Be honest, zero judgment - how often do you steal from supermarket self-checkouts?

[Alwaysthelastone]

My theory is, “decent, up-standing” people do it a lot more than they’d ever admit. Let’s try to stop this thread descending into judgement and criticism of people who are just answering the question honestly. Otherwise they just won’t be honest. No judgement from me, as long as we’re talking large chain supermarkets only. I’ll admit that I sometimes forget to weigh fruit & veg, get to the till and can’t be bothered going back so don’t bother paying. Occasionally in the past when money’s been tight I haven’t paid for a few of the more expensive items like laundry detergent, nappies, the odd bottle of wine. But we’re talking 3 or 4 times I year. I’m not some sort of serial shoplifter and I consider myself a decent person (although I’m sure I’ll swiftly be told I’m not on here 🤣) anyway, would be interested to hear how often the mostly upstanding, middle-class MN population really does it…

errr… never. Wouldn’t even occur to me.

I have total compassion on anyone stealing to feed their children in desperation. But I’m not and thankfully haven’t ever been in that situation.

What would stop me was the realisation - and it's not rocket science - that it's the other shoppers who are paying for my theft. But maybe you think we should pay for you?

In all honesty.... NEVER
Stealing is wrong. It doesn't matter if it's from a huge organisation or from someone in the street. My morals drummed into me as a child know that it is wrong.

Never

Same here (re your mum) but it was my dad. We were in Woolworths (!) and he walked out carrying a rose bush! We were nearly home when he realised he hadn't paid for it, and we went back. I remember being impressed that we could've got away with it but he did the right thing anyway. I guess if your parents don't do that, you don't learn it.

Most things?

My eldest is 24. I remember having a meltdown at 40 weeks pregnant trying to use a self scan machine that wouldn’t play ball.

I just wouldn't do it. Stealing is wrong and we all pay for it in the end because shops have to cover their losses and because I don't want to live in a society where dishonesty is the norm. We need to be able to trust one another.

Never had an urge to steal anything....

Nope never. For so many reasons!

A. It’s wrong
B. You know stealing just pushes prices up for everyone else?
C. I would also loose my professional license if I broke the law.
D. I usually have DC with me and what kind of example does that set?
E.I like that self check outs exist. Why would I abuse that when it’s handy to be able to use them.

Literally never. Where are you shopping that you have the weigh the fruit and veg before you get to the till? The only place I remember doing that was France in the 1990s.

Never, I use scan and go and scan everything, why wouldn’t I.

I shop lifted accidentally. I bought 2 pairs of trousers, paid at the self checkout, stuffed said trousers and receipt in my bag and went home. When I got home the "receipt" wasn't a proper receipt but just a bit of paper to tell me the card payment had not gone through. Yes I had money in my account, no I didn't go back and pay.

Nope, never

Never intentionally. I once accidentally left the shop realising that I'd missed an item (can't remember exactly what but it was small, cheap, less than £2) in the bottom of the trolley because it was tucked under the bags for life. This was pre-hand scanners. I went back in and paid for it at customer services, the shop assistant looked at me like I was mad for going back in.

I never ever pay for bags. Don't steal anything else though.

Also if you steal you are a thief. Biblically the lowest of the low. I couldn’t bear it. Nothing would be worth it.

I slightly struggle with those Oceans eleven / twelve films making out stealing things is all glamorous etc. In the all female one they were stealing from a museum! Wtf.

Never. Aside from the fact that shoplifting losses inevitably end up pushing prices up for the rest of us, I'm quite an anxious human and would drive myself to despair with the guilt, I couldn't knowingly steal or hurt anyone or anything like that.

Never

Never.
It's sad to hear people think they can take what they want, when they want it. Says a lot about the today's society.

Op I am 100% judging you for stealing things you absolutely don’t need - like WINE - because money is tight.

Most supermarket tills should have the ability for you to weigh fruit and veg.

I’ve accidentally walked out of a shop carrying something I hadn’t paid for and immediately gone back to pay for it.
I would never take anything deliberately as I’m not an immoral thief.
Hth

Never!

What's interesting about this thread is the vast number of people (including myself) who don't do it. And yet, we know it's prolific. I think it just shows how even if only a very small percentage of the population do something that is unhelpful, it can nonetheless have a massive effect. So 1 in 500 is still a great many people, and a large value in total of stolen goods, when spread out over the entire population.

Our local small shops largely keep meat in back fridges now because of the prolific shoplifting.

I will say the one time I did sort of do it in anger, the cashier was in on it! :) I tried to scan a cauliflower with no packaging in the fruit and veg section. Didn't work. Got to the final till and tapped the "no, not everything scanned button". Attempted to look up the cauliflower (it wasn't a weigh one). Didn't work. Called the cashier over. She looked at it and then said there was some issue with these cauliflowers - the barcode wasn't working - and just to take it as she put it back in my trolley! She looked like a woman who had had this conversation 100 times that day already!

Plenty of UK supermarkets did that back in the day. You had to weigh fruit and veg on scales and it printed you a sticker with the price

Another never here - the reward and the risk don't tally for me given my job. It's just not worth the risk. Also, I'm just not a thief and have luckily never had to resort to being one.