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Original poster

I stole my food shop ....

33 replies

jojoshouse · 22/10/2023 10:34

Well I think I did accidentally
So yesterday I was in M&S around lunch time
I went to self serve till and she said contactless wasn't working and the tills were running slow.
So I put my shopping through and enter my card
It's stuck on "pin ok" for ages then finally it says on card holder "approved " remove card
So I do
Then the actual till itself just keeps showing that it's processing
I wait a minute then just walk off as I thought it had gone through
Checked my banking and nothing in pending and the money is still in my account
I'm worried I haven't paid and technically stole my shopping

Do you think eventually it will come out ?
I go in the shop all the time
I'm worried they think I'm a thief if it didn't go through

OP posts:
Original poster
jojoshouse · 22/10/2023 10:40

Anyone else have issues ?

OP posts:
PinkyDinkyDoodle · 22/10/2023 10:42

There were a lot of reports of M&S card payments not working the other day.

I’d go back and offer to pay if it was me, as I’d worry that I’d be approached by a security guard if I didn’t!

MyCircumference · 22/10/2023 10:42

probably take the money at some point
if not its a win win
wear a disguise in future

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Original poster
jojoshouse · 22/10/2023 10:43

I just assumed as it said approved
Remove card it went through but then the till kinda just froze with no receipt option or anything

OP posts:
MyCircumference · 22/10/2023 10:44

it probably will come out in a few days
i am sure that happened to me at M & S once

Winky1973 · 22/10/2023 10:58

Happened to me at M&S Euston once. The money never did debit my account but hey ho, it was an honest mistake and their employee told me to leave and it was ok. There were lots of issues and it was chaos.

If they can’t sort out a point of payment problem then it’s their hard luck. They make plenty of money.

Pewpewbarneymcgrew · 22/10/2023 11:00

There was a big problem with card machines all over the place yesterday

TheYearOfSmallThings · 22/10/2023 11:03

If it said "approved, remove card" then I wouldn't worry about it either way. If in doubt, ask for a receipt in future

gotomomo · 22/10/2023 11:26

Heck on Monday, it may have caught up by then

Puffalicious · 22/10/2023 11:28

Sort of unrelated, but I was in Dunelm at the start of the week, collecting an online order & buying some cushions. It was very busy & I had DS3 (ASN) with me. I got home & realised there were 2 of a specific cushion I'd decided on just one of. I checked my receipt & had only been charged for 1.

I returned the cushion a few days later, explaining what had happened. The cushion had no paper tag on, so I presumed this was why it didn't go off at security. The worker was flabbergasted that I'd gone back, apparently this has NEVER happened to her.

So, OP, it seems that you're in the minority worrying about it.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 22/10/2023 11:34

I wouldn’t worry about it, you paid and it said approved, it’s not your fault if their card machine wasn’t working. It’s unlikely that they’re going to bother chasing you up about it, supermarkets expect a certain amount of losses, it’s not going to break their bank! It’s also possible that there’s just a delay and the money will come out of your account in a few days. Either way I genuinely wouldn’t be giving it a second thought.

DistrictAndCircle · 22/10/2023 12:10

You might have a moral dilemma, but legally I think you’d have a valid defence because you tried to pay and the machine said that the payment had been approved. You tried to pay.

If it was me I’d take the good fortune and not give it a second’s thought. If retailers cut costs by removing humans and putting their faith in machines to do the tills, then they can’t really complain when the machines malfunction and they lose a bit of money.

LakeTiticaca · 22/10/2023 12:11

Don't worry about it. A lot of broadband has been down I believe. Ours was off yesterday but back on now.
If it was still processing it might go through when the system is back up.
If not, enjoy your free shop, they won't know who you are 😅

EvilElsa · 22/10/2023 12:16

Don't worry about it. You haven't intentionally stolen anything -you went through the process of payment and it approved. It's not your fault and you won't be in trouble. Give it a few days and if you see nothing appear in banking go back to the store and you can sort it out.

MammaTo · 22/10/2023 12:16

Take the win.

HolaPepper · 22/10/2023 12:19

It wasn't your fault, you tried to pay, you thought you'd paid (you still might need up paying if the system catches up!).

Enjoy your good fortune.

I also think that if the big retailers want to reduce humans at checkouts, make the customer unload shopping, scan it, pack it and make sure it's paid for correctly, then they have already factored in the fact that sometimes things go wrong.

They won't be chasing you OP! They wouldn't even know who you are from Bob.

Dumbocracy · 22/10/2023 12:20

Before the days of self service tills the operator at the till I was using managed to put through one of my items twice; not in any ordinary shop, this was M&S. I was too far away by the time I checked my receipt and it wasn't worth the return journey to try and fight my case, which I feared I would have lost. I've never forgotten it and am not bitter but I think you should enjoy your free shopping, OP.

ilovepixie · 22/10/2023 12:21

I work in a shop with self checkouts. If someone walks away without the payment going through we check CCTV and call the police. The onus is on the customer to make sure the payment goes through.

PeskyRooks · 22/10/2023 12:25

ilovepixie · 22/10/2023 12:21

I work in a shop with self checkouts. If someone walks away without the payment going through we check CCTV and call the police. The onus is on the customer to make sure the payment goes through.

The onus is on the shop to make sure their fecking machines are working.

Plus it said approved so it looked like it had gone through.

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 22/10/2023 12:39

I’ve had this once or twice where it says approved but then money either didn’t come out immediately or not at all. I think the one time I did go to Sainsbury’s about it they said don’t worry, I was happy to pay.

Hibiscrubbed · 22/10/2023 12:41

ilovepixie · 22/10/2023 12:21

I work in a shop with self checkouts. If someone walks away without the payment going through we check CCTV and call the police. The onus is on the customer to make sure the payment goes through.

No it isn’t! 😂

Christmas came early, Op.

Original poster
jojoshouse · 22/10/2023 12:49

@ilovepixie surely a customer seeing the words approved -remove card would make the customer think it's gone through

OP posts:
Vinrouge4 · 22/10/2023 12:55

jojoshouse · 22/10/2023 12:49

@ilovepixie surely a customer seeing the words approved -remove card would make the customer think it's gone through

Interesting as I had a similar thing in Waitrose this week on the self service tills. The person in charge came running over as I was leaving to say it hadn't gone through. Fortunately I had the receipt in my hand. So I don't know what was going on. I will always get a receipt now.

Floooooof · 22/10/2023 12:56

I work in a supermarket, it happens all the time. They won't care. At least you waited, lots of people just immediately walk off

windemupwatchemgo · 22/10/2023 13:02

Dumbocracy · 22/10/2023 12:20

Before the days of self service tills the operator at the till I was using managed to put through one of my items twice; not in any ordinary shop, this was M&S. I was too far away by the time I checked my receipt and it wasn't worth the return journey to try and fight my case, which I feared I would have lost. I've never forgotten it and am not bitter but I think you should enjoy your free shopping, OP.

This is not just incompetence ... this is M&S incompetence.