What to do about the big shop I may have inadvertently shoplifted!

[ImGoingUpstairsToTakeOffMyHat]

Did my big shop yesterday using a scan and shop doo-dah.

Racked up £100+ worth of goods, and went to the tills to pay. I was told scan and shop wasn’t working so I’d have to put it through again on the other tills. They also said Google pay wasn’t working and made sure I had a physical card.

Went to self scan, and it was chaos. I could hear that other customers’s payments weren’t going through and a few people had to take themselves to the cash machine or go to sort it at customer services.

Anyway I scanned all my shopping then went to pay with via contactless with my card. It asked me to insert the card and enter my pin, which I did. It took a really long time but the screen on the card machine, and also the self scan machine, displayed a green tick and said “approved”/“transaction complete”. But then suddenly the self scan screen showed up a red exclamation mark and said “Error - call for help?” With a yes and no option. However, by this point the machine had spat out a receipt, and staff members were all busy helping others, so I assumed it was just the machine glitching. Also DD was in the car and didn’t want to leave her much longer, especially as scanning the shipping took so long. I pressed no, took my receipt and left.

However, no money has left my bank. I didn’t realise until I was making a transfer this morning and noticed I had no transactions for yesterday.

I was going to go back and tell them but DH said that they may make me pay, only to find that the payment is just taking a few days - so says I’d risk a double payment and may struggle to get a refund on one of them. I tried calling the customer services today but was on hold for ages and we had plans. I don’t want to go into the supermarket and ask for advice in case they accuse me of shoplifting, or force me to pay (see concern above about potential double payment )

The receipt says “Total paid £102.34”. Just for clarification. It’s not the kind of receipt you get when a transaction fails.

Should I worry about this? Is it shoplifting? Has anyone experienced this before? I don’t know much about banking, can transactions take a number of days?

I'd send them an email explaining exactly what happened for the record. Then check your bank statement to see if it went through a few days later.

A few weeks ago I had a ~£100 Tesco delivery due at 10pm, but the delivery was cancelled. We were given the option of driving to the store to collect, which we did. It was late and the customer service desk was closed, but eventually we found someone who found our shopping. The next day, I received an email apologising for our failed delivery and giving us a full refund for the shop. I phoned the customer helpline and explained that I didn't need a refund because I had my shopping, but they told me that it was fine, their error, enjoy the shopping and the refund.

I'd give it a few more days to ensure it doesn't go through, then phone the customer helpline really apologetically - they are usually exceptionally helpful and very generous towards the customer.

The money may still come out. Even if it doesn’t that amount of money is nothing to a supermarket. You have a receipt saying you’ve paid, system glitches are not the customers fault and so if the money doesn’t come out just consider it a little life bonus. You haven’t shoplifted anything.

I had this once when I had 2 under 2 and it was all a lot. Dh went in and spoke to them while i was in tears i was a theif. The woman at customer service said oh okay well we haven't been told anything so see what happens and we have no missing payments.
And that was it! Never paid, never had an issue since.

Something like this happened to me a few months ago, at Waitrose. I went to a staffed till, the member of staff scanned everything, I bagged it all and dashed for the bus, catching it by the skin of my teeth. The next day I checked my bankaccount and the payment hadn't gone through. I phoned them and explained and they did some umming and aahing and said 'were you the person who bought X, Y and Z?' I said yes I was, and could I pay over the phone. They insisted I go back to the shop (some distance away by bus). Anyway, I went back and waited by the service desk while they sorted it and they knocked £25 off! On the way home I realised if I hadn't gone back, they would have had me on camera and probably labelled me as a thief.

I suggest you phone and explain.

I'm a stickler for the rules, but if I had an actual hard copy receipt in my hot little hands, I'd assume there was a payment pending in the system somewhere and leave it to the store to chase it up; it's their job, they have huge resources and plenty of time to get onto it.

You have a receipt, you have paid - expect the money to come out of your account one day.

Chocolate, it’s sad you had to go back to the store to clear up the problem and they couldn’t do it over the phone!

I wouldn’t do anything. The self-scan machine gave conflicting info but the receipt is the proof of purchase security always ask for in suspected shoplifting and yours said ‘paid’ not ‘void’ so you’re good.

😂

How? The alarms aren’t psychic 🤣

Most of a supermarket shop wouldn’t have an active tag on it.

Do nothing, if you get a free shop treat it as payment for your time they wasted 🤷🏻‍♀️ you did everything you could!!!

If you got a receipt saying it's paid, it's paid. It will leave your account at some point. Give yourself 10 working days before blowing your hundred quid on champagne.

id go to the customer service desk of that supermarket and if they the reciept says paid etc then its paid

You’re insane if you go out of your way to pay a company who are making so much profit. They won’t notice. They won’t care and even if they did you have a receipt. Just let it go. £100 means much more to you than it does to them. If you really can’t face it then give the money to a food bank and not just a billionaire who won’t care

Oh this happened to me last month! The money has gone out TODAY which has been a bit inconvenient but hey ho there you go. It will at some point be corrected xx

I had a note from a retailer stating transaction failed so I paid again using another card. A few days later the failed transaction was charged. Wait a few days as it will likely go through. Occasionally they get lost in the system and appear months later (I rec my transactions daily and note any not appearing so I’m forewarned they are there).

I'm guessing they wanted to see my face and pick me out on camera.

I wouldn't do anything. If it comes out then it comes out. If it doesn't then well it doesn't. You have a receipt so just keep hold of that. Who are these people that would go out of their way to make another payment. Only on MN 🤣🤣

@ImGoingUpstairsToTakeOffMyHat I wouldn’t be comfortable. I’d call my bank and ask if they can see anything coming through in the next few days and if nothing, wait a week and if still nothing, take the receipt to customer services when I’m next going to shop there, or call customer services.

Oh yes chocolate, of course.
I hate the cameras at those tills, I often look at it and think ‘ who’s that scruffy one’ .. oh ., it’s me :)

I would do nothing at all.

I once accidentally stole a bulb of garlic from Lidl (it was in the corner of the trolley and I just didn't see it) and I still worry about it. I've considered buying two and then telling them to keep one.

But I give my head a wobble and move on.

Your case is even more clear cut. You have an actual receipt showing that you paid. If they can't get their software to work, that's on them.

I would feel like you OP, but I also know that doing the right thing can cause all sorts of hassles if the original payment does go through. It can be very painful to get back the double payment.

You have a receipt that says paid, so hold onto it. I'd give it at least a week and a half before deciding the payment hasn't gone through. It sounds like reasonable confusion on your part and their systems have told you you'd paid. They'll know they had this mess on their end, so can't really blame you for anything.

I would go back and offer to pay if it still hasn't gone through after a week and a half, but chances are they won't be bothered dealing with it. At least you'd have tried. I have a weird conscience about that sort of thing and couldn't just let it go.

Would they be trying to chase you if they took the money twice ? No .. they wouldn’t care and they would take your money 🤔