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AIBU?

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Original poster

Have you ever dumped an entire trolley of food at a till and walked out?

469 replies

sunnydaytoday0 · 07/10/2023 19:56

I was in a Lidl store today and a very long queue built up.. and it became apparent that another till was not going to be opened despite the queue getting longer and many of whom had a big trolley load of food. There are no self service tills.

I then saw a man walk to the front and dump his entire shopping on the conveyor belt of an adjacent till and stormed out.

I'm sure if there was more staff this would've been avoided so it wasn't the fault of the person on the till. I know there is pressure on supermarkets to cut costs, but is this now getting to a tipping point in terms of impacting on customer service? Or is it the case that if you go to a so called 'discounter' type shop then you just have to accept that the service levels will be bit lower which allows them to offer lower prices?

Have you ever dumped your shopping at a till and walked out? I thought if the guy wanted to walk out he could, he didn't actually need to go the effort of unloading it all on a belt in a dramatic fashion in front over the worker and then storm out.

OP posts:
Cookerhood · 07/10/2023 19:58

I abandoned a trolley full in Tesco. I can't remember why! My clubcard wouldn't work after that as it knew I hadn't checked out my shopping. Presumably it thought I still had the handset or something.

MatthewsMumFromTikTok · 07/10/2023 19:59

No I haven't

I'm more intrigued as to HOW he 'stormed out' though...our Lidl has gates everywhere

BananaSlug · 07/10/2023 19:59

Not a trolley but basket yes

suzukili22 · 07/10/2023 20:00

I had to abandon a full shop in Sainsbury’s the other week because my toddler just would not stop screaming

RaeHitsEbSire · 07/10/2023 20:01

No. I once realised I didn't have my purse with me at Asda, but they kindly bagged up my shopping and left it for me at customer services to collect when I came back with it.

piintheski · 07/10/2023 20:02

I would imagine it is very common, and quite often out of the control of the "storm outer" eg, need to go to collect children from school or similar.

I've done it when there have been no bags or boxes to pack, or when my card has been declined

There's times when there is no other option

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 07/10/2023 20:03

No but my mum once did when my younger autistic brother had an epic meltdown

snowstormys · 07/10/2023 20:04

Oh god, this Post brings back Memories for Me!
As kids, my DM would often take DB and I food shopping for by the weekly shop, trolley would be filled with treats and things we needed! She would stand in the queue for a few minutes then decide she's not waiting then just leave it and walk off, beckoning us to follow! I remember being mortified as a Kid, especially when it happened a few times at Christmas! Sad

ToBeOrNotToBee · 07/10/2023 20:05

Yes, tesco a few years ago.
We were standing queueing for a good half hour with the back of line reaching the ends of the aisles, a handful of tills open.
I went to put my food on the conveyor and my hand got drenched in melted ice cream from a tub leaking. We had been waiting that long!
I said fuck this, rather loudly in hindsight, and walked out.
I do feel sorry for the cashier being on the receiving end of my strop, but tesco really took the biscuit that day.

BlueYonder57 · 07/10/2023 20:05

Not dumped stuff, but yes. It was years ago when Lidl first opened. The site was nigh on empty and there was nobody on the tills. I put my stuff on the belt and waited... and waited. Then the "assistant" appeared along with her friend, and proceeded to serve him first. I walked out. I have never been back to Lidl.

CoffeeChocolateandBooks · 07/10/2023 20:05

Supermarkets prefer customers shopping online, that's why they don't want to pay staff to sit on a checkout. It's terrible customer service.

Bendysnap · 07/10/2023 20:06

Well I had to leave Tesco with a 6 month old baby as I’d left my wallet at home (due to baby distracting me) ; but they bagged and held my huge shop and I came back and paid. So no storming off but it was pretty embarrassing as I only discovered the no wallet once we’d scanned the whole trolley

Underneaththestars · 07/10/2023 20:06

Yes. We got a phone call that a family member was in hospital just as we were about to check out. Had to leave the whole trolley!

975zyx · 07/10/2023 20:07

Basket, yes. Queue wasn’t moving on the single open till and I was in a short stay car park near the time limit.

SirenSays · 07/10/2023 20:08

Not dumped but I've abandoned a full trolley at the tills when I got a distressing phone call. I don't even think I explained to the cashier why, I just bolted out of the store.

millymoo1202 · 07/10/2023 20:08

Very nearly today in Tesco

Createausername1970 · 07/10/2023 20:08

He was wanting to make a point.

I haven't done that as such, although I did do something sort of similar. Our local supermarket kept have the fire alarm go off. It was faulty, but of course the couldn't just ignore it. We were turfed outside, but had to leave our trollies inside. After about 15 minutes we were allowed back in. I resumed my shopping, only for the alarm to go off again. Now, these trollies are the ones you have to put £1 coin in to release. I decided I was done with trying to do my shopping, so I plugged my trolley into the nearest one (which was rather full) retrieved my £1 and went home. I did have a slight twinge of regret about the poor person who returned to their full trolley to find mine plugged in. I pictured them finishing their shopping with a second trolley tagging along behind.

Charlattanus23 · 07/10/2023 20:08

Yes, I once pretty much passed out in a supermarket because of those stupid bloody strip lights and had to abandon a basket in one of the aisles. Those of you making comments about discount supermarkets not having many till staff evidently haven't been in a Sainsbury's near us recently - in an area with a demographic made up of many older people, often with a disability, there are now only two actual staffed checkouts. There are more checkout staff at Lidl and Aldi...

duchiebun · 07/10/2023 20:09

Just a basket, I was in a rush & something had gone wrong with the receipt roll & the customer had queried some prices & forgot something. I just couldn't wait another 5-10 mins

Hollowtree3 · 07/10/2023 20:09

Yes, about once a year I would say. Baskets left at end of an aisle if it is too busy and I don’t have the time to wait once I see the queue

Comedycook · 07/10/2023 20:10

A security guard was following me around every aisle...I filled my basket up to the top then placed it at his feet as walked out.

VisionsOfSplendour · 07/10/2023 20:10

MatthewsMumFromTikTok · 07/10/2023 19:59

No I haven't

I'm more intrigued as to HOW he 'stormed out' though...our Lidl has gates everywhere

You must live in a dodgy area, na gates at the 2 Lidls I use 😁

goingtotown · 07/10/2023 20:11

Stood in the queue with 6 or 7 customers in front of me at the one till open on a Saturday afternoon in Sainsburys. Just left my trolley with about £100 of groceries. I went next door to M&S where every checkout was open.

MatthewsMumFromTikTok · 07/10/2023 20:13

Just the normal barrier gates....empty tills have them across

JMSA · 07/10/2023 20:13

No, because only an arsehole would do that without good reason.