Sainsburys think I’m a thief - AIBU?

[OreganoOregano146]

Something really odd happened to me the other day and I want to see what others think of it. I’ve been shopping at sainsburys for over 3 years now using scan & go (extremely convenient!) Been selected for a random check maybe 3 or 4 times in all this time, all clear, no issues at all.
Recently I’ve noticed that every time I’m shopping the security guard seems to be following me. For instance last week I was looking for my DD’s formula on the shelf and when I turned around I noticed he walked right past me. I was the only person in that isle. Yesterday I was looking in the meat section and surprise surprise, he was there again. Now, having finished my shopping I went over to the self checkout till to pay and I suddenly get a message on my device saying “hold on, we just need to do a trolley check” - I thought okay, never mind, it happens. I suddenly notice the security guard talking to the guy who’s about to scan my shopping, they were having a random chat about something laughing. The guy comes over and says “oh today we need to scan 40 items” .. I thought whaaat? They usually scan 10max, where did 40 come from? (Unless I heard 40 but in reality he said 14, not sure now). Anyway, he starts scanning my shopping and then goes “oh shit sorry I think I’ve scanned the Maltesers twice, you’re gonna have to do a full trolley re scan now”. So I proceeded to a separate till where they scanned all my shopping again, the woman didn’t say anything at all, just apologised, I paid and that was it. When I got home I realised that my shopping ended up being £18 more expensive than what it said on the hand-held device, making me look like a thief? I did buy a lot of the same items twice so perhaps it didn’t register properly.
AIBU to think this whole experience was a bit strange?

Probably because there is always at least 1 thread about supermarkets and security guards.

Ahh right makes much more sense. Did they not scan your nectar card?

I think the poster was using the hand held scanner - so you scan asyou go round the shop, and put straight into your bags in the trolly. No bagging area involved.

So would you consider going back with the receipt, and the vouchers, and showing them that they overcharged you by not applying the vouchers?

OP, it really does sound like they have your card marked. I was once nabbed at the exit of ASDA and asked to show my receipt - which, luckily, I had handy. But they pointed out some things in the trolley that weren't on the receipt - so I showed them my other receipt (extremely lucky to have kept both!) and that was OK. The problem was, I think, that doubling back for some extra shopping had caused them to flag me as peculiar and a possible shoplifter.

What might you be doing, or have done, that's caused them to notice you?

I think its more if you were going to shoplift that would be a good way to do it

A while ago in Iceland i was accused of stealing hash browns even though i dont even eat them lol i showed them that i had a recipet for everything i brought and i said u can gladly check me the man who worked there who acussed me said that he doesn't want to make a fuss.. Im never going back to that Iceland again, the security guard even told the man lets just go... They seem to have nothing else better to do than so they require to make unnecessary accusations to bide by the time

Thought that, but couldn't quite understand why op would then be posting and thought must be missing something!!

Well, he wouldn’t have been doing his job if he hadn’t checked your pram, would he? And yes, people with prams or buggies are a known demographic as it’s easily to conceal what’s being stolen. I get that you might feel uncomfortable but ‘outraged and insulted’ is a bit OTT. It’s exactly the same as if you’d put something in your bag to carry it round the store not into a shopping basket.

I've had to do a full trolley scan once because I forgot to scan a £1 pack of chewing gum on a £300 order. It happens! It's probably just a coincidence, I doubt they've profiled you as a thief.

I also had a friend who used to be offended when staff caught him accidentally trying to remove "accidentally" unpaid goods from shops. He really felt he was being treated unfairly and questioned why they were picking on him. The fact that they were right didn't in any way lessen his feeling of outrage and unfair treatment.

It's not really odd, is it? You would have got £18 worth of shopping without paying (which is stealing) if they hadn't rechecked.

They always check my pram in Ikea and fair play as I've usually given DS something to play with and forgotten about. I also tried to return a cushion cover that I hadn't paid for once. I'm surprised they let me in the door

And if they scanned the nectar card after, it would have gone to the price you thought. Otherwise, good job they checked!

I get that you might feel uncomfortable but ‘outraged and insulted’ is a bit OTT. It’s exactly the same as if you’d put something in your bag to carry it round the store not into a shopping basket

I felt so cross about it because I had placed the handful of items in plain view on top of the pram - the security guard had rifled around and carefully checked under the baby’s blankets & established that I hadn’t concealed or stolen anything. Despite this, he continued to watch me and sometimes even follow me around the store on subsequent visits. It felt very unpleasant when I had never done anything wrong!

To be fair to the OP, Nectar prices are only logged if you use the scan and go or the app, even if you scan your card on a checkout it won't charge the special prices. It's an incentive to get you to use the app/scanner.

That said, the chance of an £18 discrepancy there is slim to non-existant. Have you tried scanning all your items instead of nicking things, OP?

The rare times I now go into a supermarket I’m always followed. This often triggers my paranoia and thus erratic behaviour starts which includes doubling back on myself like I would out on the street if I was trying to loose a follower.

I think people are misunderstanding - you only get the Nectar price discounts IF you use the Sainsbury's SmartScan app. So you were forced not to use the app because of the full rescan, correct? I'd contact their customer service.

I bloody hate that you can only get those discounts if you use the app. Half the time there's no signal in the shop to scan the shitty QR code (that will be hidden in a random corner) to begin your shop. Urgh.

This posters experience sounds a bit odd, BUT, I was once stopped for a random check. OHOH said the checker, you have a £10 item you didn't scan....oh said I, but I'm sure I scanned it (I only had about 5 items....).

She scanned it and suddenly the total went up by £10. I now had 6 items in the receipt and only 5 items.

Then I looked at the receipt and it was on there twice separately with two different listings.

She looks at the receipt and looks confused. Tells me her scanner can't be wrong. Calls a supervisor.

This was all helped by the fact I only had FIVE items and clearly SIX on the receipt. two £10 charges and clearly only one £10 item.

After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing they apologised and removed it.

I then got FULL TROLLEY checks the next 5 times I went in. After each one I complained and told them what they had done, each time they apologised.

The annoying thing is I'm not one of those people that even take carrier bags (even though it seems 50% of mumsnet do), pay for everything....

Yep, and this is exactly why I usually go for the self scanning device since the Nectar offers can be really good. For instance the shampoo/conditioner I use is £6 and with the nectar price offer it goes down to £3 so I grabbed a few to get my money’s worth. No niking things, don’t worry 😉

I know people like this, and who behave deliberately suspicious and then play the victim when it works and they're asked for bag checks and to see receipts.
It's about attention, and it seems to be fashionable to be the 'victim' of poor customer service, even if you've engineered the situation that way yourself.

I mean a lot of what you are complaining about is totally normal. I have been self scanning for 20 years without error - they do partial scans but but every now and again they do a full scan

Was the full £18 difference explained by the Nectar prices available on the scan system? £18 is a lot but it depends on what you bought I suppose.

Or did you still underscan?

If you were about to pay less than your shopping was actually worth (even taking Nectar prices into account) I can't see that you've any grounds for complaint as they were right.

Can you make this clear OP? It's hard for people to properly comment otherwise.

Did you accidentally take 60 bags for life?

When I was a pregnant teenager I often got followed by store detectives, I'd worked in a shop as a Saturday girl when I was still at school so I knew who some of them were. I was a skinny size 8 with a huge bump and I assume they thought I'd got half the shop under my jumper. I started to quite enjoy it, I'd wander round, pick things up, puts things back. I don't think I had enough to do but it did make me chuckle to myself.

Sorry, saw your update, looks like the price difference was explained by Nectar?? I'm still not 100% sure though.