To ask about security cameras in supermarkets

[MagnificentBottom]

Does anyone check the footage afterwards or is just live feed for the security person at the desk to look at as things are happening?

I accidentally stole a loaf of pumpernickel bread earlier and was directly underneath a camera at the self service checkout. I put it on the scanner (put didn’t actually scan it) to free my hands up to sort through my groceries as they were coming down the conveyer belt. I scanned everything else, paid then without thinking just grabbed the loaf off the scanner and put in my bag.

I noticed on arrival the security station was not manned at the time of my visit and am worried someone will later check the footage and see what happened, I’m also worried as I used my nectar card they maybe able to pinpoint my sale and find me from my details on my account or is that too sophisticated? Can someone please explain how it works? I would go back to the shop and pay but I’m just about to start work.

They won’t have time to sit and go through it on the off chance that they spot someone take a loaf of bread - with multiple cameras in the store there would be hundreds of hours of footage to go through.

Footage is recorded and reviewed when they have a suspect who they’ve detained, or if they know a “frequent flier” had been in and they want to see what’s been taken, or if there’s a massive gap in a high-value area (eg booze, steaks etc) and they need to determine what’s happened.

@maggiecate

They won’t have time to sit and go through it on the off chance that they spot someone take a loaf of bread - with multiple cameras in the store there would be hundreds of hours of footage to go through. Footage is recorded and reviewed when they have a suspect who they’ve detained, or if they know a “frequent flier” had been in and they want to see what’s been taken, or if there’s a massive gap in a high-value area (eg booze, steaks etc) and they need to determine what’s happened.

Ok thank you, that’s very helpful

Just ring up or email the shop to tell them when you will call in to pay.

Half the staff won't know how to check through footage and if they did they're looking for suspected offenders nicking bottles of vodka/£300 trolley pushes A one-off loaf of pumpernickel I'd put down to being a pure accident. If you did it every day for month it'd get picked up.

If you called in to pay I'd thank you and tell you to keep it for free. (This is still presuming a loaf of bread and not a bottle of grey goose)

Message them on social media or ring them up, to get it off your conscious if you're going to worry. I've done this before and messaged, offered to pay and was told not to worry about it basically.

As above. Worked in retail management and have also accidentally not paid at a self service till when stressed (went back in later - staff were surprised I'd bothered). Really don't worry!

@MagnificentBottom

It is not a crime. The test for theft is dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention permanently to deprive.

You did it accidently and would be willing to pay. Call the store if you wish and say you will pay for it when you are next in. Then make some lovely open sandwiches

And not all staff have access to the images.

A Security person at a desk by the entrance is watching certain areas. Management decide what cameras they can view.

All cameras will be recorded to enable playback in the event of an incident.

Recordings are then over-written after a certain pre-determined period, normally, but not always 31 days.

A lot of the time the cameras at self checkouts don’t even record. The psychological effect of feeling you are being recorded is enough to deter most thefts. In any case, you’ve made a mistake, not stolen.

Tbh I’ve been known to put the occasional overpriced medical product such as feminine care cream onto the self scan weigher without scanning it. I genuinely wouldn’t have been able to afford it along with my food on the occasions I did do it and would have had to suffer so I don’t really feel bad.

Never had anybody come after me, you’ll be fine.

The creams are usually light enough not to register.

A while back, I managed to completely miss a small box of chocolates at bottom of my trolley. Scanned, popped bags back into trolley, went to load car, and only then, when I'd moved the bags into boot I saw the box...as I was still there went back in to pay at customer services; the staff member was very shocked that I'd gone all the way back and kept thanking me
So you're not the only one who has made this mistake (regardless of how).
You could call in to supermarket to pay, or even call and let them know.
With regards to CCTV I don't think the footage is checked unless required.

I think that would be fine to call and pay over the phone. I did this, slightly different situation in that they put the wrong amount of vouchers in envelopes for me in a toy shop and I didn’t notice until a few days later. They weren’t very appreciative but at least I know I did the right thing!

No unless someone steals something else and gets caught they'd need evidence.

They didn't keep the car park footage from 12 hours previously, after someone had careered their car into mine in the car park.

Ah, that's known as the old 'Pumpernickel Scam' to the lads back at The Yard.

You're lucky Shaw Taylor isn't on the telly anymore or we would all see a carton identikit picture of you.

@reannneeee that’s theft….op did it by accident. It’s not the same thing.

If it was Asda you can keep it on my behalf. I've been caught a couple of times by a scam Asda had going at the self service tills. You scan an item. You put it in your bag. The voice says 'sorry, I did not recognise that item. Please scan it again'. So you scan it again and put it in your bag. Then if you happen to check your receipt you will see that you have been charged twice. I started calling over a member of staff whenever it happened but they weren't in the slightest bit bothered. It doesn't seem to be happening any more though.

I work in a supermarket and whilst the self scan attendants might not have tackled you to the floor, if one of them noticed after you had paid then, in our store, it would be recorded as an "incident" in a notebook (ie for security to look at later but not an emergency) that security reviews periodically through the day.

It is usually things like people not paying for bags, excessive alarms being set off by one person but they can't say 100% whether they were stealing, low value items not being paid for or "skip scanned" (where people pretend to scan but don't) but also records things like people walking off without waiting for their payment to authorise and having to be called back because their card declined, when we have gone to sort an alarm and seen it is because of a high value item having not been scanned etc.

Usually the security colleague will just review the footage and record it within the shrink system if it is a low value item and/or it is clear the customer made a mistake or it wasn't intentional (or if it is a regular we might just have a quiet word next time they come in) If it is a regular shoplifter or looks to be clear theft then they would be on alert for you next time you came into store.

Meh, I did this once with pillows in Aldi. Put them on the bottom of the trolley and totally forgot to scan them when I got to the till, just forgot they were there. Went back in to pay when I realised though. You can definitely go back in store, explain and offer to pay if your conscious is getting the better of you. It’s just a loaf of bread, the police won’t be at your door soon.

However you slice it OP, you took it without paying.
Your reputation is toast if anyone finds out.

Thank you.

Contact the store.

@HOkieCOkie

I know.

And my point was if I got away with it, OP certainly has bugger all to worry about.

@reannneeee and my point is stop admitting to stealing like it’s a perfectly fine thing to do.