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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:
Nottogetapenny · 07/10/2023 21:29

I have dumped my shopping in M&S. My daughter was pregnant at the time and shopping with me, as we were shopping she said she felt as if she was going to faint! I just dumped my shopping and took her arm, to go outside for some air. I wouldn’t risk going back in to the shop, so we just went home!

EarringsandLipstick · 07/10/2023 21:31

Nottogetapenny · 07/10/2023 21:29

I have dumped my shopping in M&S. My daughter was pregnant at the time and shopping with me, as we were shopping she said she felt as if she was going to faint! I just dumped my shopping and took her arm, to go outside for some air. I wouldn’t risk going back in to the shop, so we just went home!

Give me strength.

I have to wonder if these examples are genuine.

Sure, look after your DD. Explain to a staff member on your way out. Return & pay / put back stuff once she's ok.

DisquietintheRanks · 07/10/2023 21:32

Yes once in Sainsburies at Christmas. Tbf I queued for over an hour, then thought "fuck it" and left. A lot of people were doing likewise but the queues didn't seem to be getting any shorter. A neighbour told me she queued there for over 2 hours that day.

Blackandwhitemakesgrey · 07/10/2023 21:32

SquashPenguin · 07/10/2023 21:19

To those who have done it- did it not bother you that a lot of your cold/ frozen stuff probably had to go in the bin? I could understand dumping a tin of beans, but not frozen food. I worked in Asda as a teenager, people would regularly leave basketfuls of meat to go warm. Proper cheeky fuckery.

I think a lot of it is put back on the shelves however long it is in a trolley because it has to last long enough for the shopper to drive home anyway? I regularly see items left with the cash desk person because the shopper changed their mind at the last minute. These items appear to be left until someone comes along to put them back. Its one of the reasons I always try to take products from the back of the shelves.

The supermarkets make so much money from selling (supposed) fresh produce esp. fruit/berries that begin to rot the day after they are bought, it certainly doesn't appear to care about food being discarded.

AlviarinAesSedai · 07/10/2023 21:34

I have all of my loyalty cards saved in my wallet on phone.
Never abandoned a trolley, but have hung clothes back up anywhere. And left.
I feel sorry for the staff, they make non of the decisions, bet they can’t open another till without permission.

Snowdayplease · 07/10/2023 21:35

WhatAPalaverer · 07/10/2023 21:07

A lot of entitled arseholes on this thread.

I always find it interesting that if you post "user26373, you're an arsehole" you would be deleted for a personal attack. But it's ok to say the same thing as a general comment to the thread?

XenoBitch · 07/10/2023 21:35

SquashPenguin · 07/10/2023 21:19

To those who have done it- did it not bother you that a lot of your cold/ frozen stuff probably had to go in the bin? I could understand dumping a tin of beans, but not frozen food. I worked in Asda as a teenager, people would regularly leave basketfuls of meat to go warm. Proper cheeky fuckery.

Of course, but when you are in the midst of a massive panic attack, finding staff so your shopping can be looked after is the last thing you think of. I am mortified, and avoid the particular store for a long time.

EarringsandLipstick · 07/10/2023 21:37

But it's ok to say the same thing as a general comment to the thread?

Of course it is 😂

The key is personal attack. If it's a general comment, it's by definition not directed personally.

nonumbersinthisname · 07/10/2023 21:38

It nearly happened to me when I was on the tills - one Christmas I was on one of the temporary tills doing “baskets only”. At one point I had no customers but all the others were rammed with people with full trolleys and one such customer came up to mine and started unloading her shopping. I tried to point out it was baskets only but she was having none of it, and tbh I could see her point. However, within 30 seconds I then had a queue of tutting people with baskets. The customer with the trolley was so rude when she paid and said she had a good mind to walk out there and then without paying when I was trying to placate the tutting customers saying I would be with them as soon as I could. At the time I was a teenager and thought she was a witch but now I look back with a bit more empathy. she was still rude though!.

i think the other difference is that in those days there were two supervisors for twelve tills - they had a cash office overlooking checkout. They were out and about most of the time keeping an eye on us, offering assistance and had our backs with difficult customers. Chaotic scenes like I see all the time at mum’s Asda would never have been tolerated.

needtonamechangeforthis1 · 07/10/2023 21:40

Yep! Twice! Same shop same day! More or less the same shopping. But due to power cuts not being difficult! Couldn't put shopping back as ridiculously the fridges in use doors were all locking shut because of the power cut!
We were also trapped in the store unable to get the main doors open for about 25 minutes! Fire brigade were on route to free us when the power came back on momentarily and we all got out.
I left as I was already late for work and then stopped off to try again on my way home. Again started to shop and the alarms went off again. I walked out before the doors could shut again 😂

SpaceChocolatel · 07/10/2023 21:40

No but when severely sleep deprived with DC1 I did pay for a week's shopping then walk off and leave it there.

Tonight1 · 07/10/2023 21:40

Yes, there was a house accident, and as the front door was busted in it was temporarily boarded up.

A policeman phoned me when I was with a basket in Tesco and proudly announced the boarding had been removed expecting me to be delighted, instead I screeched, dumped my basket and ran back to the house as the door was unsecured.

Lorieandrews · 07/10/2023 21:43

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.

I have. Had a family emergency and just had to dash.

I also once had no time due to someone being really sick and being rushed to hospital to pay my parking ticket and just needed to hope to god that I could get it across at the barrier. I was so thankful and they could hear how scared I was by my voice. I actually wrote them a thank you letter over that.

Differentstarts · 07/10/2023 21:45

Blackandwhitemakesgrey · 07/10/2023 21:32

I think a lot of it is put back on the shelves however long it is in a trolley because it has to last long enough for the shopper to drive home anyway? I regularly see items left with the cash desk person because the shopper changed their mind at the last minute. These items appear to be left until someone comes along to put them back. Its one of the reasons I always try to take products from the back of the shelves.

The supermarkets make so much money from selling (supposed) fresh produce esp. fruit/berries that begin to rot the day after they are bought, it certainly doesn't appear to care about food being discarded.

Show quote history

It has to be back in fridge/freezer within 20 mins however if people have abandoned shopping without telling staff it usually gets thrown as it will often have gone past the time before anyone realises its been abandoned

Blackandwhitemakesgrey · 07/10/2023 21:46

Tonight1 · 07/10/2023 21:40

Yes, there was a house accident, and as the front door was busted in it was temporarily boarded up.

A policeman phoned me when I was with a basket in Tesco and proudly announced the boarding had been removed expecting me to be delighted, instead I screeched, dumped my basket and ran back to the house as the door was unsecured.

Why would the police have removed temporary boarding in a private home? Especially without ringing you first if they had your number? I never knew police would drive past someone's house and do something like that without any request for help or emergency call?

Lovehearts82 · 07/10/2023 21:46

Never have, never will. it's rude, and staff will just think you are a knob. Also, it's a Saturday, and I'd expect a queue everywhere I shopped, to be honest. Which is why I don't shop on a Saturday 🤪

ohdamnitjanet · 07/10/2023 21:47

No, because it’s a pissy thing to do to hard working retail staff, plus they can’t put a lot of the frozen or fresh food back, so is also wasteful.

Blackandwhitemakesgrey · 07/10/2023 21:48

It has to be back in fridge/freezer within 20 mins however if people have abandoned shopping without telling staff it usually gets thrown as it will often have gone past the time before anyone realises its been abandoned

Surely it takes some people a lot longer than twenty minutes to drive home and unpack their groceries? Is it unsafe for us to eat it then?

Original poster
sunnydaytoday0 · 07/10/2023 21:48

Lovehearts82 · 07/10/2023 21:46

Never have, never will. it's rude, and staff will just think you are a knob. Also, it's a Saturday, and I'd expect a queue everywhere I shopped, to be honest. Which is why I don't shop on a Saturday 🤪

I'd expect a queue on a Saturday too. But I wouldn't expect a large queue and only one till open in a Lidl-size store and them refusing to open another.

OP posts:
Daisybuttercup12345 · 07/10/2023 21:50

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.

Good for you. I hate it when they target someone and do that.

HopefulElle · 07/10/2023 21:50

Yes, when - at 35 - I’d bought a week’s worth of shopping including a bottle of Malbec and they wouldn’t serve me without ID (Co-Op).
My 17 year old self would never have bothered with such a low alcohol volume: £ ratio.
It was completely ridiculous and reasoning that I’d need to go elsewhere for the wine anyway, I walked out, exasperated; but did feel awful afterwards.

Differentstarts · 07/10/2023 21:51

Blackandwhitemakesgrey · 07/10/2023 21:48

It has to be back in fridge/freezer within 20 mins however if people have abandoned shopping without telling staff it usually gets thrown as it will often have gone past the time before anyone realises its been abandoned

Surely it takes some people a lot longer than twenty minutes to drive home and unpack their groceries? Is it unsafe for us to eat it then?

Of course it's not unsafe after 20 minutes just like food isn't suddenly unsafe just after midnight of the sell by date but company rules and restrictions still have to be followed.

winewolfhowls · 07/10/2023 21:53

Surely people who abandon cold or frozen items understand that there are rules and those items can't always be put back on the shelf. It raises prices for everyone. Not to mention creating an onerous job for low paid retail staff. I can't believe how many people are admitting to this (not counting genuine emergencies) Don't be a dick.

Mirandawrongs · 07/10/2023 21:54

Yep.
used one of the handheld things to scan all my shopping and needed a staff scan.
assistant kept saying you’re next, your next but serving other customers.
I emptied my bags so they could rescan but after 20 minutes I just left.

if you don’t trust me to scan don’t let me!

WeightoftheWorld · 07/10/2023 21:54

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.

This happened to me too fairly recently, was there with my 4yo, and 1yo in the pram! It wasn't a huge shop, only a few bags, and I live a few mins walk away. So I hsd to explain to them, walk us home, get my card and go back and collect it. Meanwhile they'd bagged it all up for me and put it behind the till. And hadn't charged me for the bags which was a nice bonus! (I hadn't bagged it up first time around as was planning to put it in my own bags and pram basket when I returned).