mens rea)

      There's no doubt about (1). While (2) was not necessarily true at that time, now that you have realised what you had done and contemplating not to do anything about it AND published it publicly, (2) is true now.

      So yes, you have committed theft in the legal sense. Having said that, would there be likely of any consequences for your actions? Probably not.

  • redlover on 18/06/2015 - 11:19
    +11

    to be honest , most woolworths or coles staff does not even care. I have once walk down to parking lot and checking my receipt when I realized there was a bag of prawn (around $25) which was not scanned properly. I went back up and told one of the staff and offered to pay but then they only looked at me annoyed like I am some dumb ass and said there was no mistake and that the machine wont make mistake. so yeah…

    • chartparker on 18/06/2015 - 14:33
      +9

      Having worked at a supermarket checkout for a few years, it's because it's generally not worth the hassle to refund the item and write it up in the book, especially if it's busy and there are other customers waiting to be served. $25 worth is a bit on the high side, but yeah, anything under say $10 and it's not a huge deal really. If it's fresh produce, then it'll likely be thrown out anyway.

      While I realise that your particular situation doesn't apply here, if you're decent enough to come back and do the right thing and be honest, they may just think that you were nice enough to deserve a little reward.

      Sounds odd, but it happens

  • inherentchoice on 18/06/2015 - 11:28
    +1

    Bought about 1kg of fruit which was $10/kg. But the self-service checkout said it weighed 70 grams and hence I owed 70 cents instead of $10.

    At the time the attendant was busy and there was a massive queue, wasn't like I could just use another checkout.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2015 - 11:47
      +10

      I think these things are a trade-off for the not employing actual staff to make more evil profit. If WW actually benefitted society by at least EMPLOYING STAFF then they wouldn't lose money in this way.

      • Hoju on 18/06/2015 - 11:51
        +7

        Ha that's what my colleague said : "serves them right for replacing people with a bunch of computers"

        • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2015 - 19:48
          +6

          I'm getting 2kg of honey macadamia's next shop

        • bargdebarg on 20/06/2015 - 14:54
          -1

          Hey nothing wrong with self service.

        • Icy on 21/06/2015 - 01:17
          +3

          Do not worry, they still save a lot more than they lose. If that changed, self service would be gone…

          Anyway, you ripped them off once, though they are ripping you off every other time :D (and the farmers and workers and so on, price & profits up, quality/quantity down)

  • BigTed on 18/06/2015 - 11:34
    +31

    This is really not about what you can or did get away with - nor is it about the attitude of the staff.
    What it is about is you.
    Personally I wouldn't sell my integrity for $47 worth of groceries.

      • R3XNebular on 18/06/2015 - 14:49
        +14

        If you have an issue with a product then return them. Stealing $47 worth of groceries would not make it even.

      • Dan_ on 18/06/2015 - 18:45
        +2

        Is it a form of justice…

        No.

      • Ughhh on 18/06/2015 - 19:25
        +12

        Now you're just finding pathetic excuses to justify this theft.

      • Serapis on 19/06/2015 - 04:32
        +1

        I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say that integrity is overrated. If you can sleep after doing this then good, cashier mistakes happen all the time and it'll just be some statistic @ head office. Life will go on.

        Kinda irrelevant to weigh it against other things, all it shows is that you were brought up with a good conscience.

        Legal side now: In SOME STATES you're better off keeping the items, returning the items might actually make you worse off. Hypothetically, you can be accused of stealing under the law and returning the items or going back to pay them is not going to work as a defense.

        *** Edit: seeing that you tried to pay it back and this did not happen is good news

        • R3XNebular on 19/06/2015 - 05:15
          +1

          Which states are you referring too? Returning the items or paying for them would work as a defence. It would not be in the public interest for police to prosecute as you have attempted to pay. By paying for the items woolworths will withdraw the complaint and there is no longer the need for police to investigate or prosecute.

        • Serapis on 19/06/2015 - 09:35
          +1

          @R3XNebular:

          In NSW at least, i think VIC and QLD as well.

          While it might sound reasonable, by defence i mean in legislation, there's no provision the to say that if you tried to return the item, it will clear you off the theft or else all thieves who get caught will start returning things they stole to avoid jail time. Thus they can technically accuse you of theft after the fact and there's no easy way out. What may sound logical may not always be the best course of action in a legal sense.

          That's why i said hypothetically because ultimately, it's the magistrate or judge's job to weigh out other factors and decide whether a person's action constitutes the crime of theft. Just saying it can potentially be more trouble than its worth to return an item.

          Good summary provided here: http://www.findlaw.com.au/articles/4239/stealing-and-theft-o…

    • antzz on 19/06/2015 - 00:42

      Damn right. $47 is nothing that is only one dinner for two. Would I sell my self for that, hell no. Little things builds up to be a habit. And habits builds up to be a personality.

    • Tech5 on 19/06/2015 - 13:08
      +3

      I would. Student budget and all…ಠ_ಠ

  • rompastompa on 18/06/2015 - 11:35
    +2

    If you're feeling guilty and don't want the hassle to go back with all the shopping etc, then treat it as a loyalty bonus from Woolworths.

    Next time they stuff up on pricing or cause you delays, just remember the time you received free goods.

    You should now be a loyal Woolworths customer. The debt will be repaid in no time.

    • huntress_love on 19/06/2015 - 21:36
      +1

      Or they could just making a donation to a worthy cause, problem solved!

  • derkyft on 18/06/2015 - 11:52

    Vote went solely for the hail marys

  • toniyellow on 18/06/2015 - 12:05
    +7

    I think if you realised whilst you were at the store, you really should have gone back upstairs, it was the only time at which you could have rectified the mistake easily.

    If you try to rectify it now, it will be quite difficult - how will they ring up a bunch of groceries you have most likely consumed by now? They can't just type $47 into a computer and charge you for it, or not easily. It will cause $47 worth of lost productivity by the time you go back, talk to a teenager about it, they get their manager and figure out how to sort it etc.

    So, if you are a regular enough shopper I think they will get their value out of you over time. Perhaps donate something to a charity, particularly one supported by woolworths e.g when they sell pins etc at the register, so they get the look good points for making money for charity, and you balance out some of your gain.

    I accidentally stole a baguette once as it was wedged under my arm as it didn't fit in the basket, and I forgot to scan it.
    However another time I scanned all my fruit and veg with my wallet sitting on the scale, so overpaid for everything the value of the weight of my wallet (don't shop with the flu) so I think these things do even out in the end.

  • cheapbloke on 18/06/2015 - 14:24
    +6

    just buy a woolies gift card for the amount you took and not use it.

  • R3XNebular on 18/06/2015 - 14:47

    Stealing plain and simple. Go back. Don't know why you didn't go back while you were in the car park. Woolworths can make a police report and you could expect a knock on the door from police. They'd take you in for an interview which would he a waste of your time. Bases on your admissions on here you could be successfully charged for a stealing of shop goods offence.

  • pointless martyr on 18/06/2015 - 15:05
    +19

    When the new CEO of woolies goes through the books, theyll notice it out by around $50. Then he/ she will review video footage. Then youll get detectives at your door… Then youll do hard time for larceny! The question you need to ask yourself is do you want your kids to grow up with their mother on the inside?

  • vroomkroom on 18/06/2015 - 15:11

    Do woolies have camera detectives like the casino ?
    Personally, if it hits my conscience that it was morally incorrect then would go back and pay for it. Once had to wait 20 mins for them to correct the wrongly scanned fruit. If I have more than 5 items, I will wait and go to the human checkout. TIP - Always go grocery shopping early morning say before 8shh.

    • pointless martyr on 18/06/2015 - 15:23
      +1

      Lol human checkout…does your local woolies have a caste system or something?

      • vroomkroom on 19/06/2015 - 09:15

        LOL - I call them computer checkout or Human checkout !! To be honest, we are paying for the goods and the supermarket should have employees (humans/girls/boys/women/men) bagging them up and also give computer/self checkout as only optional. In my local woolies they seem to have 30/70 ratio of human/computer checkouts, so if we support the computer checkout then in few years time we will have 10/90 ratio !!

    • cloudy on 18/06/2015 - 15:57

      A Coles nearby doesn't even open till after 8! Terrible.

  • centrelink on 18/06/2015 - 15:21

    If I was dirt poor and struggle with money from week to week, I would consider just bolting off with free goodies, but now I make quite a decent amount of dosh, I'd rather just pay for it. Shitty how my mind is determined by the amount of money I make. We all depend on a number

    • scrimshaw on 20/06/2015 - 17:29

      Rich people can be stingy too. Sure they might not stoop to shoplifting for groceries but they count every dollar and cent. It's how they became rich in the first place.

  • netsurfer on 18/06/2015 - 15:54

    It is best to pay for it. The store most likely has video cameras. Worst case, store staff might have found out and kept a record of it.

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