Self-Checkout at Supermarkets, Are You Usually Honest?

bluedufflecoat on 29/09/2016 - 14:04

This article: http://www.news.com.au/finance/money/budgeting/coles-to-intr…

I read the above article, and was a bit disappointed to find out that quite a lot of people steal from the supermarkets at the self-service checkouts. Do you do this?
Do you somehow justify the theft by saying, e.g.

  • that's the cost of your time vs employing someone to man the checkouts
  • the supermarkets earn too much money anyway
  • the supermarkets are screwing everyone, especially the farmers, so they deserve it

Unless your situation is really dire / desperate, do you really think it's right to steal, just because someone else is doing it, or the "hurt" party deserves it?

Poll Options

  • 737
    I scan everything at the checkout
  • 30
    I sometimes don't scan everything at the checkout
  • 23
    I select a different item from the options (not the one I'm buying) at the checkout
Food & Grocery

Comments

  • Foxtail on 29/09/2016 - 16:45
    +5

    We refuse to use em it means less jobs.

    • Devils Advocate on 29/09/2016 - 18:02
      +15

      Do you also refuse to use anything made at a manufacturing plant for the same reason (ie cars, mobile phones, computers).

      In the next 50 years a lot of jobs will be replaced by computers. But even more jobs will being created by the higher quality of life resulting from increased efficiency (which has happened over the last 50 years).

      • Repi on 29/09/2016 - 22:13
        -2

        Keep Dreaming

      • [Deactivated] on 30/09/2016 - 10:57
        +6

        also by the 90s we'll be working 3 day weeks…….

      • macrocephalic on 30/09/2016 - 15:49
        +3

        You're conflating automation with shifting the burden of work from the supplier to consumer.

        I don't mind that my laptop was assembled by a robot, but I'd be annoyed if Dell sent me a box of components and told me to do it myself (without a reduction in cost).

        • chillin222 on 30/09/2016 - 18:49
          +2

          There has been a reduction in cost! Groceries have gotten much cheaper in recent years.

        • greatlamp on 30/09/2016 - 20:02
          +1

          @chillin222: Is that true? Supermarkets have cut hundreds of brands and put their home brand in its place, often at a similar price.

    • jacross on 30/09/2016 - 09:29
      +6

      Quick, smash all the looms and stocking frames!

    • smartazz104 on 30/09/2016 - 15:04
      +2

      People that have been replaced by self-serve checkouts would have been moved to other areas in the supermarket.

      • macrocephalic on 30/09/2016 - 15:50

        I'll put money down that they haven't. The reason that self checkouts were introduced was to cut staffing costs.

      • havebeerbelywillsumo on 30/09/2016 - 23:03
        +2

        Yeah, they're now customers…….if they have the money.

    • MrMcHairyHead on 30/09/2016 - 15:36
      +6

      I guess you refuse to use cars too, since the horses don't need looking after. Also anything made in a factory, since we could hire more people to make them manually. I suppose we should make it illegal again to pump your own petrol like some parts of America. I certainly hope you refuse to buy milk, since the milkman is out of a job. And you don't read anything printed, right? Since the typesetter got fired in the 60s?

      In fact, since it'd be job creation, why don't we just pay people to stand in a field all day doing nothing? It's a job, right?

      The problem isn't automation, the problem is that only a select few shareholders benefit from automation while the average person gets nothing. It's the problem with capitalism.

      • owli on 04/10/2016 - 02:51

        What do you mean by a select few shareholders?
        Wouldn't all shareholders of Woolworths and Wesfarmers benefit from high profits through dividends and higher share price?

  • ProjectZero on 29/09/2016 - 17:40
    +1

    I can understand this one…

    Gave up trying to scan something that wouldn’t register

    However, I still don't think its right to just let it go, I'd ask the shop assistant or something.

    At the time I didn’t realise it hadn’t scanned

    Never had this happen before…

    • shanakatak on 29/09/2016 - 22:11
      +1

      I've had things beep but not come up and only realised as I was about to pay.

  • tassieeagle on 29/09/2016 - 18:11
    +12

    No, stealing is stealing. But I try to always go to a manned checkout as a point. Why?
    1. Because I believe in creating demand for jobs for locals.
    2. Also half the time those self checkouts are tetchy because I placed the wrong item in the bagging area or did something else it didn't like. Then the machine locks, red light flashes, and I have to wait for the attendant to sort it.
    3. It's simply easier with kids to have someone else scan the good rather than them "help"

    • BookerDeWitt on 30/09/2016 - 18:05
      +1

      Same here. It actually never occurred to me to steal from a self-serve checkout prior to reading this. I guess my Mum brought me up wrong.

  • airzone on 29/09/2016 - 18:36
    +7

    I don't use them if I can avoid it.. Don't want to deprive a highschool kid of their job.

    • gimli on 29/09/2016 - 19:28
      +3

      i use them as alternative to express lane when I just have 1 item.

      When you have many and then get stuck with a glitch its a pain.

    • magic8ballgag on 02/10/2016 - 10:24
      +2

      This sort of reasoning is silly, if they're not standing at a register they'll most likely stacking shelves or doing other floor-related work.

      • airzone on 02/10/2016 - 11:54

        Or you can just hire fewer people to do the same job.

        • magic8ballgag on 02/10/2016 - 12:14
          +2

          Sure, they could do that, but then the store would struggle because it would be understaffed.

          Not everything is as black and white as it seems.

  • Savas on 29/09/2016 - 18:42
    -7

    When weighing something I sometimes might lift the bag up a bit off the scales so its weighs less.

    Otherwise not worth putting people out of a job.

    • Kangal on 29/09/2016 - 21:42
      +1

      That method doesn't work.
      It's because when you lift, its not a precise lift and scales can sense it getting heavier and lighter.
      So it will wait for the scale to come to balance, which it won't… and so it will light-up red and require an assistant to unlock it.

  • kolorijo on 29/09/2016 - 18:50
    +9

    I don't care about what other people do.I just do what is right and scanned all items accordingly. Never buy things at full price unless you really have to and constantly checking OZB to see if there is a code, coupon or promotion to bring the cost of my shopping lower.

  • DarkOz on 29/09/2016 - 19:12
    +6

    I don't condone stealing at the checkout but at the same time I don't feel sorry for the super markets that has auto checkouts. That't the price they are expecting and willing to pay for getting rid of human jobs.

    • Pacify on 01/10/2016 - 14:37
      +1

      Same, I don't abuse the system myself, but I have absolutely no sympathy about the supermarkets complaining it about it.

    • callum9999 on 02/10/2016 - 01:22
      -2

      Why on Earth are you (and everyone else) shopping in a supermarket in the first place if you're so insistent that companies should be providing busy work for people? Why not insist that you should stand at a counter and have an army of staff picking the items up off the shelves for you like the "good old days"?

    • brotherfranciz on 02/10/2016 - 10:54

      What makes you think the supermarkets want your sympathy?

      It's business, they've done the math and know it's more efficient. Plus, I'm sure the supermarkets already had to account for theft before the introduction of self-checkout kiosks, just like they would've had to account for mistakes made by checkout staff or pricing errors.

  • qwertyaz on 29/09/2016 - 19:25
    +7

    i have to admit that i have been stealing a lot of plastic bags from the supermarkets, i always double bagged everything even when there was just a bottle of water

    • DarwinBoy on 29/09/2016 - 21:34
      +5

      We banned plastic bags up here about 3 years ago. So much better. Don't see them in the water or beside the roads anymore.

      • montorola on 30/09/2016 - 16:24

        So where do you see them now?

        • neil aus on 30/09/2016 - 22:28
          +1

          In movies about NSW or QLD shopping centres.

        • DarwinBoy on 01/10/2016 - 09:28
          +1

          A few smaller stores still use them. Like Leonard's, but they are not seen at woolies or Coles.
          I figure the enforcement is a bit slack on policing plastic bags.
          It wasn't long after they also introduced cash for containers. That combination has really improved the appearance of most areas, not saying all rubbish has dissappeared but a massive improvement.

      • magic8ballgag on 02/10/2016 - 10:26

        I thought the whole point of banning plastic bags is so they don't end up in landfill, not make your town prettier?

        • DarwinBoy on 03/10/2016 - 02:44
          +1

          Thats probably true but i dont spend much time at the dump looking at what goes into it, i do drive around and go boating so was giving my first hand experience there. I think the turtles will be happier in our harbour.
          I have listened to the podcast http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-landfills-wor… and found that interesting but thats all i know about landfill

    • Spending2Much on 03/10/2016 - 09:25

      Don't we all get free bin liners with our shopping?

  • Seaeagles on 29/09/2016 - 19:41
    -8

    Never had a chance to cheat on them as I refuse to use them.
    Have had staff come up to me asking do I want to use them as it will be quicker.
    I reply how much discount will I receive
    They usually say why would you get a discount
    I say well if I am doing the work shouldn't I be paid, why should I do it for free when someone else is being employed to do it
    I was at a Coles recently and none of the checkouts were open except for the self serve ones so i just left a trolley of groceries near the checkouts and left. I won't use them for one product let alone a trolley full of goods.

    • ihbh on 29/09/2016 - 19:49
      +31

      What a waste of your time and Coles' staff.

      • sobes on 29/09/2016 - 19:54
        +6

        You couldn't have put it any better.

        • MeesusEff on 30/09/2016 - 10:45
          +4

          except if you had any cold goods or meat , it would have been thrown away as they cannot put those back on the shelf.

        • greatlamp on 01/10/2016 - 20:21
          +1

          I have a theory that Aldi doesn't use self checkout because the amount of stuff people buy from the checkout counter stands more than makes up for the 2min of wages it costs to process their items.

        • Agret on 03/10/2016 - 21:49

          Not really, when you have 4-6 day off every fortnight I have plenty of time.

          Yet you somehow still didn't have enough time to scan your own cart?

    • ThithLord on 30/09/2016 - 08:24
      +13

      "I'm an entitled w%nker and have no idea about what self-checkouts actually achieve in supermarkets. Trust me, I'm an old timer and I remember back in the day before self-checkouts when every checkout was manned. I love waiting in line to have my items scanned, especially when I am just buying a bottle of milk."

      • macrocephalic on 30/09/2016 - 15:54
        +1

        When I visit the stores there's normally a comparable line to use the self checkouts as the manned ones.

        • Forfiet on 30/09/2016 - 17:48
          +2

          yep and it can end up slower…. :(

    • revolutio on 30/09/2016 - 12:57
      +1

      Are you always such a militaristic old goat?

    • smartazz104 on 30/09/2016 - 15:09
      +5

      Once upon a time someone actually put petrol into your car; now it's all self-serve and yet, there was no discount. Anyone who expected a discount at self-serve checkouts is delusional.

    • fruit on 03/10/2016 - 21:31

      Can someone TL;DR? It's painful to read.

  • AussieDolphin on 29/09/2016 - 19:41
    +2

    All the time. I think if I were to be dishonest something bad would happen to me if I didn't.

  • Cheapascents on 29/09/2016 - 19:50
    +1

    Nah i scan everything, if forget something, it is what it is, as long as you don't have the intention to steal, you should be straight.

  • sobes on 29/09/2016 - 19:59

    Temptation has reared its blue ten-dollar-bill shaped head when holding that pick-n-mix bag of macadamia nuts at the register; if I was able to resist then, then I know I will always pay.

    • greatlamp on 01/10/2016 - 20:24

      These Macadamias look like penuts to me.

  • ChurchMouth on 29/09/2016 - 20:06
    +1

    Never considered stealing - not worth the bad feeling to save a few dollars.

    Though I think I have been robbed a few times by things scanning higher than they should (misleading labels etc)

  • StewBalls on 29/09/2016 - 20:58
    +3

    My livelihood is worth more to me than risking petty theft just to save a couple of bucks…

  • Plug on 29/09/2016 - 21:07
    +2

    I don't know anyone sad enough to cheat at a supermarket checkout and if I did I wouldn't want them around me as I'd know they couldn't really be trusted. Either pay for it or piss off. Simple.

  • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2016 - 21:38
    +5

    I dont self checkout.

    If im paying full price i want someone to serve me…. and ill go for the cute chicks as per the norm.

    • easternculture on 02/10/2016 - 06:43

      how about if they are a snob

      • [Deactivated] on 02/10/2016 - 07:34

        It dosent bother me. I just avoid self checkout completly.

  • Baebs on 29/09/2016 - 22:17
    +3

    Consider what it will do to your conscience; a seedy mindset is an unhealthy mindset.

    • joshykins on 30/09/2016 - 16:26
      +1

      what conscience is tarnished by taking from Coles?

      • Baebs on 30/09/2016 - 16:46

        The same one that is present when at Woolworths, IGA and any other store you might decide to hit to quench that ever-growing thirst for free shit.

        • Pacify on 01/10/2016 - 14:38
          +1

          Woolies are no saints, they are pretty awful.

  • captobvious on 29/09/2016 - 22:37
    +3

    i scan everything but sometimes picking the right produce gets a bit confusing. sometimes you forget which apples were picked up, were they red delicious or granny smiths, and sometimes there are no stickers so i just pick one. I am pretty sure i have both undercharge and overcharged myself at different transactions.

    • [Deactivated] on 30/09/2016 - 11:09
      +3

      if you can't tell the difference between red delicious and granny smiths you may want to get your eyes checked

      • captobvious on 30/09/2016 - 16:26
        +1

        Oops meant to say golden delicious especially when thet are still green and not gold but you get my drift

  • BargainBob999 on 29/09/2016 - 23:45
    +3

    I don't steal but it's just bad karma catching up with these supermarkets specially at Coles. Mostly to wait in a line of 6-7 people with only one counter open. That's because they got self checkouts. It gets worse for me when my 2yr old decides to throw tantrums. Just a cost saving for them. They don't think about customer service anymore.

    Pretty sure they have a policy of serving a customer within a certain time. But these store managers just want to reduce hours to their staff so that they look good in their store annual reports. Screw them

  • doodo477 on 30/09/2016 - 01:28
    +6

    So you're saying you're not supposed to choose carrots for all items? Oh…..

  • Japius on 30/09/2016 - 07:31
    +3

    I dont intentionally miss things but I am sure I have selected the wrong product by accident and sometimes when I cant find the exact product I have just picked something close to it….no idea if its worked in my favour or theirs

  • r2160 on 30/09/2016 - 08:51
    +4

    I refuse to use the self serve checkouts. Everytime you use one you are putting Australians out of work and bonuses into the CEOs pocket.

    • POWER1 on 30/09/2016 - 09:01

      I was like you until the stores near me changed checkout staff to ones that are grimy all the time and they throw your product as if it was rubbish. I said to myself I am the one who is keeping you in this job and decided to start using self-checkout even though I hate the.

      • greatlamp on 01/10/2016 - 20:27
        +2

        The staff were grimy or the checkout?

    • smartazz104 on 30/09/2016 - 15:23
      +3

      Many jobs have been lost in the manufacturing sector thanks to people shopping on price alone. Yet for some reason people care about a few checkouts jobs that people don't even like doing.

  • iforgotmysocks on 30/09/2016 - 08:54
    +2

    Truss tomatoes may go through as tomatoes, or the more expensive apples go through as the cheaper apples. But that's about the extent of my tomfoolery with self serve checkouts.

  • POWER1 on 30/09/2016 - 09:03

    In all honestly if your intention is to steal you can always find a way to steal, no excuses. At one store found a guy was swapping the most expansive eggs to the cheapest eggs that the supermarket had. Since than i try to make sure the eggs I am buying are the original even though it is sometimes hard to tell. This guy thought he was smart but he is actually stealing from another customer.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/10/2016 - 15:22

      All eggs come from the same source
      the ass of the chicken

      Shouldn't be expensive vs cheap eggs

      Highway ROBBERY

      • fruit on 03/10/2016 - 21:32

        What about other species?

        • [Deactivated] on 03/10/2016 - 21:49

          Whats the point you're trying to make here?

      • payton on 03/10/2016 - 22:26

        But not all eggs are of the same weight and size. Larger ones cost more.

    • syousef on 01/10/2016 - 19:44

      That has to be one of the funniest examples of human stupidity I have ever heard. I have never noticed a difference in quality of eggs. It's just how the supplier claims the chickens are kept and which farmer you buy from. Swapping them is nonsensical. Can you imagine a grown ass man losing their job over that futile a petty theft. Holy whackadoodle, Batman!

      • [Deactivated] on 03/10/2016 - 21:50

        In todays day and age yes unfortunately

  • Pharos5 on 30/09/2016 - 10:23
    +1

    I think the stealing discussion is pretty much covered by the poll.

    But just on the self-serve vs jobs argument:

    I don't think that's quite accurate. Im

    • Save Medicare on 12/10/2016 - 14:50

      What are you?

      • Pharos5 on 15/10/2016 - 16:50

        Whaaaat are you. What what. What what.

        But yeah I forgot to delete that.

  • mafim on 30/09/2016 - 10:24

    No matter the self-checkout or not, some people always steal and sell for cash. May be 5 years ago, a lady want to sell meat to the restaurant I worked, and said she can get anything you want in Woolworth. There was no self-checkout at that moment.

    • greatlamp on 01/10/2016 - 20:31
      +2

      I had customers come in trying to refund disposable shavers. No receipt. Look it up, we don't even sell them.

      Thieves disgust me, I don't care how poor you think you are

  • EnALup on 30/09/2016 - 10:30
    +2

    I used to go to staff counters when they were available, but I had enough when I was charged on too many occasions for wrong fruits or veggies. Like Royal gala on special and counter girl will entry them as pink lady. $4 a kilo difference and for 2-3 kg, that becomes big. Many times I noticed when reached home ( I normally check the bill). At times when I notice it just next to the counter, the lady will advice me to go to the main counter which is queued up with 3 people already for buying tobacco. Lady there is busy giggling with other staff members and counting currency notes. After 10 minutes, I will be treated like I am asking for free apples and no real apology.
    Shear waste of time and I was so annoyed that I try to go to self counter and be sure what I am buying.
    Secondly, I find it pretty low to not scan or enter correctly what you are buying. I sometimes think, their staff do it, why not me. But my inner conscience tells me that I am better than that. Karma will get back to you…
    Woolies and coles also have a security person at the self check gates and a staff member looking to minimise this, but I understand they cannot look at all customers.

  • rr64 on 30/09/2016 - 10:45

    I never use the self checkout unless I only have 1 or 2 items and then only if I can avoid a queue.
    It seems weirdly anti-social to avoid dealing with a person like that.

    • Forfiet on 30/09/2016 - 17:52

      mmm, in that case I'd like one in my local Harvey Norman…. Everyone hovers over you more than any other store (including other Harvey's)

  • Sleeken on 30/09/2016 - 10:54
    +1

    I scan everything accurately, though sometimes end up over-charging myself with selecting the wrong variety of fruit etc so once I put through a cheaper variety of apples but felt guilty and haven't done that again. I prefer to avoid self-checkouts if possible and prefer to say hello to someone serving me.

    • NBAD25 on 30/09/2016 - 11:43

      haha. Classic Sleeken

  • fozzie on 30/09/2016 - 11:13

    I never do but some people are unbelievable
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2084067/Antony-Worra…

  • NickosFoivos on 30/09/2016 - 11:31
    -3

    It is ok! I have seen people doing it and I was happy about it.
    The logic behind this strategy of Coles and Woolworths is:
    MAKE more money by NOT employing people at the registers and keep on RISING the prices!

    Happy it does not work for them. Although I am very sure, even losing money by people ''stealing'', they still save money by not employing sufficient stuff.

    • revolutio on 30/09/2016 - 12:59
      +1

      Them screwing people isn't a justification for you trying to screw them. It actually makes you equally as bad.

      • NickosFoivos on 30/09/2016 - 14:18

        Not really. You get not much a choice while they push their lucks.

        • revolutio on 30/09/2016 - 15:58

          Ignorance really must be bliss for you. Whatever helps you sleep at night, champ.

  • ihbh on 30/09/2016 - 11:44

    Are negative of self-checkouts is it's a hassle to do rain checks so the staff manning typically tell you to go to a manned checkout.

    • fruit on 03/10/2016 - 21:33

      You can do a rain cheque at super markets?

      • ihbh on 03/10/2016 - 22:39

        Yes

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