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…

Never. I've accidentally taken a sandwich, crisps and drink from an M&S self checkout as I paid by contactless but left before I saw the 'transaction approved' message. I only realised when I got a notification from my bank later telling me my card had been declined.

I transferred money into my account, and went back and paid.

Genuinely, never.

Where not what? I don’t think anywhere near me had any self scan at all…though in the north we aren’t known for being very ahead (or even in keeping) with the times

Never

My anxiety level would be through the roof walking out of a supermarket knowing I’d stolen something. Also, I would be disgusted with myself if I stole something while not being in a desperate situation.

I've never done it, aside from the fact it's illegal and wrong, I think having a surveillance style mother in my upbringing I have this inbuilt feeling someone will see all I do and I'll be caught!

West London and Slough.

I’d never steal and if i ever considered it i would be so scared of being caught that would stop me

Waitrose still do that, if you are hand scanning for the self checkout. As do Tesco.

never

Sad h

Tesco first introduced them in 2003.

Jesus wept. What a depressing question. Stealing from supermarkets is as illegal and antisocial as any other theft. I agree that stealing from smaller businesses is more harmful to those trying to make a living from them. But please don’t try to normalise any kind of theft.

I have never in my adult life stolen anything from anyone or any shop. On occasion I have pointed out if I have been undercharged. If I can’t afford something I don’t buy it.

“I’m not some sort of serial shoplifter*
OP, if you steal 3 or 4 times a year that is exactly what you are.

Sad hobbies… hardly a hobby… you do you love 🤣

I was genuinely annoyed when a chubba cup lollipop failed to swipe properly but also was too light to register in the packing area, so we could have got it for free - RESULT! - but my son was too honest and picked it up to swipe again. Goddamit!

I accidentally nicked some mushrooms I gave to my baby to hold to occupy him as we went around the supermarket and then forget to take them off him and give to the teller. Realised as I was getting him out of the trolley to go into the car but could not be arsed to go back in and fess up. So I kept them.

It's impossible to go through self checkouts without at least one intervention from staff these days. Plus things are tagged. I think they are wise to it.

Oh interesting. So you will fight against them, challenge them - but won't break them (even secretly) as quiet protest.

Can I ask - because Im just nosey and love trying to understand others psychie's - why do you follow along with a rule you vehemently disagree with? You just can't rule break? Does rule breaking in and of itself just make you feel a certain way? What do you mean you follow a rule maliciously until change - as in reluctantly?

From a young age I assess said 'rule' and then Im either like 'I approve of that rule and will follow it', or 'I don't approve of that rule and I just won't follow it and suffer the consequences if caught' or 'i dont approve of that rule but the consequences are too bad for me to risk breaking it so I won't'.

Examples being, 'being quiet in the library'. I LOVED the library when young. I loved talking about books, I loved hearing others talking about books, I wanted to share what I was reading with others and talk about the subject. I fought against it, and got told off by librarians and got kicked out a few times. I was always talking about books though. As I developed more empathy I realised that not everyone was like me (im neurodiverse) and they like to read in silence. So that rule, over time, made more sense to me. Now I just avoid libraries because silence with reading doesnt work for me. Silence generally doesnt work for me.

Ive essentially lived my life like this and encouraged my kids to do the same (probably get flamed for that). I think questioning rules is good, and only follow them if they make sense or the consequences are too high not to. Sometimes its highly unethical to actually follow the rules/authority.

Never.

The Greens support shoplifting

Never.

If a supermarket gets 1000 "expensively dressed" customers in a day, and one of them nicks steak, thats 0.1%. Ive no idea how many customer visits Waitrose gets per week.

I have never done this and wouldn't ever do it.

Not because I would be worried about getting caught - I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't. But simply because it's wrong and I am not a thief.

Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. We all pay higher prices to cover the cost of the things that some people steal.

I’ve never stolen.

I use the self scanner frequently. Have been chosen at random more than once to check I have scanned everything in my bags (it does happen - assistant at checkout said it comes up randomly for shoppers to have, say, ten items scanned at random from their shopping to ensure nothing was missed, or the entire contents of their trolley…..)

I am also the mug though that buys a train ticket every journey even if the barriers are open. 11pm a couple of weeks back after a meal out - barriers open, I knew they would be at my home station too…..but I purchased one. Total waste, was never checked. But the one time I genuinely forgot, because barriers were open and train was pulling in and I was desperate to catch it and just absolutely didn’t think…..the inspectors were out. At 8pm. £30 fine for what would have been a £3 ticket.

I just couldn’t steal. We see so many shops etc going out of business…..so many people’s jobs gone because the high street stores aren’t making money. And we all end up paying more to compensate for it.

To be honest, from my experience working in retail as a teen and young adult - the biggest shoplifters seem to be the middle class. Or certainly those appearing to be middle class. Saw plenty of mums just ripping open packs of nappies and taking a few out and shoving them in their nappy bags. I want to hope it was desperation - but when you shove them into that Icandy pram and have your lashes done…..

I think people get a thrill from it. Or they’re just entitled.

i know the honest chances of being caught are slim, or anything happening from it, but i just wouldn’t want to risk it either. Why throw my career etc away over petty theft?

I worked at Tesco in 2006-7 when I was a student but ours didn’t have them, I’m guessing we were just way behind the times

Absolutely never. As a PP said, integrity is what you do when no one is watching.

I don't remember that happening in the UK, but if you do then fair enough. But OP isn't talking about back in the day, she's talking in the present tense about sometimes forgetting to weigh her veg before she gets to the till. My point was which shops actually work in that way in 2026?

"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."