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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Made to pay for a bag in the supermarket

698 replies

christmasfoodshop · 07/12/2023 12:43

Just picked up a few bits for Xmas food shop.

Had baby with me and she was tired so getting a bit irritable.

Scanned all my shopping at self checkout, ended up with a quite a lot more than I needed (as you do).

Baby crying. Paid for my shopping.

Realised I needed a bag at this point so got one and put all my stuff in there.

Go to walk out.

The shop assistant said I needed to pay for a bag. Fair enough.

She said I had to rescan it.

Baby now screaming and wriggling out my arms. Heavy bag of shopping in the other hand.

She made me wait there until she'd scanned a bag, pressed 'check-out' , selected 'pay by card' and then I had to scan. All for bloody 30p.

In hindsight, I do understand I had to pay for the bag but I was so bloody frustrated and just wanted to get out of there that I paid 30p for the bag and stormed off. Left my giant trolley in the middle of self checkout. I was at my wits end. I felt like I was at school being held back by the teacher.

It's 30 bloody pence. Let me go!!

She acted like she was earning money out of making people pay for bags.

YABU - everyone ALWAYS must pay for bags no matter what

YANBU - in the circumstance, she should have just let me go all for the sake of 30p plastic bag.

OP posts:
JoBrandsCleaner · 08/12/2023 19:31

Well she couldn’t really just let you off with it as it’s not her shop tbf, but then I always just get the bags then press ‘use own bag’ and put them on the scale

Differentstarts · 08/12/2023 19:31

I can't belive the assistant didn't steal from her employer just for you 🙄.

beforethecoffeegetscold · 08/12/2023 19:33

HeadNorth · 08/12/2023 19:23

Being rude to retail staff is the same as being rude to waiting staff. I judge anyone who behaves in that way. The way you treat service staff reveals your true character- OP you failed the character test. You are not more important than a shop assistant and you are not entitled to make her busy and stressful job that bit harder because you are having a bad day. You are the sort who kicks the cat when they get annoyed- pathetic.

Ignore this OP. You had a bad day, you made an error in judgement. @HeadNorth you should be ashamed of yourself.

ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming · 08/12/2023 19:34

Whydoiwearsomuchleopardprint · 08/12/2023 19:27

Seriously, I don’t bother commenting much because most people are totally mean, but sometimes things just are too ridiculous, stealing a bag? Are u for real and why are you and so many other posters just so mean and un sympathetic?? Shame on you!

But she wasn't "stealing" a bag - she was entitled enough to think she should be given a bag for free just because she had a screaming baby, then had a trantrum with her trolley.

Should shops have a list on the wall of situations they will give away a bag for? Should they include in their staff training that staff can give away stuff if someone looks a bit frazzled? Where is it going to end?

What is wrong with some of you that you think staff can just do as they like, giving things away willy nilly?

Anisette · 08/12/2023 19:36

christmasfoodshop · 07/12/2023 13:01

For those who keep saying I shoplifted, I paid for the bag

Would you have paid for it if you hadn't been stopped?

Figgygal · 08/12/2023 19:37

Entitled much
Dear me

Shootin · 08/12/2023 19:49

i agree Grimmz. . I can remember those days well.
The shop assistant should have let you go seeing you had a crying baby and heavy bags.
YANBU.
I can understand your frustration.

mathanxiety · 08/12/2023 19:56

YABVU

Are you usually on the verge of a meltdown?

BigMarla · 08/12/2023 20:00

Shootin · 08/12/2023 19:49

i agree Grimmz. . I can remember those days well.
The shop assistant should have let you go seeing you had a crying baby and heavy bags.
YANBU.
I can understand your frustration.

But it’s not the assistants place to allow it. If caught, she could have potentially gotten into trouble. Thats not really fair on her is it? I have a very young child and have chaos at the supermarket sometimes and yes it’s shit and yes you hope people will be sympathetic, but I certainly wouldn’t expect anyone to risk getting into trouble because of it.

backtowinter · 08/12/2023 20:04

Whydoiwearsomuchleopardprint · 08/12/2023 19:27

Seriously, I don’t bother commenting much because most people are totally mean, but sometimes things just are too ridiculous, stealing a bag? Are u for real and why are you and so many other posters just so mean and un sympathetic?? Shame on you!

Shame on who?

The OP for being "mean" to the shop assistant

Yes, agreed

Wouldyouguess · 08/12/2023 20:06

The fact you are frustrated does not mean you get freebies, you are not the only mother with a crying baby who ever visited a shop.

Shootin · 08/12/2023 20:08

And while the woman with her crying baby was struggling to get her card out to pay for30p there are shoplifters in that store nicking expensive stuff.
Good evening.

Charlize43 · 08/12/2023 20:27

I think it's having the hissy fit and storming out that makes people unsympathetic: Spare a thought for the cashier, who is just trying to do her job and is obliged to charge for the bag. Worse still is the abandoned trolley full of groceries - all that stuff will have to be put back on the shelves.

Horrible, inconsiderate and entitled behaviour just because she could take a free bag but was made to pay for it. I would be ashamed if I had behaved in this way.

Sennelier1 · 08/12/2023 21:15

I feel for you, and I feel for that person who stopped you. Next time let your baby hold on to a few colourfull bags that make nice squishy noices. You'll never go without again 😉

smileannie · 08/12/2023 21:20

Sadly the cashier probably gets told off if this happens and is noticed. Let it go, it’s not a biggie and just have spare bags with you as much as possible. Having fractious baby is very stressful, it’s no wonder you felt under pressure.

Airz · 08/12/2023 21:21

Wow how entitled are you why do you feel you are so special that you shouldn't be charged like every other person

GirlWithTheRedScarf · 08/12/2023 21:41

YABU

Iwanttogetthisbastard · 08/12/2023 21:43

Ok, this crazy..what's with all this goodie-goodies on MN. Just because it's a rule it doesn't mean you can't bend it sometimes...FFS it's just a bAG. I worked in retail...it's not a big deal and a crying baby is a good enough reason to let a bag go!

BigMarla · 08/12/2023 21:47

Iwanttogetthisbastard · 08/12/2023 21:43

Ok, this crazy..what's with all this goodie-goodies on MN. Just because it's a rule it doesn't mean you can't bend it sometimes...FFS it's just a bAG. I worked in retail...it's not a big deal and a crying baby is a good enough reason to let a bag go!

I had an long career in retail. In some places you could have let the bag go. In others, dickhead managers would have used it as a chance to come down on you and punish you (hello WH Smith’s I’m looking at you). Not worth the shop assistant getting into shit over a 30p bag.

juice92 · 08/12/2023 21:50

I am not sure if it is the same now, but when the rule came in about single use carrier bags, the shop had to legally do everything they could to make you pay for the bag. (I worked in complaints for a supermarket at the time and we had to set up a specific complaint line for it), the staff member could have got in real trouble for letting you off.

VaccineSticker · 08/12/2023 21:50

It is not the law if the bag is a paper bag, which many shops now offer and charge you for. Many shops use the Plastic bag law charge as an excuse to charge customers.

Justfinking · 08/12/2023 21:51

DidiAskYouThough · 07/12/2023 12:47

Feeling entitled to freebies just because you have a kid, and then making a thread about how you should have got a free thing and behaved badly in a shop is so embarrassing.

This

PippEmma · 08/12/2023 21:57

YABU, you know you have pay for bags so why would you just take one, its theft.

ilovepixie · 08/12/2023 22:01

So she can get the sack for letting people steal bags but that's ok as you had a screaming baby! Entitled much!

elliejjtiny · 08/12/2023 22:12

Sorry OP but yabu. I do sympathise though and I've been there with a screaming baby. I was almost at the end of my 6 week check and my baby started to cry to be fed and the gp wanted to take my blood pressure. I asked if I could feed the baby first or come back another time and the GP said no. I'd always had perfect blood pressure before unless they start talking about inducing Labour and then take my blood pressure! But this time it was really high because I was stressed about having a screaming baby who I wasn't allowed to feed. Anyway, if I had been there as a customer I would have paid for your bag or done something to help.