I'm not sure if Coles is rolling out their new loss prevention technology Australia wide or just in some areas profiled as being dodgy.
In our local stores, if I enter to browse and/or do price comparisons and try to leave without purchasing anything, I have to ask permission to be allowed out which I find demeaning and embarrassing. This is a first for me, not being free to leave a market empty handed without having to explain myself. What's next, being frisked, or detained?
Just ask the person to open the gate
Nah, mate! It is far easier for the likes of OP to post a click bait story on OzBargain.
I do wonder how some people make it through life if things like this need a post.
OzBargain, Reddit and Facebook community groups. The great enablers.
You can push those doors open quite easily.
They slide.
Push it harder
That's what my wife keeps telling me.
Yes. That involves pushing.
When they first installed them at my local coles at self check out, they were free standing and not attached to anything.
Dude ignored me after i asked to be let out, so just pushed them like a saloon door and walked out.
Childish, but it gave me a chuckle.
The new gates they’ve installed are utter shite in my experience, they don’t open half the time so the attendant has to walk over to open it.
So how does the attendant open it? Can we just do the same thing they do?
They have a remote
so the attendant has to walk over to open it
I am referring to that Ghost47 comment. Why do they have to walk over to open it if they have remote?
@leiiv: In the times where the gate hasn’t opened I’ve had to wave them and they’ve walked over. I don’t know why they’ve walked over if they have a remote.
Other times when the gates don’t open I’ve had to step back and forth to hopefully trigger it. I’m not sure if those times the attendant pushed the button or not because I was looking at the gate.
Need to take flipper along for the ride
.. which I find demeaning and embarrassing
Captain overreaction…. You better get used to it.
how many people checking out do you think give a toss that someone is being stopped by the gates?
Agreed,
"Ask for permission" ≠ requesting staff open the gates.
If the staff won't open the gates until OP answered questions about why they are leaving empty handed (which is what OP inferred happened), then that is more like needing permission.
on your mark…..get rubbery….. limbo
This happens to everyone who doesn't buy something tho….
Their gates are mostly manually open.
I purchased a few things and had to ask the staff to release me. I was waiting for a good 15 seconds before the gates opened.
Sometimes the gates don’t open and I’ve had to get the attention of the attendants but most of the time it is fine. The trouble is people would load up with trolleys with meat and then saunter out without paying. With this they have to abandon the trolleys. This isn’t cost of living petty theft this is people selling to order for things like restaurants.
I have no idea why people get so huffy about a little bit of inconvenience. Unfortunately thieves don’t come with a mask, stripey top and a bag labelled swag. Thieves aren’t announcing their intentions when walking into the store. Anyone could be a potential thief. I lock my front door to make it hard for thieves to take my stuff, I don’t have an issue with Coles making it a bit harder for thieves either.
Then again I grew up in a time when we learnt resilience. Shit happens and you move on. We didn’t write blog posts complaining about the minute we lost waiting for a gate to open.
I'd be happy to oblige to whatever ridiculous rules they could come up with, my issue is that they dont do this to actual thieve, druggies know their rights and will either just jump the gates, exit through the entrance when its open or just damage property to get out and kick and scream till let through. I'm all down for innovation as long as these people get caught and arrested but as always these things are a deterrent only.
What is wrong with deterring people from committing a crime? Surely that is the best outcome. If they damage something the cops can arrest them. The original issue was people taking trolleys of meat out so they probably don’t care too much about petty theft from druggies.
May also be just enough to get some teens to not try shoplifting, at least those teens who are relatively "good kids" and are just considering doing dumb things.
Of course Coles aren't doing it for altruistic reasons, but getting away with shoplifting can lead to doing more brazen things.
In my experience the cops dont come, the people taking out trolleys of meat are basically one in the same with druggies and dont care about the rules and know their "rights" like everyone else in this thread, they're not allowed to be detained by anyone in the store including security, and if not allowed to leave its violating their rights to safely steal things. We're getting to a point where criminals are getting a better experience just simply walking out with their goods, while I'm calling the attendant over for the 3rd time because the broccoli in opaque fruit and veg bag is getting flagged in the system as something else.
These security systems are there to stop the people that aren't going to kick a fuss and abuse staff and just go "whoopsie you're right i did scan a apple as an onion". Even half the regular people in this thread are just talking about how coles have no right to detain them, imagine how empowering this is to people actually breaking the law.
@try2bhelpful: I've noticed people that want to dodge the checkout gates will just wait by the entrance gates for someone else to come through and open them, an alarm sounds but nothing can be done to stop them
Yeah, I saw this guy loading up a trolley full of food and rushing right out of the self checkout area without touching the self-serve section. Staff asked him to stop but he just kept walking til he was out of sight. It was a little while ago, since then they installed these automatic doors.
I don't think the stores should be blamed for these inconveniences we are experiencing, but these absolute pests.
So many of these posts seem to be people who have made very few real contributions to this site.
What's next, being frisked
Who doesn't enjoy a good frisking. Be sure to post it up as a deal.
Some people pay good money for a good frisk….
I was at Big W the other day and there was an announcement that if you are rude to staff they will call the police. Given they run at a loss, they might want to focus on fixing the bottom line first.
I'm fine with that, the solution is to not be rude to staff. Completely different to being accused of shoplifting due to not buying anything.
Dunno where you're getting that they run at a loss, according to the Woolworths Group last set of financial statements they made a profit of $14M last year. It's down a lot, but not into negatives.
Your facts and indifference to non sequiturs are no shield against the sword of feelings and makingshitupedness.
Is being rude illegal now so much that a police is needed?
I thought they open automatically if their is a trolley approaching them…
How do they actually work?
tracks you as you enter the self serve area, once youve paid the gate will open up for you as you walk towards it.
Just ignore them, don't look at them, don't speak to them, and walk out. I really doubt somebody getting paid minimum wage will try to tackle you and pin you to the ground.
People need to stand up to the nanny state (& the corporations), using what Thoreau termed "civil disobedience". The essay is out of copyright but I am sure there are capitalists trying to monetize it. Free here: https://archive.org/details/CivilDisobedience-HenryDavidThor…
Just ignore them and continue to walk out. If they lay a hand on you to physically stop you from leaving then that is common assault.
continue to walk out
Into the closed gates?
OP makes no mention of closed gates??
OP makes no mention of closed gates??
LOL Tell me you don't shop at Coles without telling me.
Coles is rolling out their new loss prevention technology, aka gates that open to let you leave. It uses AI and opens after you make payment. So for the OP who trys to walk out without making a purchase, the gates have to be opened manually by staff.
So yeah, they can't just 'walk out' like you claim.
If they lay a hand on you to physically stop you from leaving then that is common assault.
Is laying a hand on you really common assault?
Reckon so:
To establish the offence, police must prove each of the following elements:
That you caused another person to fear immediate and unlawful violence, or that you made physical contact with another person, and.
That the other person did not consent, and.
That your actions were intentional or reckless.
damn
You don't need to ask permission to leave the store. they cannot detain you lol.
But yeah the loss prevention technology is pretty gimmick
They're not quite a gimmick, rather they're additional layers of deterrence, and they probably show great results when they first roll them out. But I highly doubt it would make a large difference in the long term after people realise that none of this really does anything.
The ones at my local just ring all the time and no one pays any attentions to them.
Cameras are a deterrent, gates opening based on what you may or may not be holding are an inconvenience.
Yeah I think its disgusting what things are coming too. And I won't be surprised that people will just sleep on these obvious increasing issues until it becomes too late.
Just leave or ask the coles employee if they can open them up for you?
Coles is a business that needs to make money for its shareholders.
What annoys me is people who justify stealing because coles/woolworths are the 'real thieves'. The loss will need to be recouped from somewhere, paying customers with prices increases.
At the end of the day coles/woolworths are introducing this tech to deter thieves.
Shop smart and get genuine specials or make your own farm and eat from that.
What annoys me is people who justify stealing because coles/woolworths are the 'real thieves'. The loss will need to be recouped from somewhere, paying customers with prices increases.
At the end of the day coles/woolworths are introducing this tech to deter thieves.
Coles and Woolworths are making record profits on the back of forcing the 'customer' into self checkouts, then spending millions on AI and automatic gates to stop theft. Both my local coles now have next to zero assisted checkouts now, there is 1 and its rarely open. They are all the self check belt ones. So you either do it yourself or beg a staff member who just does the 'self checkout' part for you instead.
If only there was another way they could have went when customers facing massive inflation aka price rises. Instead we have these companies claim record profits at the same time of reducing service, staff and pissing customers off by 'doing their job'.
But why would a shareholder invest in a company that’s not making money?
But why would a shareholder invest in a company that’s not making money?
Did you even read the above at all?
They are making record profits. This self-service path isn't about staying afloat. The supermarkets had booming profits with covid and everyone eating at home. Its about making even more record profits which are not called for.
Its time that Coles and Woolworths are both split up with caps on the amount of stores they can have.
If either are really worried about theft, they should remove self service and put staff back on.
@JimmyF: Look, I agree with you, but I think you're missing the point of publicly traded companies. Record profits are the expectation, not a 'bonus'. If your books aren't going up year on year as a publicly traded company, you're a failing company, no matter how much profit you're actually making. Whole thing is a joke and we should push against it, but that doesn't change the reality. These companies aren't about to start doing us favours. They're going to hurt us more, and then more again until the end of time.
but I think you're missing the point of publicly traded companies. Record profits are the expectation
As a shareholder profits are expected, not record profits each year.
As a customer, service is expected, and not the feeling of being ripped off each time you enter the store.
Whole thing is a joke and we should push against it, but that doesn't change the reality. These companies aren't about to start doing us favours. They're going to hurt us more, and then more again until the end of time.
And they have pushed people too far at the moment, hence why people who wouldn't normally steal are stealing as these companies are taking the piss out of everyone.
Split them up. If we have to have the big four banks, time to have the big 4 supermarkets instead of the big 2 and the small 2. I'm sure IGA and ALDI would love some more market share.
Bit like chemists locations are controlled, is it time to do the same for supermarkets?
Wandered into Coles to grab some lamb on sale just to find it all sold out 1 day after the catalog was released.
Tried to exit and was blocked in, attendant saw me the. waltz off. Ended up tailgating someone else leaving.
I believe Coles still have rainchecks. So you can go the the service counter and tie up one of their staff for five minutes or so, while they manually fill out a raincheck form. This will let you can purchase at the "on special" price even after the special ends, up to 30 days after you got the raincheck.
Weren’t these canceled with covid?
That was Woolworths. And you can tell how genuine their "COVID" excuse was, by how they failed to bring it back after COVID.
These have been standard across supermarkets in Europe for quite some time, just be glad they are actually using tracking/automation, the ones in Europe require you to scan a receipt to open the gate. Very common in the Netherlands.
Yeah you need to scan your receipt at most supermarkets in Amsterdam. If you don’t buy anything just get the attention of whoever is manning the gate and say what you wanted was out of stock and leave.
What's next, being frisked, or detained?
Probably mandatory detention. Coles is worse north korea. /sarcasm tag
They don't have the right. If they suspicious anything just call police and you can record the whole process to find justice later.
Just walk out through the checkouts….
Just say "Open the gate please". They have absolutely zero right to detain you.
If they refuse to open the gate (they won't refuse though) it is unlawful detention. If they lay a finger on you it is assault.
My dislike is they state on the sign they are automatic but you can see the employee pressing a handheld button. Why lie to us
Wait so they aren’t automatic and can only be opened by the attendant pressing a button?
I thought there was a camera on the top-left corner of the right-hand barrier that sensed when you were near and opened for you. Aren’t these things called “smart gates”? My issue is they don’t open most of the time so I’ve had to either get the attendant’s attention or step back and forth hoping the gate would trigger (like when sliding doors sometimes don’t open).
You can pull them open quite easily. I usually kick them. It’s a bit harder but at least it breaks them.
Wow, you are so badass!
So you’ve said.
When our Coles first had this, a person had to press the button each time someone wanted to leave, a month later it was just permanently open
Just wait until someone leaves and walk out afterwards?
Just barge you're way through the gate…
If it breaks, it's their problem…
Actually it would be criminal damage.
Not really, they are illegally detaining you.
No they aren’t. When you walk into the store you agree to abide by the rules they’ve put in place. If you don’t like it shop elsewhere.
@try2bhelpful: The conditions of entry in retail stores don't contain clauses that the store can detain you.
And even if they were they wouldn't be enforceable.
@joshash: You aren’t being detained in any sort of legal sense. You ask, they let you out. The gates are obvious. There is no way this stands up in a court of law.
@try2bhelpful: Precisely - the gates can be pushed open, jumped, pole vaulted or otherwise.
You are under no obligation to wait for a store employee to open them for you.
@try2bhelpful: There is absolutely no way you could force a legal right to detain a customer, signage or otherwise.
Store policy cannot overwrite law in any scenario.
@ajr5k: People aren’t being detained. Next thing people will be whining that having to get their trolley checked at a Costco is being detained You wait perhaps a couple of minutes and they let you go. If you are trying to steal a trolley full of goods they let you go but you can’t take the trolley of goods with you.
@try2bhelpful: Trolley checks at Costco is not a physical barrier. Coles are placing a physical barrier to prevent you leaving.
Personally, If I was being blocked by these, I would just slam my trolley into it and say I didn't see it. "I paid, it says it will open automatically, I am not responsible for maintenance of your dodgy tech"
But I shop at Aldi anyway -> And the self serve experience at Aldi is miles better than our majors without all the nonsense and one person trying to watch 12 registers.
Why are you bootlicking Coles anyway? This isn't a forum to support mega corps who rip off our farmers, producers and manufacturers while fleecing their customers and banking land to prevent fair competition. This is Ozbargain.
@jv local courts are full of dumb criminals who do malicious damage who think they are right in protest.
It’s not malicious damage if someone is illegally detaining you.
You aren’t being maliciously detained and best of luck arguing that in court.
@jv: There's been a number of times where I didn't end up buying anything from Aldi after entering , but couldn't just leave because of the long checkout line. Was I illegally detained??
but couldn't just leave because of the long checkout line.
You must have a weird shaped store. I just walk past the other customers, or walk through the self serve area. That's always empty.
@jv: No self serve in the stores Ive been to. Many customers have trolleys, or are large, combined with a narrow checkout, makes it hard to leave at busy times.
Was I detained without knowing??
They are
Why is that? Just ask the person to open the gate, you didn't have what I wanted. Life goes on.