To wonder if I've been put on a watch list! (slightly light-hearted)

[Toothsil]

A few weeks ago I posted saying I had accidentally not paid for my Tesco shop (I'd link to the thread but not sure how 😂) and the assistant rushed out after me and took me back in.

Every single time since then, I've had to have a service check at the self scan. Every time. For the big weekly shop and when I just go in for a few bits and pieces in between. I was checked on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday and I bet I'll be checked again tonight when I do the weekly shop. Even the lady on the self service checkouts said "not again!" on Saturday. She's the usual one who's on, the one who chased after me isn't often on.

Do they have some kind of watch list? I'm seriously starting to think I'm on one 😂 They've never discovered anything I haven't scanned, because I'm very careful to make sure I scan everything - I'd never steal!

Yes, I am also convinced that they have a watch list linked to your club card. Makes sense though.

Yes, there are definitely watch lists. They know what your club card number is from the original incident and that’s now flagged for checks. Won’t last forever.

Leaannb nice stealth boast there

I imagine a friendly chat and some recipe swapping is considerably less embarrassing than the flashing yellow screen mind.

@brownsquares I used to work at H&M. They tag stuff etc and there's staff around to try and deter theft but the loss prev training was basically to not put yourself at risk stopping a shop lifter. If it's busy in store as well you were likely unnoticed. Also, general retail experience has taught me that the "field" on those door sensors isn't always perfect. They can be foiled (literally), they break or just randomly don't go off and not everyone stops when they beep anyway- staff don't always go after everyone, it's not doable.

@MrsToothyBitch I think I probably didn't get stopped because of how brazenly I walked out. I definitely wasn't "acting" shifty as I hadn't realised until I was a good few mins walk away from the store!

why don't you quit the self scan for a while then and just go to a regular till? surely the benefit of a self scan is that it saves you time - this isn't happening now!

Also if i got treated like a criminal for an honest mistake like what happened you id be too annoyed to shop there anymore - i'd go somewhere else for the weekly shop

I used the self scan system once - was pulled up for a check and there were 5 items in my shop that I hadn't scanned. I died inside. Never used self scan since as I am too scared I'll do it again. I share your pain.

@heyahun I use it for the weekly shop because I shop alone in a limited timeframe whilst DD is doing an after school activity, and I get so stressed trying to unload it all onto a conveyer belt and then pack it, plus I'm usually on a tight budget so I like to know what it's costing. That's the only shop in our town that does self scan, otherwise I'd definitely go elsewhere! I haven't ended up doing the shop tonight but I'll see what it does tomorrow. I am getting sick of it now though, it's been weeks and they've never discovered anything!

@BlankProfile oh no, that's embarrassing! DH was once getting two packs of ham that were £2 each or 2 for £3, and for some reason the second one hadn't scanned and he didn't realise, and the woman (same one as the one who came after me) treated him like a shoplifter as well, and rescanned the entire shop after having a go at him. Why would he not scan a packet of ham that would have amounted to £1 when he had a lot of much more expensive things? Even after she was satisfied he hadn't stolen anything, she wasn't any more pleasant to him! I know they have to do their job properly but still, she could have been more pleasant after she realised it was literally only the ham!

If it makes feel any better i remember when ds was about 18 mounths I'd done my weekly shop and had him in the trolley when dd needed the toilet so off she went whilst I waited with the shopping and ds. In our local asda the dvds are in an Isle after the tills, I guess I was a little to close to the dvds as ds helped himself to 10 copies of a crappie English subtitled Swedish horror movie 😳 ofcourse i was none the wiser until I went to leave and the alarm went off. Thankfully the staff thought it was hilarious, i was mortified.

@SunbathingDragon oops, I thought OP got checked at self scan till.
Yep. Just ignore me.

@brownsquares that probably helped as well! Good job you didn't try it in a well known two letter sports wear shop or any of their umbrella brands; when I worked for them we were expected to waylay and give chase! Or else! My boss claimed to have seen a loss prev "blooper reel" of how not to do it, involving a clip of half a rugby scrums worth of staff sat on a kid trying to nick bootlaces. This was deemed a bit excessive. The loss prev on my management induction course was an eye opener though! I could probably nick anything after that! (Not that I would! )

Yes, they do track you and remember you.
Years ago my MIL bought a new TV while she was with DH in Tesco and he scanned the fob which was in my name. I suddenly got letter after letter from the TV Licence people to my address even though we had a TV licence in his name to the same address, I phoned the TV Licence people once or twice and they said they'd make a note but that it happened because of MIL's purchase. This was 11 years ago and it really surprised me how much info is shared!

Your club card has absolutely nothing to do with it. After you had forgotten to pay we'll remember you and watch because we'll get in trouble for a massive walk off because we should be alert. If you are a regular in there and shop at similar times you'll encounter the same staff and make it easier for them to remember you. Plus there's cameras everywhere and they'll pull up the cctv and make all self serve staff aware of people to watch. Once they realise you made a genuine mistake they'll back off but you'd be shocked how much money we lose on self serve and you all pay for it in the long run.

I just realised you used scan as you shop not self serve but exactly the same goes for that. You mentioned that you recognise the staff and they obviously recognise you OP. I know it's horrible but people do use both these methods to purposely steal and when people make genuine mistakes we always think the worst unfortunately.

I didn't get checked when I did the weekly shop yesterday, I hope it's decided I'm actually ok to leave alone now!