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Original poster

Friend tried shoplifting in Asda via scan and go

199 replies

bunnyhops90 · 02/12/2024 15:23

My friend who I was due to meet this evening rang me in tears and really panicked this afternoon following doing her weekly shop in asda this morning via the scan and go thing. She is a newly single mum to a toddler and twin 14 month old and I didn't realise until we spoke today just quite how much she is struggling with everything, she has been left with a lot of debt from her abusive ex-partner and is very much struggling to get by.

Anyway she said always uses the scan and go but today she said she doesn't know what made her do this but with Christmas coming up she is getting increasingly stressed about finances and making it through, she knows this is no excuse and accepts her unwise decision, she deliberately didn't scan a few things including baby food, fruit and pizza. When she went to go and pay it said she had been chosen for a staff member to go through some of her shopping and check for accuracy or something along those lines. Staff member scanned quite a few which were all fine then came to one of the items that she hadn't scanned and was told her full shopping would need to be checked. She panicked at this point, pretended she was taking an important phone call and swiftly walked away and left the shop with all the shopping behind before they realised there was a few I scanned and she drove home. She is terrified the police are going to show up on her doorstep and arrest her and is kicking herself for her stupid choice and worried she's got herself into even more difficulty now, I said I thought was unlikely the police would be contacted but apparently they will have her details since she used scan and go so thinks they will easily be able to find her. Does anyone agree with friend and think the police will come looking for her? I want to try and re-assure her but I really have no knowledge around this kind of thing!

OP posts:
SwanRivers · 02/12/2024 16:54

Weird that they allowed her to saunter out of the shop?

TheWrongBus · 02/12/2024 16:55

hamsterchump · 02/12/2024 16:44

I don't think young babies eat tinned tomatoes and pasta do they?

Show quote history

Do babies eat pizza then?

Jostuki · 02/12/2024 16:56

It might just look that she was distracted on her phone and then had to leave because of the phone call not because she was rumbled at being a thief.

Tell your friend this - I'd style it out and return to the store and speak to customer services and say you had some bad news on the phone and weren't paying attention when scanning and then had to drop everything and leave. You'd like to apologise for everything having to be put back on the shelves.

I doubt they will remember you as they will many thieves this time of year or people leaving their bank card at home etc.

In future to avoid temptation, use a manned till.

LigamentBandy · 02/12/2024 16:57

@OctopusFriend I wasn't doing that top ten , yes alcohol is the most stolen.
Baby food is often stolen and sold on same with meat and cheese, who is buying this? I remember being in a pub ( not somewhere I would have chosen but with others) and some random man offered us, clothes ( said his sister did that side, told us what she had or offered to do a shopping list for an extra tenner)
The proceed to pull a lamb leg out of his trackies and some cheese. He was surprised none is wanted to buy his bollock warmed produce .

Tdcp · 02/12/2024 16:57

I didn't scan something once, it wasn't on purpose I just thought it had gone through and it hadn't. Of course that's the day when my shopping was checked and this item was checked (it was a tin of beans or something), I got a right lecture about it but that was all. It'll be worse that she's left the store but I doubt they'll call the police about it, nothing was actually stolen, though obviously this is only down to the store policies. It would have been better if she had stayed behind and received the lecture I'd imagine, the scanners are really dodgy sometimes so they might even put that down as the reason.

murasaki · 02/12/2024 16:59

LigamentBandy · 02/12/2024 16:57

@OctopusFriend I wasn't doing that top ten , yes alcohol is the most stolen.
Baby food is often stolen and sold on same with meat and cheese, who is buying this? I remember being in a pub ( not somewhere I would have chosen but with others) and some random man offered us, clothes ( said his sister did that side, told us what she had or offered to do a shopping list for an extra tenner)
The proceed to pull a lamb leg out of his trackies and some cheese. He was surprised none is wanted to buy his bollock warmed produce .

Edited

Haha at bollock warmed produce. Not exactly appetising.

LigamentBandy · 02/12/2024 17:01

@murasaki he sent his sister over, but she only made it part way , as we both recognized each other from our "jobs" mine retail security hers shoplifter

OctopusFriend · 02/12/2024 17:03

LigamentBandy · 02/12/2024 16:57

@OctopusFriend I wasn't doing that top ten , yes alcohol is the most stolen.
Baby food is often stolen and sold on same with meat and cheese, who is buying this? I remember being in a pub ( not somewhere I would have chosen but with others) and some random man offered us, clothes ( said his sister did that side, told us what she had or offered to do a shopping list for an extra tenner)
The proceed to pull a lamb leg out of his trackies and some cheese. He was surprised none is wanted to buy his bollock warmed produce .

Edited

😂

Badburyrings · 02/12/2024 17:03

GoneWithTheWindIsMyFart · 02/12/2024 15:31

How would the police know where she lives?

Because she is signed up for Scan and Go which must mean she joined a loyalty card (I don't use Asda) which means they have all her details.

CaptainCabinetsTrappedInCabinets · 02/12/2024 17:03

Puppupandaway · 02/12/2024 15:32

Correct me if I'm wrong, but i think the Asda scan and go is only linked to your mobile number. It's not like tesco or nectar who have your home address.

Yes, and your phone bill is linked to?

If the police wanted to find you then they would.

They won't be doing anything pp except being really annoyed they've had to put a whole trolley back and likely waste some items.

diddl · 02/12/2024 17:04

How has her ex left her in debt?

Has she at least got a payment plan?

LavenderFields7 · 02/12/2024 17:06

It’s highly likely your friend has been doing this a lot, and multiple expensive items, more likely alcohol, steak etc. they would have been watching her and flagged her. I think she is telling you it’s “first time” and only “fruit” etc to make you more sympathetic. Don’t believe everything she tells you. I had a friend like this and I started lending her money because of how desperate they were, until I saw her getting a manicure one day. Be careful.

JenniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 02/12/2024 17:07

It will all depend on the algorithms and circumstances - how often she's shopped there, how often she's used Shop-n-Go, plus whether the staff member believed her "important phone call" as a distraction, whether they carried on scanning after she left to see how much she could have stolen or stopped at just the one item ...

I shop twice a week with Asda Shop-n-Go or whatever it's called. Recently, I got randomly selected for a part-scan and then they discovered I hadn't scanned a pack of two eclairs, so I got landed with a full scan. Didn't bother me, I knew I'd scanned everything else. (In my defence, I had scanned the caramel eclairs but changed my mind, picked up chocolate, and forgot to cancel and re-scan!!) My next shop was a part-scan, presumably because of the previous incident; but since then, I've not been selected again. So the algorithms like me.

spuddy4 · 02/12/2024 17:10

The police don't want to know. We have theft of high value items regularly and CCTV to back it up but unless it's worth a certain amount nothing happens. I don't know how Asda operates but worst case scenario is she's not going to be able to use the scan as you shop or if she does she'll get checked every single time so she might as well go to a manned checkout. They'll definitely watch her now, especially because she disappeared when getting checked. Not worth her worrying though because the police won't be involved.

weatherisjustmist · 02/12/2024 17:10

Puppupandaway · 02/12/2024 15:29

I innocently got caught at tesco like this last week. I had a trolley check of 38 items, the check out person got to number 36 when it said I hadn't scanned an 89p ready meal. I was devastated. I had to take my whole trolley round to a normal till and have it all scanned. I now will never use scan and shop in tesco as I know I'll be trolley checked every single time. Either the scanner didn't work or I accidentally missed it. Gutted.

Your friend will be fine, just tell her not to use scan and shop again in asda! Is it shoplifting if you haven't actually left the shop?? I can imagine she's devastated but I'm sure she'll be fine.

You don't get trolley checked every time.

I missed something once and had to have my whole trolley checked but I've not had it checked for ages now, I do self scan every week.

Slooodie359 · 02/12/2024 17:12

Friend Didn’t actually steal anything, doubt police will feel they have a crime as there was no loss.

Her scan & go might be flagged. Who knows. They might have face recognition cameras …. She needs to take a break from ASDA.

EdgeofSeventy · 02/12/2024 17:13

The police where I live don't come out for theft under £100 from shops.
Did she even pay for any of her shopping or leave empty handed?
Not a wise decision and I think you can support her by pointing her in the direction of support.
If she has 3 youngsters her health visitor might be a good shout

hamsterchump · 02/12/2024 17:15

TheWrongBus · 02/12/2024 16:55

Do babies eat pizza then?

Show quote history

They consume milk generally, especially when very young, I'm surprised you had to ask to be honest.

spuddy4 · 02/12/2024 17:15

Puppupandaway · 02/12/2024 15:29

I innocently got caught at tesco like this last week. I had a trolley check of 38 items, the check out person got to number 36 when it said I hadn't scanned an 89p ready meal. I was devastated. I had to take my whole trolley round to a normal till and have it all scanned. I now will never use scan and shop in tesco as I know I'll be trolley checked every single time. Either the scanner didn't work or I accidentally missed it. Gutted.

Your friend will be fine, just tell her not to use scan and shop again in asda! Is it shoplifting if you haven't actually left the shop?? I can imagine she's devastated but I'm sure she'll be fine.

I work for Tesco and you will not be checked every single time for missing something worth under a pound, if that was the case we might as well do away with scan as you shop because loads of people miss things accidentally so we'd be checking everyone.

Flozle · 02/12/2024 17:16

This is actually incorrect advice. Legally, the theft happened at the point she had placed the goods in the trolley but decided not to pay for the items.

And how are they going to prove that she had "decided not to pay" when she put the items in the trolley?

Snowstormloves · 02/12/2024 17:17

I get these checks up regularly in Sainsburys. I remove few items and choose different ones, all scanned well but apparently the removing items triggers the scan.
Also the assistant who was supposed to scan those 12 items, scanned an item which had yellow reduced ticket, but he scanned the original one full priced one so than the item flagged it up as it looked unscanned and it asked for a full check up.
I knew the total before I actually got to the till, so all was right like it said however it pissed me off as it asked for a full check when it wasn’t really my fault but I was looked like I’m the thief!

Dbank · 02/12/2024 17:17

Technically she didn't actually shoplift as she didn't leave the store, but it's quite clear what her intentions were. She will not be getting a visit from the police.

I would hope she has learnt a lesson, and has thought through the potential impact.

Beeches24 · 02/12/2024 17:18

ShinyShona · 02/12/2024 16:03

This is actually incorrect advice. Legally, the theft happened at the point she had placed the goods in the trolley but decided not to pay for the items.

It's possible ASDA will decide that it's too much effort to prosecute for about £15 worth of items, but a criminal offence has been committed.

Show quote history

Thanks for your post and knowledge. I kept seeing people saying theft didn't happen but it does fit the definition regardless. Even if she hasn't passed the point of sales etc.

I doubt anyone will pursue her thouh.

Moveoverdarlin · 02/12/2024 17:19

She won’t be contacted. She didn’t steal anything. But it will bloody obvious to that staff member that she intended to.