OTT 'basket' check for Tesco scan and shop

[alwayswantchocolate]

I had my second 'basket check' today in Tesco, I've done about 5 shops this way so far. The first time I used it, I had about 25 items checked, but that's fair enough it was my first go and she randomly scanned the items from a few of my bags. No errors found.

Today, I had my entire £122 family weekly shop checked. Literally every single item except two items in a freezer bag on the end of the trolley hook that I think she mustn't have seen. Every carefully packed item was taken out of my heaped trolley onto a customer service desk over the course of about 20 minutes. It was so humiliating and when I kept asking, once we were about half way through, if she was going to scan every item, I was ignored. I felt like a criminal. No errors were found, but it wasted my time and I was late for work as a result (I'd got up early to fit the shopping in, being a busy mum and all).

Not to mention, it didn't get re-packed by me very well as I was flustered and trying to rush.

I complained to the Head office afterwards via whatsapp chat, and got several off-hand replies when I persistently pointed out it was totally disproportionate and there was no need to do the whole trolley if no errors were being found. They said 'random checks', 'it's so we can check that you aren't being over charged', 'etc.' and didn't seem to see there being any issue whatsoever. They weren't apologetic, and the store staff were a bit frosty as well.

Honestly I don't look like a criminal and I don't believe I was acting like one, I was reasonably dressed and not scruffy looking, and it eventually emerged that I'd done absolutely nothing wrong.

I wonder if I'm being unreasonable to be so annoyed about this? I wouldn't have minded a random check of items at all. I just minded this. I would have walked out and left my shopping but I thought that would make me look guilty so I stood there and waited but as I say, I was late for work as a result. I don't think I can face that experience again, which is a shame as it should have been a time saver for me.

Don't do the scan thing any more. It seems that some people get 'randomly' picked repeatedly, so it will probably happen to you again.

I’ve never seen this happen to someone. It must be really awful.

I wonder what they would do if you said… I f you think there is a crime taking place- call the police.

I f you don’t, I will because you are detaining me against my will.

I’ve done it three times and three times they’ve gone through my shopping

im just going through the checkout now like we always used to. The scan thing is meant to be quicker - it’s not when they insist on re scanning everything

I’ve only ever had 5 items checked

I stopped using it because almost every time I was selected for a random check and it bugged the crap out of me that I'd packed it all only for it to all be unpacked so they could scan the stuff at the bottom of each bag.

It's quicker to just take it all to a till and have someone else scan it whilst I pack everything than risk unnecessary overzealous checkers manhandling the entire contents of my shop to get to stuff.

I’ve used self scan for years at the beginning they scan you a lot more, I only get it very occasionally now for a handful of items.
It’s not great and it’s a time suck but you’re overthinking it, especially about how you were dressed etc, this is essentially a computer decision as you’re new to self scanning. When I worked in a supermarket, you’d often find the top part of the shopping was a-ok but when you went deeper into the bags there could be hidden stuff.

I've had this and along with constantly cancelled home deliveries I've decided to ditch Tesco. The physical shop is impossible to walk around because it's full of pickers and then then the online shops never arrive anyway!

That sounds quite an extreme basket check 😲When I've had a basket / trolley check they've just scanned things in the bags at the scan and shop bit. I haven't had to go over to the customer service desk and nothing has unpacked. We mostly get our shopping delivered so I don't know how often it is likely to happen.

Just stand in a queue for a real cashier ?

This is what puts me off using the scan and shop things.

It’s less hassle to go through a normal till than to have everything unpacked so the shop assistant can rescan everything.

Although they’ll have pulled you over for a rescan because the computers told them to, it won’t be anything to do with how you were dressed or anyone thinking you looked or acted like a criminal.

Yup….ive given up on scan as you shop now! Final straw came having a full weekly shop rescanned…with a hungry screaming newborn. I had timed the shop perfectly to feed him at the end….20 mins for the slowest woman in the world to scan it with a deadpan face. Had to stand and whip out a tit out in the middle of the self checkout…..felt like crying myself!

What is a criminal supposed to look like?

They are doing their job. It's retail

I absolutely hate scan as you shop. I find it really disrupts my flow to have to scan each item as it goes into the trolley. I like to keep selection and payment as two separate processes. Much prefer just to scan and pack it all at the self checkout at the end. What is it about self scan that makes it feel more convenient for you?

I had this almost every week for about 4 months until I couldn't stand it any longer. I worked out in the end that it seemed to be when I was buying lots of meat and higher ticket items like washing powder. I tend to buy those in large quantities and as there's only me and DD, not every week. I too felt like a thief and stopped bothering in the end and went back to online.
I never saw anyone else getting such a thorough "random" check either.

It’s because you’re new. I’ve done it for years, I now probably get a cursory check every few months. Compared to the time I wasted in queues for manned tills and the emptying the trolley and repacking it all again, I’ll never go back. I don’t really understand why you were humiliated, it’s perfectly normal for them to check people at random and I seriously doubt anyone else gave it a second thought.

The new trolleys with the jamming wheels at the exit doors on the other hand give me the absolute rage, I’ve hurt myself on them twice.

This is part of the reason we stopped shopping in Tesco. The scanners are shit and take forever to load each item you scan and we would get "randomly" picked for these whole trolley checks quite frequently, usually when we were in a rush to get back for the school run or an appointment. On the last occasion it happened we found items missing from our shop when we got back home.

We decided to try out Sainsbury's, scanners work so much better and quicker and we've not once had a full trolley check. We do get the ones where they scan around 25 items very occasionally. We also don't have to fight our way through dozens of staff shopping for internet orders in every aisle. Despite Sainsbury's being 4/5 miles further away from Tesco so a longer journey for us we are getting the shopping done far more quickly than we ever did in Tesco!

It's happened to me a few times. Can't say it bothers me as staff do the check so quickly.

They don't get to choose how many items, they have to do the amount that comes up on the scanner - they can choose which items though.

I have had this a few times - more often when the self scanners were introduced, not so much now.

I have had a whole trolley checked before and they repacked it for me also whilst apologising - I said no worries they were just doing their job.

I just let it go and as long as you know you have scanned everything there is nothing to get irritated about - it is not the member of staff choosing to do this it is a computer.

Shoplifting is on the rise so shops have to do anything they can and if that means more security checks so be it - I would rather that than prices going ever higher to cover the thefts.

Still saves time as we don't have to go in the main queue. Scan and shop line is so much shorter

I've also gone back to standard tills in Tesco, it's way easier and quicker. I've had loads where they check 10 or 20 things, fair enough, although they do it at a snails pace and mess up my careful packing. But I've had 2 recently where they insist on doing the whole trolley and last time I just left it and walked away as I was about to be late for a meeting. It's ridiculous how ott it's become. They bought them in to save staff cost but obviously now they have issues with shoplifting, What did they expect? And they do it so badly, they try not to take anything out or the trolley at my tesco, just dig around picking things up, mashing them together, shoving them back in not properly in the bag so when I lift things into the car it goes all over the place. I will only use self service now for 2 or 3 items.

This is over-dramatic OP. Nobody thinks you're a criminal, it's just how it works. If you couldn't afford a few minutes for the security check then you should probably add a few minutes slippage in so you're not late for work. Yes, it's annoying when everything needs repacking. Yes, I get it can be embarrassing being stopped, but it's just procedure.

Which would be much easier if all the cashiers weren't on their bloody phones all the time now!
I was in tesco very early on Sunday. Managed to get to an empty till for once, and the cashier was playing with her phone. I put all my shopping on the belt, and she was still playing with her phone. This seems to happen every week now.
They've taken away half the cashier tills in my Tesco, for the self scan things, and the queues for cashiers are horrendous without waiting for them to PUT THE BLOODY PHONE DOWN.

Sorry @alwayswantchocolate I seem to have hijacked your post for my own rant!

But back to the point, every single time I have used the self scan gadgets I have been stopped and had every single item of shopping checked. Which is why I won't do it any more.

I know someone who hasn't paid for groceries in years pretending to the scan and shop.thing so it's a good thing they do check people from time to time.

If you couldn't afford a few minutes for the security check then you should probably add a few minutes slippage in so you're not late for work.

It doesn't take just a few minutes though. It can easily take 20-30 minutes sometimes even longer. No one would mind if it only took a few minutes.

I get checked every time so I’ve stopped using it