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…

@Alwaysthelastone Would you stop if they put the faces of their shoplifters on a public noticeboard for all to see? Would you feel shame or embarrassment? Why do you do it?

There was a local restaurant that did that, put security photos up of anyone who left without paying.

Never! I’m not a thief and my opinion of thieves is that they are the lowest form of pond life

I am a police officer so as you might appreciate it would never cross my mind to even be an option.

If I can't afford it I don't buy it.
Luckily I am fortunate to be able to afford our groceries. If I couldn't afford nappies and food for our family (not wine!!) would I consider it? I hope not. I hope I'd go to a food bank before stealing.

I don't really understand why those who don't need to do it, do it. I understand drug addicts stealing to fund their habit, and I understand single mums stealing purely to be able to feed their kids (both wrong but still understand it).

But middle class affluent ppl who just steal to get a buzz or to feel they've got one over on the big supermarkets? I don't understand. Someone is losing out. We all have to pay more because these people think they have a right to steal.

Does not compute.

Never. I consider myself to be a pretty average person and I’m no saint but this has honestly never occurred to me.

I just wouldn't.

Not worth it - I'm not poor enough to have to do that.

Some people are - and I feel sorry for them if they have to steal fruit/veg or nappies etc.

Wtf. Never.

Never. I’m not sure where you’re from but here in the uk we have scales to put everything on or a scanner to put it straight into your bags. The scales would tell if you put something on them you hadn’t paid for and it would be flagged and someone would check your purchases before you could proceed with the purchase and with the scanner you get random checks where someone comes and scans about ten of your items randomly, digging right down into your bags so you never know if you’re going to be caught out.
if you can’t afford it and can’t afford a caution or a court case then don’t do it. Total judgement from me and I’m not sorry. People like you put the prices up for the rest of us.
If I can’t afford it I don’t buy it.

The closest I get is trying a grape. Would never do anything more.

I didn't pay for a carrier bag once. But other than that never.

I do sometimes but I also forget or do a random shop when passing somewhere

Never, @Alwaysthelastone. Why do you want to ‘prove’ that middle class MNers are dishonest? It seems pretty mean-spirited to me.

To answer your later question - I don’t shoplift because it is wrong. I don’t need to steal, to feed my family, and I know that shrinkage costs are put onto the price we all pay, so I won’t do that to other people.

Goodness, I never have and never would. And I ALWAYS take a receipt, even if only for 60p, ever since the occasion when I didn’t, and hadn’t realised that there was a small security tag on the back of a pack of steak.

So it sounded the alert, and I was marched back between 2 security guards and had to wait while they rummaged through the bin for my receipt. Thank God they found it.
Believe me, not an experience anyone would want to go through!!

Plus you don't ‘forget’ to weigh fruit and veg. You don’t weigh them on purpose because you are intending to steal them.

Never but once I couldn’t get the carrier bag to scan and I gave up as no staff around to help.

And if you do it a ‘few times a year’ you ARE a serial shoplifter.

I was working in a Sainsbury’s branch when they got installed, which would have been between 2009-2011. I think some branches near us got them even later than us too.

Same.

How would you even steal from the self-service checkouts? You'd set off the alarm sensors as soon you walk through them with any items that haven't been scanned and paid for. And no I've never done it. I've seen other people set off the alarm though.

I don’t! I hooked a kids tshirt on my stroller recently, went through checkout and then realised later that I’d forgotten to pay for it. I went back and paid! I’m not going to thieve. I sympathise with those who do because they can’t afford things but there is support and food banks that can be accessed.

Never

Ah yes Morrisons. On its knees because of the odd bread roll or bottle of wine being sneaked out, while making 2.1 BILLION pounds of profit!!!!

Think you need to stop drinking the corporate koolaid. They are CHOOSING to under pay and under employ. It has naff all to do with a bit of petty theft.

Apologies, you said Waitrose. Only a measly 256 MILLION pounds profit. Damn they must be struggling to afford the executive brunches.

Never. I once absentmindedly walked out of Boots with a pack of razors in my hand that I handnt paid for, as soon as I saw them, I popped back in and paid for them. If I can't afford it, I don't have it. You may think you are stealing from a large corporation that can take the hit, but you are pushing up the prices for all of us.

Only thieves think everyone else is a thief. It's a self delusion they tell themselves to make themselves feel better about their actions.

Statistics say 2/3rds of people (so the majority) do not steal and the 1/3rd that do, especially as casually as you describe because you just think its 'ok' and justify it as easy and common (not out of sheer necessity in times of extreme struggle), are not 'decent, upstanding' people but just selfish, entitled and often over confident in their privilege that they are in a category unlikely to face suspicion or severe repression if caught.

Never.

Don’t kid yourself - you are a serial shoplifter and you’re not a decent person. You’re a thief, contributing to higher prices for everyone.

Adding a childish emoji to show it’s all a big joke to you doesn’t improve things.

Both. Aren’t you scared of the shame of getting caught and banned from your local supermarket? Do you want to live your life knowing you are a thief? Do you want to set this example for your kids?

If times were tight then I can understand not paying for essentials. I don’t think wine is an essential. 🙄