To be completely embarrassed

[Toothsil]

I have no idea what happened in Tesco this morning and I am SO embarrassed. I used the self scanner and did a full weekly shop. There was one item that said it couldn't scan so I gave that to the assistant and she put it through. All was fine. I went to the car and started putting the shopping in when I heard someone say "excuse me, you didn't pay for your shopping" 🙈 It was the assistant who had clearly run out after me. She said it was all still up on the screen. The worrying bit is I have no idea what on earth happened. I remember selecting the card payment option and thinking I'll have to put my card in because it's over £45 but after that - nothing. I didn't notice that I didn't have a receipt or that it obviously didn't say transaction approved on the card machine. I have absolutely no memory between thinking I would have to put my card in, and pushing the trolley out of the self service area. I remember that because I said thank you to the assistant as I left. I remember exactly who I was walking behind going out and everything else after that.

I don't know whether it's something wrong with me, or whether my mind was just a elsewhere but I was so embarrassed having her run out to the car after me and having to go back in with the trolley. And after struggling to fit all the heavy bags into the car I had to take them all back out and take them back into Tesco. Aaargh.

I'm a bit like this ATM.

Ordered lunch in the work canteen and I'd forgotten my card.... I had to leave it there, go outside, download Google Pay and run back in again.

Cringe.

I forgot to pay but realised when I was in the car. I went back in. They were surprised as they said people don't usually come back. They said it happens all the time.

Fwiw I work in a shop. People regularly forget to pay, especially if they're chatting. It's noticeably different to someone who is trying to get away with stealing and we'd never judge someone for the former.

I remember once when my eldest was a newborn, I was using the top of the pram as a trolley, put some shampoo and conditioner on the pram and carried on round the shop (Superdrug, to be precise) then just walked out without paying. I got to the other end of the shopping centre before I looked down and realised, I went back and paid. No one had realised I had done it, but I felt awful.
That was 23 years ago and I still think about it now.

Maybe add short term time loss to your list of early warnings. I honestly thought I was loosing my mind till a specialist pointed it out because it would happen hours or even the day before my migraines happened.

@SissySpacekAteMyHamster

Why couldn't you just go back in with your card, why on earth did you have to lug all the shopping back?

Because if the card wouldn't allow payment, all the shopping would have to go back on the shelves.

OP, I work in a shop and we get people leaving their cards in the machine/leaving the shop before payment clears/shopping without having their card or cash on them and having to go home to get their wallet etc etc every day. We have a Save Transaction button on the till for that very eventuality. We can honestly tell the difference between people intending to shoplift and those who are distracted or just confused!

I cannot begin to tell you how many of these stories I have. The most recent was going away for the weekend and leaving the front door WIDE OPEN, not just unlocked! Luckily my lovely neighbours closed it and someone local with spare keys went over to lock it. I could remember actually locking it! I blame too much on my plate and lockdown stress!

I had this happen to me recently only I had paid! I had the receipt and I’d even spoken to the staff member to get them to remove a security tag from an item! They’d checked the receipt. The same staff member chased me and my elderly father out of the shop shouting that we hadn’t paid! I was mortified.

A def error, these things happen.
I paid for a sand which and fruit pack, left un error, so annoying

Feel your pain! I have done loads of stupid stuff like that! I have filled my car with fuel, gone to pay and realised I'd not got my card! Scared stupid to drive away as they'd send the police after me for not paying! They let me go home, get my card and pay! What a relief!
I did a whole primark holiday shop spent £180 on bags, shoes, bikinis, day outfits, night outfits, undies you name it. Put it all through at the checkout, went to pay, wrong handbag no cash card! . Had to go home on the bus, get card, go back on bus and pay!
I was in Dunelm, purchased some bits, paid for it all left. Got home and realised I had been holding a magic carpet brush and not put it through! The assistant didn't say anything either?!
I've bought some clothes from a shop, packed them up and left a whole bag of Christmas presents at the end of the tills! Didn't get them back either so was gutted. The list is endless.. oh and my fave work one was see attached.......sent without the attachment!!!

My mother and I once had a lovely lunch in a cafe, chatted for ages then left. Cue a very nervous looking teenaged waitress chasing us down the high street, shouting 'Excuse Me! You need to pay your bill!'

Poor girl looked worried we were going to run for it and she'd get into trouble for letting us leave. So embarrassing, but we just paid up, laughed with her about how distracted we'd been and didn't agonise over it. These things happen, OP. Especially when technology is involved!

Don’t be hard on yourself OP. Am convinced it is the mask that does something to the brain!

Not to worry @Toothsil, many years ago I was trying to buy fuel at the petrol station.
First of all I got the wrong pump number and paid for someone else’s fuel - took a while to fix (huge queue behind me). Flustered I paid for mine and hurried out. Except I left my card in the machine - they don’t run out after you in petrol stations, they announce it over the tannoy for everyone to hear.
I’ve never been so mortified scuttling back in past the queue I had caused 😳😳
I’m just about over it now 😬

Don't worry. I have done a couple of things like this before. It's normal, especially if you are a knackered parent.

Friend of mine did similar. Put card in, didn’t notice it hadn’t processed, walked out with shopping and was chased to car. Food shopping fry’s the brain

Don’t worry happened to me recently- almost walked out of next with a pair of shoes without paying. This was the first time I’d been clothes shopping after shops reopened and was getting to grips with the 1 way system. I was also sleep deprived and had just finished work.

I remember going to pay but getting lost in thought about something work related and suddenly I was walking out the shop and was startled by the alarm. Strangely nothing happened-no security. I was mortified and went to pay apologising. The cashier laughed .

It was just an off day

Things like this happen so don't stress about it... I once filled up with petrol but I had left my wallet at home, they took my details and said come back and pay within a few days. I went straight home and got my wallet and returned immediately and paid as I was so horrified at my mistake!

The shops pretty much know who the thieves are and a genuine mistake, just try to control your blushes when you return each time as I used to do and the staff would chuckle!

I almost walked out of M and S. My teenage daughters had chosen some clothes. I asked them if they were finished and started walking towards the door, when they reminded me I hadn’t paid.

I get like this sometime. I once ordered at a drive through, drove to the first window to pay then drove past the second window without collecting the food. Went home and only realised when my husband asked where the food was.

It’s in the air- left my card in the self scan at Tesco today...not my local one, of course

Don't worry, I did a shop in Sainsbury's the other day using the self scanner thing and when I got to the paying bit I just stood and stared at it. I'd completely forgotten what to do ! An assistant came up and said are you ok with it ? And I said no, I cant think how on earth to use it ! She just laughed and said oh, our heads are all over the place at the moment arent they.

Last week I went to the cash machine, after taking my £20 I waited for my card to be returned, but it wasn’t? I Then starting telling people behind me in the queue that the machine had swallowed my card and it was broken, so they all left... I then went to the car and cancelled my card with the bank.
Went to shops straight after, went to pay with my joint account card and noticed my other bank card in my purse!
Absolutely no recollection of getting it back and putting it away!
I blame the kids... all 3 of them 😫

My mum and her husband did self scan (the scanner you walk round with) and managed not to pay for nearly £200 of shopping! Didn't notice till they got home. Poor mum was horrified. They went back with the shopping. The security guard wanted to bar them!! Luckily a member of staff knew them as the good customers they were and told him to back off.
So I imagine it happens a lot. Don't let it worry you if it's an isolated incident.

@IndieRo that sounds horrendous and so unnecessary of them! Sorry you had to go through that 😐

We all zone out OP, it’s like auto pilot mode! Glad all ok, weird they made you unpack you boot though 🙄

I've had that happen only it was when contactless hadn't worked and I didn't register that it wanted me to put my card and pin in before I was walking off. Assistant stopped me and said excuse me, you haven't paid! It is embarrassing because I didn't want them to think I was trying to not pay..