Might've just cried in the supermarket car park

[theweebabydonkey]

Well it was just one of those things that just tip you over the edge.

I just went to a well known supermarket to do a half-weeklyish shop. I always use the scan as you shop thing because I love just going in, headphones in and getting the shop done without having to chat to anyone.

Well, I finished my shop and went to put it through and I was selected for a random check. Let me just stress right now, this is absolutely fine. I'm happy with the random checks. I saw on the handset it said five items would need to be scanned so I stood back at an appropriate socially distanced distance while the young man started scanning some shopping.

Next thing, he starts scanning way more than five items. I think "oh shit did I accidentally not scan something so it's come up with a problem?!"
So I said "is there an issue" and he said "no I would just feel more comfortable if I could scan your whole shopping"

I was eh?? I said, more comfortable? Why do you need to scan it all is there a discrepancy? He said "no, I would like to scan your whole shopping as I'm well within my right and I think I would feel more comfortable to do this rather than just the five items"

Omg i got so flustered. I asked him was I making him feel uncomfortable? He said "no I just want to scan your whole shopping, I would feel better if I could do that and once you pick up the scan as you shop handset you enter into a contract statin we can scan your whole shop"

So clearly he thought I had been on the thieve but after he rescanned and re bagged my WHOLE shop there were no issues, I had scanned everything and he sent me on my way.

Ive had a terrible week (long story, won't go into it) and tbh it was kind of the straw that broke the camels back. So I went to the car packed in my shop and sat there and had a little cry. It's bloody pathetic of me I know. But he totally singled me out for thinking I looked like I would shoplift. I was in a (what I thought was on trend) tracksuit bottoms and oversized sweater from Zara but now looking back maybe I looked a bit scruffy? My hair was scraped back and I certainly had no make up on although I was wearing a mask.

Anyway I know this isn't AIBU but would I be U if I asked the head office if this is standard procedure? It really embarrassed me and has put me off going back tbh. I totally understand the random checks of 5,10 items. But for a cashier to decide just by looking at me he should rescan my whole shop, it just felt too personal.
Although i mentioned my head isn't in a great space right now so maybe I took it more personally than I should.
Please be kind, I've already cried once (in a supermarket car park) today

[HalzTangz]

@ArosGartref

I've only ever used scan and shop once and I got checked. They scanned everything - that's what the check is for, unless I've misunderstood?

I never wear makeup so I might always look like I'm on the take.

Supermarket carparks are one of my favourite places to cry though.

I get the random checks every other shop, they've never scanned more than 10 items out of my shop.

[FictionalCharacter]

He expressed himself in a very odd way - instead of saying it would make him "feel more comfortable" he could have just reassured you it was a random check. I would have found that strange too.

When Tesco first brought self scan in, I got a "random check" every blinking time! I gave up using it for ages. I use it again now and haven't been checked for a while.

[13579db]

Can you flip it round and think you looked approachable and friendly and he needed to prove his worth to a manager so he chose someone who looked friendly and not in a hurry?

I hate supermarkets most times and find staff can be just a little too zealous sometimes

[Bookworm19]

Go home, have a cup of tea and some a biscuit or chocolate, put it behind you.
Try not to give it another thought.
It sounds like he was just being a bit over eager (perhaps he was on probationary period or something).
If it's helps at all, I got upset in Specsavers last week over something trivial. I've under a ton of stress and also unwell and it just tipped me over the edge.

[NoToast]

chaosrabbitland

[Tommika]

You didn’t look like a shoplifter - this is what a self service shoplifter looks like :

[Saladd0dger]

They have to scan whole shops even if the device says only 5 items. They will probably have a target to reach each week on scanning whole trolleys.

[nettytree]

I work in tesco and we will randomly scan your whole shop. We do not think you are a thief, but it's what we have to do.

[HowToBringABlushToTheSnow]

What is it about supermarket car parks that can bring us to tears!

OP, don't worry, it was just a random check, it's happened to me before and to be fair I'm always well dressed / groomed.

[Jollygal]

@CervixHaver sorry to hear that. I've had my entire shopping re-scanned the 5 times I've used that option. I don't bother anymore.

[CervixHaver]

I get my entire shop checked EVERY SINGLE TIME I use self scan. I cannot wear make up for health reasons and being naturally light blonde, I look washed out & scruffy without make up, even though I always dress well.

Op is definitely not being paranoid - I get told I'm paranoid, yet I get followed around by security guards in every shop which has one!

Unfortunately, stereotyping is still very real

[EarringsandLipstick]

@chaosrabbitland

i am that vloody minded temeramental person that would have after hed scanned the whole lot through again ,marched over to customer services and made them refund me the whole lot ,just for the sheer joy of them having to run around putting it all back out to shelf , then i would have rested in the carpark having a fag in silent satisfaction , yes some would say this is terribly childish behaviour and cutting the nose of to spite the face , but if this had happened to me its the only thing that would have made me feel better ,

How incredibly odd of you 😳

[chaosrabbitland]

i am that vloody minded temeramental person that would have after hed scanned the whole lot through again ,marched over to customer services and made them refund me the whole lot ,just for the sheer joy of them having to run around putting it all back out to shelf , then i would have rested in the carpark having a fag in silent satisfaction , yes some would say this is terribly childish behaviour and cutting the nose of to spite the face , but if this had happened to me its the only thing that would have made me feel better ,

[DramaAlpaca]

Our local supermarket, the same one as you used OP, has just introduced the scan thing. I've tried to use it three times now and each time they've done a full re-scan on me. Each time! So I've given up and will go to the checkout in future. It did make me feel as if they thought I was up to something, and that's not a nice feeling.

Hope you're feeling a bit better now

[Miljea]

To be fair, the assistant only had to scan 5 items, he made a judgement call to scan the entire shop, using terms like him feeling more comfortable which is a bit odd in itself.

I'd feel pretty singled out, myself, too!

[Blueeyedgirl21]

Jesus Christ, rude just for doing his job... if you feel you look so ‘scruffy’ without makeup that’s your own prerogative and issue, make yourself look more presentable if you feel you’re being singled out so much , if you don’t care how you look then great, own it and don’t act like people single you out for your appearance

[Thepennyhasdroppedq]

That checkout guy is rude. I would be so angry if this was done to me. Like you, I cant be bothered to wear makeup if I'm just wearing a mask and I feel self conscious that people think I look scruffy too. I totally understand this post xxx

[Maskedrevenger]

My DH who normally does our food shopping kept telling me how much quicker the scanning way to shop was in Tesco. During the lockdown I was shopping every week for my mum so I tried it twice, first time the scanner malfunctioned and didn’t record the items properly so I gave up, after wasting time and having to try and find an assistant to help, and went through the checkout as normal 2nd time I got randomly selected for a whole shopping check. I never bothered again and just shopped in the normal way from then onwards. I don’t think I was looking particularly shifty or disheveled.

[starfishmummy]

Like I said, he can't override the system. If it said scan 5 then he scanned them all he must have found a discrepancy which prompted a full scan. There is absolutely no allowance in the software for the assistant to decide how many items to scan.

But if there was a discrepancy on the five otems, prompting a full scan, then the OP would have had a refund or had to pay more? So as she didn't tjere cant have been one.

[Tambora]

Sorry it made you feel so rotten, OP.

I've never done a scan and shop, and this thread has put me off having a go!

[theweebabydonkey]

@Purpledawn

I don't think it was personal OP, previously worked at the mentioned supermarket and i mainly worked on 'scan as you go'...even though it said to scan only 5 items we could override it by doing a full scan of all shopping, it's do with targets and highly encouraged, especially with smaller purchases. If we weren't seen to be doing enough checks we received warnings etc. Hope your week improves

Thank you I really shouldn't have taken it so personally I understand that now

Cony - this poster worked in the supermarket and has confirmed it can be overridden if the cashier chooses.

[toocold54]

His wording was strange! But I’ve had this happen to me several times. You get randomly selected to scan 5 items and then it changes to the entire shop - making the easy scan as you go a lot longer. I was told that there are secret shoppers and so they scan the entire shop every now and then to show any secret shoppers around them that they are thorough - so he may have thought you were one.

I’m sorry it made you so upset. I am similar I keep everything in and then something just snaps and it all comes flooding it.

[Roadtohades]

I can see why you were upset, OP, but just enjoy your chocolate and put it out of your mind. My poor DH was stopped for scanning and they found one minor item that he'd not scanned by mistake (he's getting old and absent-minded). He was really upset because he felt that they treated him like a criminal and now he never uses the self-scanning any more. You might want to do the self-service checkouts - or even the staffed ones - for a while until you feel better .

[Purpledawn]

I don't think it was personal OP, previously worked at the mentioned supermarket and i mainly worked on 'scan as you go'...even though it said to scan only 5 items we could override it by doing a full scan of all shopping, it's do with targets and highly encouraged, especially with smaller purchases. If we weren't seen to be doing enough checks we received warnings etc. Hope your week improves

[theweebabydonkey]

I think perhaps you’ve had a hard week and are finding small things triggering?

Yes. This is definitely part of it.
I'm glad I made this post because it has put things into perspective and made me realise I was probably being too sensitive.

(Still not sure I'll ever show my face in there again though lol)