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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Accidentally didn't pay..

158 replies

Epilepsyhelp · 03/08/2015 11:14

So I went shopping for my friend's DS first birthday. I bought a few little outfits in M&S, I was vaguely aware that I'd spent maybe £70. Added some food bits in as well, went to the till.

I watch the guy ring everything up, carefully taking things off hangers etc and scanning them all. Came out at £58. Ooh, I must have added wrong, I thought.

Headed home, wrapped them all up, put the receipt away in case something didn't fit. Handed gifts over.

I was thinking about it later and thought, I'll check the receipt. A whole outfit wasn't scanned. Shock

AIBU not to go back and explain/pay? Maybe this should be in WWYD - I feel guilty but it's five days later now!

OP posts:
Fugghetaboutit · 03/08/2015 11:18

Good luck, op.

maggieryan · 03/08/2015 11:20

I'd leave it. You didn't do it deliberately.

FurtherSupport · 03/08/2015 11:21

I wouldn't go back, but I might put the "saved" money in a charity box to as assuage my guilt.

Binit · 03/08/2015 11:23

I'd leave it. There was a thread on here where someone took something back to pay for it as it hadn't been paid for due to a similar mix up and she got really bollocked by the shop (possibly Tesco) and accused of being a thief.

Original poster
Epilepsyhelp · 03/08/2015 11:23

Why do I need luck?! I'm not starting out with 'I'm definitely not going to go back so come on here and flame me'.

Technically it's unjust enrichment and the correct course of action is to drive back to town, go to the shop, find the item, take it to a till and say 'your employee made a mistake which resulted in me giving my friend this outfit which I haven't actually paid for'.

I just wondered how many people would actually go to the effort/whether I have to get my lazy arse to town in my work lunchbreak!

OP posts:
BerylStreep · 03/08/2015 11:23

I wouldn't go back at this stage. You properly presented all items for payment, and it was their mistake. £12 to M&S will be a drop in the ocean.

The other thing is that you could get the cashier into trouble if you go back with your receipt.

I suppose if you feel really badly you could drop a few £££ into a charity box somewhere.

SnakeWitch · 03/08/2015 11:24

DH accidentally 'stole' some fish in m&s a few weeks ago in the self scanner. No idea how but I noticed it wasn't on the receipt a few days later Confused I'm not sure what they would do if you went in and no longer have the outfit.

CoogerAndDark · 03/08/2015 11:25

Yep, I'd do the charity box thing.

mrsmeerkat · 03/08/2015 11:25

I would just leave it op. Easy mistake to happen and not your fault.

WayneRooneysHair · 03/08/2015 11:25

I wouldn't bother, you'll end getting accused of being a thief by an over-zealous employee if you did go back.

FernGullysWoollyPully · 03/08/2015 11:27

I 'stole' pears from sainsburys once. I just didn't notice that they hadn't gone through until I was loading bags into the car and found them.

I'd leave it. It was totally unintentional.

BadLad · 03/08/2015 11:28

There is no way you should have to inconvenience yourself just because they can't scan properly. It's not your fault at all, so no need for you to put yourself out to rectify it. Just forget about it.

drudgetrudy · 03/08/2015 11:28

I wouldn't go back now-its too late and you don't know how they'll react. I once absentmindedly walked out of a restaurant without paying and did go back. They were nice about it but a big shop may not be, especially if a few days have passed.

Eva50 · 03/08/2015 11:29

I would let it go. I try to check my till receipts as I'm leaving the store but, with ds3 (9) moaning about having to get home to Stampy Longnose and dgs already half way through everyone's lunch I often don't get a chance.

I buy a lot of stuff that's "reduced to clear" and so often some of it has gone through at the original price. Yesterday I bought juice that was buy 1 get 2 free and only 2 had been scanned so I had been charged twice what I should have been but I won't go back to complain as I use the shop a lot. If I find I have been under charged I consider it makes up for previous errors.

EponasWildDaughter · 03/08/2015 11:29

I wouldn't go back.

Last winter DD4 (then 11 months) 'stole' a mint Aero bar from Asda. She must have just plucked it from the sweet display as i pushed the pushchair through the till and packed the shopping. She kept it clutched in her hand, and i didn't find it till i went to lift her out of the push chair in the car park.

I didn't take that back either.

BettyCatKitten · 03/08/2015 11:30

I accidentally stole some nappies once (sleep deprived with twins!) I'd leave it. Perhaps you can donate the same amount to a charity to redress the balance?

AboutTimeIChangedMyNameAgain · 03/08/2015 11:31

Happened to me once in H&M, only noticed when I got home. I didn't go back.

Original poster
Epilepsyhelp · 03/08/2015 11:31

Thanks everyone, glad it's not just me! I will do the charity box idea. Just hope it fits and my friend doesn't need the receipt.. Grin

OP posts:
BleachedBarnet · 03/08/2015 11:32

I wouldn't go back, they might be touched by your honesty but they won't care about £12 (I'm a retail manager).

If you do feel guilty pop a tenner in a charity box (maybe NSPCC as it was a childrens outfit?) and consider it paid back.

LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary · 03/08/2015 11:34

I once filled up at a service station, went in a bought a coke. They didn't add my flipping petrol on! I was the only customer so didn't think to point out "pump 4 please". (Why they thought I would pay for a 99p bottle of coke on a credit card, and indeed go to a a service station in the middle of nowhere just for that I don't know!)

Realised I didn't get a receipt (needed for expenses) so I phoned them up to ask for a VAT number or something and they said they had called the police on me!! It got sorted out in the end but I am now very careful to say "I have fuel, please add it onto my diet coke bill" at the checkout.

Totality22 · 03/08/2015 11:36

I took something back to a store that I hadn't paid for that cost just a quid. I'd put a load of stuff in the hood of the pram and left one item there. I pulled the hood of pram down whilst we were in another shop and my 'booty' fell out. DS was with me and immediately realised what had happened so I took it back to store and paid. My reasons were a) I was still near shop and b) I felt it was the right thing to do as DS knew I hadn't paid for it.

In the instance outlined by the original poster though I would not bother.

Dontstepinthecowpat · 03/08/2015 11:44

I once bought a load of things in Debenhams. When I got home I realised security tags were still on two items (paid for, on receipt) but there was also a top I had never seen before and not paid for in the bag! It must have been someone else's and got mixed up with my pile at the till. I felt sick thinking if those tags had beeped I couldn't explain that top. I took it all back in but that cashier made a mistake that could have had serious consequences.

If very honest about these things but don't think you could explain not paying for an outfit you no longer posses so will have to write it off.

TiedUpWithString · 03/08/2015 11:45

My mum once wandered out of M&S with a basket full of clothes. No one stopped her. I pointed it out later. She went back very red faced!

BerylStreep · 03/08/2015 11:45

Eva I have a system at supermarket checkouts. I put all my reduced items at the front of the belt, and tell the cashier that they should all scan as reduced. I also mentally tot up how many multi-buy offers I have.

When checking the receipt, all I have to do it check that the reduced items have gone through as reduced price, then check at the end how many multi-buy deductions have been made, rather that going through the whole receipt.

FernGullysWoollyPully · 03/08/2015 11:49

LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary - exactly the same thing happened to my husband. He'd filled up and bought a can of red bull, the only car in the garage, it was 5am and he was on his way into work. We use the particular petrol station a lot and when we drove in a few days later it highlighted on the anpr camera saying he was a fuel thief! They all came running out shouting that the police needed to be called!