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Original poster

I accidentally stole an entire big shop

624 replies

Rayoffingsunshine · 07/12/2023 20:17

I spent about £95 on a big shop 3 weeks ago. I went through the scan and go. I had my two boys with me (2 and 3 months) and I paid using contactless. I didn't grab the receipt which I didn't notice until I got home and was annoyed because the supermarket had an offer for money off voucher if you spend so much that I had intended to grab but only realised I didn't have it when I got home.
I budget everything and wrote the shop on my budget app straight away so I noticed the discrepancy on my account within a few days. I thought it was just taking a little longer than normal to process but 3 weeks later there's still no record of it. I've checked every account I have including my husband's just in case I had his card though I'm certain it was just my day to day debit card. The only thing I can think is that the payment didn't process and I just didn't notice and walked straight out. But surely someone would have stopped me! I remember a friend telling me once, with a tiny shop, just a quick lunch on the go kind of shop, this happened to her once and she was stopped in the car park by security. I don't understand how this has happened. I wouldn't have been quick to leave because my 2 year old moves at a snails pace.

If I go and talk to customer service in the shop will they believe that is was a genuine mistake and just let me pay for it or will I get in trouble?

OP posts:
greenacrylicpaint · 07/12/2023 20:22

pay it forward.
give generously to the foodbank or other charity.
the shop has already written off the lost stock you took.
don't feel bad, you had the intention to pay.

FatFatMary · 07/12/2023 20:22

Why do you feel the need to pay it ?

AllrightNowBaby · 07/12/2023 20:25

Go back and pay it…..

Helenahandkart · 07/12/2023 20:25

I like the idea of paying it forward to the food bank, but I’d be concerned that the tills have cameras on and the shop may have a record of you not paying and walking out. You don’t want to get banned from your regular supermarket.
I’m sure they would be amazed if you went back and tried to pay, and I doubt you would get in trouble.

Spottyhousecoat · 07/12/2023 20:25

This happened to my dh and he had scanned my clubcard we didn't notice for a couple of days then I was sure some sort of tesco police would get me, nothing happened!

RoyalMailAreShit · 07/12/2023 20:28

I wouldn’t bother going back to pay it. You didn’t mean to do it. Have you checked every card statement you have including credit cards? Supermarkets take a lot of losses, mainly from people who intend to steal 100s of pounds worth. As others said, pay it forward and donate to a food bank.

flowerchild2000 · 07/12/2023 20:28

I'm in the US but I think these things work about the same way. There's usually cameras and since theft via self scan have been on the rise companies have been reviewing camera footage and charging people for theft after the fact. It's been in the news a lot. I would contact their store manager and ask what to do.

PronounsBaby · 07/12/2023 20:29

£95 is absolutely nothing to Tesco, however if you were to put £95 worth of food in a food bank that would make a massive difference to a family in need.
As pp's have said, pay it forward

Crazykefir · 07/12/2023 20:30

The tills have cameras.

StarlightLime · 07/12/2023 20:31

FatFatMary · 07/12/2023 20:22

Why do you feel the need to pay it ?

🙄

Remagirl · 07/12/2023 20:31

Just be more careful next time. No one cares x

Regr · 07/12/2023 20:31

I’ve had something similar happen years ago. I contacted Tesco online and explained what happened and asked what they’d like me to do.

JeezWhatNext · 07/12/2023 20:32

You can’t steal food and give it to the food bank you need to go back, explain and ask to pay. Just be a grown up and take the consequences.

Gowlbag · 07/12/2023 20:32

I am always so delighted when someone comes back when they’ve realised they accidentally didn’t pay.
It does happen, if the person on the scan as you shop tills isn’t paying attention or is busy serving a cash customer. It will have been noticed and the cameras checked to see what happened. It will have been obvious you tried to pay and walked away without noticing. The assistant will have gotten in trouble for it, possibly had disciplinary action and it is a weight off their mind if the customer comes back to fix their mistake.

It’s all very well saying the supermarket can afford, it but those of you who just tap and walk without waiting to see if it’s gone through are responsible for the operators getting in trouble with their managers.
You won’t be in trouble, the store will just be very pleased and won’t feel they have to watch you like a hawk next time.

Ragwort · 07/12/2023 20:33

Agree you should go back and pay it, or call Customer Services if you'd rather not go back into the shop.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 07/12/2023 20:33

Helenahandkart · 07/12/2023 20:25

I like the idea of paying it forward to the food bank, but I’d be concerned that the tills have cameras on and the shop may have a record of you not paying and walking out. You don’t want to get banned from your regular supermarket.
I’m sure they would be amazed if you went back and tried to pay, and I doubt you would get in trouble.

Some years ago there was a MNer that went back to pay for some stuff she hadn’t seen her small dc had put in the buggy and got banned from the shop.

I think I would call incognito first and check their policy and get reassurance they won’t do anything like that!

AgnesX · 07/12/2023 20:33

FatFatMary · 07/12/2023 20:22

Why do you feel the need to pay it ?

Because basically she's honest and not a thief.

IDontLoveTheWayYouLie · 07/12/2023 20:33

I like the idea of giving to charity but I'd want to pay it back. If you go in offering to pay, I doubt they're going to kick off about it.

carddino · 07/12/2023 20:33

These shops are weird.

I had a home delivery Friday.

They brought yogurts. And left. I was bathing kids, four, who were unwell. DH never said a word. Took the shop in.

We are about 70 minutes from store.

I noticed at 8 we had no food, had the standard domestic about his ridiculous attention and called the local store.

Was transferred eventually to a lady in Japan. She said because two hours had gone by she would refund the 100 shop. I said that he was likely still in the area.

Not possible to contact him.

10pm. He comes back. With the shop.

I am mortified as I would have known. DH claims he is not psychic and I maybe only ordered yogurts.

Refund appeared. I called the, three times. Nobody has a clue what to do so they sent me a twenty pound gift card. Hmm

IDontLoveTheWayYouLie · 07/12/2023 20:34

FatFatMary · 07/12/2023 20:22

Why do you feel the need to pay it ?

Because she doesn't like being a thief?

Dontopenthetrapdoor · 07/12/2023 20:35

This happened to me. I went back to the shop and advised them what had happened. They called over security (told me not to panic), and security went over the CCTV footage of the time and till I had been at but couldn't find any record of me. As they didn't have any record of me not paying/taking stuff there was nothing they could do and I got the shopping for free. I would have been happy to pay for the shopping as I had not deliberately set out to steal but they said without any evidence they couldn't do anything.
I went back as 1. I'm honest by nature and 2 it's my local shop and I didn't want to have to avoid it forever in case I got stopped as a shoplifter!.

ButterCupPie · 07/12/2023 20:36

greenacrylicpaint · 07/12/2023 20:22

pay it forward.
give generously to the foodbank or other charity.
the shop has already written off the lost stock you took.
don't feel bad, you had the intention to pay.

I totally disagree with this. That money is owed to the store.

FatFatMary · 07/12/2023 20:36

AgnesX · 07/12/2023 20:33

Because basically she's honest and not a thief.

Show quote history

Yes because no theft occurred

Flump8 · 07/12/2023 20:36

So strange to me that people are suggesting you don't go back and pay. It's so obviously the right thing to do. Sorry to be blunt, but you have unwittingly stolen almost £100 worth of goods - of course you should go back and tell them. They may well not ask you to pay because they won't be able to process it all again, but it's your responsibility to try and pay.

Reading these replies... Is casual theft really this common?

ButterCupPie · 07/12/2023 20:37

PronounsBaby · 07/12/2023 20:29

£95 is absolutely nothing to Tesco, however if you were to put £95 worth of food in a food bank that would make a massive difference to a family in need.
As pp's have said, pay it forward

No. Pay it BACK.