To be annoyed with Sainsburys

[bigbluebus]

In recent weeks I have bought items of clothing from 2 different Sainsburys stores. On both occasions, upon leaving the store the alarm has been activated. The first time it happened, I went back into the store to the customer service desk and queued for 5 minutes to have my items checked. They were checked for tags - there weren't any - and I was told to just ignore the alarm as I left the store. Today I have been into the 2nd store and bought a pair of PJ's amongst other items. On leaving the store, once again the alarm sounded. I returned to the till I had just bought the items at and told the assistant only for her to say "it'll just be your PJ's, ignore it".

Now I am one of life's honest people - the sort who always used to go red when the whole school got a telling off even though I knew I hadn't done anything wrong. Today's store is in a relatively small town local to me where I know lots of people (none whom I spotted today fortunately) and I do not want to be leaving a store feeling like a thief! I would be interested to hear from anyone who has either experienced this same thing (and if so, do you ignore or go back in like I did?) or anyone who works in Sainsburys who can explain to me why this happens - as to my mind it damn well shouldn't.

This has happened to me a couple of times recently at our local Sainsbury's.

Each time I have been on my own as I walked out and the alarm went so it couldn't have been anyone else setting the alarm off.

Both times I was with DC2 in a pushchair, I've looked around and nobody seemed to be coming over, so I just carried on out out the door and on my way. Nobody has run after me so I think it was fine.
Also, the things I bought had no visible safety tags or anything on them.

I set them all off. No idea why. I’ve tried just putting my bag through, doesn’t go off. I’ve tried walking through alone and it doesn’t go off.

Me and my bag however = alarm. I can only assume the metal in my underwire/zips together with chained straps just tips me over. Drives me bonkers as I think people are staring at me!

I was waiting by the doors of a store today for a friend. Whilst I was waiting the alarm went off about 10 times in a row. No security guard no staff. No one batted an eyelid?

My wife has same issue, it turns out it's her make up in her bag, some of them have electronic square tags and the stupid sensors pick up on these! All the money they make they could update the system.

I bought kids boots and she was setting alarms off in every shop. Turns out there was a tag inside the sole of the shoe that hadn't been deactivated! Who knew! Wee one got really upset everytime till I worked it out and took them back to be deactivated

Hi Bigbluebus!
I've had this too when buying clothes in Sainsburys. The assistant told me the "tag" as it used to be is now seen into the material of the garment. Each time I've bought stuff for my grandchildren the alarm goes off. Staff can deactivate it but as I use self checkout they dont always see what you've bought so alarm just goes off inspite of me having just paid. I wouldn't worry too much about what other people think. This is a regular occurrence in store and you have your receipt. Hope it helps to know you're not alone

I set the alarm off with one of those yellow stickers on a bottle of wine in Tesco. The security guard said I was supposed to peel it off myself. Seemed a bit pointless, but maybe it's to stop a grab and run.

When I worked in retail leaving a tag on was technically a disciplinary offence, although I never saw it in practice. But they would call up from the front door and tell off whoever's till number was on the receipt.

I had this happen the other day at Tesco with a pair of pyjamas in a packet, the security guard took the tag off for me. The tag was inside the packaging so not the most obvious tag. Not a big deal.

The curious bit though, was the security guard asked to see my receipt - but he didn’t check whether the pyjamas were actually on the receipt (it was a long receipt with lots of other shopping on it). He just glanced at the bottom of the receipt and remarked that he was going to make a note of which till operator it was.

Anyway, I think most people who see alarms going off at the entrance just assume that it’s because a tag hasn’t been deactivated at the till, that’s something that must have happened to most people after all.

I have a Tesco Clubcard and Morrison’s card on my keys they’ve been known to set off the alarms somehow. Also my phone charging case. Very strange!

I work in a Sainsburys and on the tag behind the barcode there is a soft tag (just like a security sticker) after getting scanned at a till or self scan it should deactivate but it doesn’t always. If you use smartshop to scan your items it won’t deactivate but the person manning the smartshop will be able to deactivate it for you x