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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:
Bellyblueboy · 08/12/2023 08:16

Remagirl · 07/12/2023 20:31

Just be more careful next time. No one cares x

Tesco cares!

if they have camera they will have evidence. £95 isn’t worth the grief if the police come to the door.

I would go back and offer to pay

LaurieStrode · 08/12/2023 08:17

Timspam · 08/12/2023 07:36

Twice now with online food shops we've never been charged, I never paid, they make enough profit, just accepted the good fortune just like I accept the bad when my boiler breaks etc.

"They make enough profit."

What a scummy attitude.

BlazingJune · 08/12/2023 08:20

FatFatMary · 07/12/2023 22:33

Not necessarily. Say I’m vegan and you’re not. I accuse you of lack of morality, integrity and character by eating meat. Your argument is that it’s legal. Who’s right ?

Show quote history

Hilarious.

Are you trying to wind posters up or are you serious @FatFatMary ?

Being a vegan is not illegal. It's a choice.

Stealing is illegal which is why people go to prison for it.

But you carry on stealing, as that seems to be how you behave from the way you post here.

Bitchassmosquito · 08/12/2023 08:23

if they have camera they will have evidence. £95 isn’t worth the grief if the police come to the door.

The police would have a hard time proving it wasn’t a mistake though. Which they would have to do in order the prosecute.

User2856948 · 08/12/2023 08:32

Why would the police go to someone's house when most of the time they don't even bother going to the shops when people are caught red handed

YireosDodeAver · 08/12/2023 08:36

It was an honest mistake. You won't get into trouble. Go in and talk to customer services. They may be able to access the record of your handheld scanner and be able to take payment. It is more likely that they will thank you for coming in and formally let you off the hook, setting your mind at rest.

CampsieGlamper · 08/12/2023 08:37

The legal definition of Theft is intentionally taking with intend to permanently deprive. You did not intend to take without paying,. The shops systems did not function correctly. Not your issue.
If you put a card into the machine and typed a number then you clearly did not intend to deprive.
All the cameras (and shitty little RL rs on shelves) cannot see that clearly.

Foodbank is a sweet gesture.

juneybean · 08/12/2023 08:54

This happened to me, I tapped the contactless and thought all was well, but no my new mastercard insists on asking for the pin every couple of transactions and this was one of them, the self serve cashier caught up with me in the car park!

Bellyblueboy · 08/12/2023 09:08

CampsieGlamper · 08/12/2023 08:37

The legal definition of Theft is intentionally taking with intend to permanently deprive. You did not intend to take without paying,. The shops systems did not function correctly. Not your issue.
If you put a card into the machine and typed a number then you clearly did not intend to deprive.
All the cameras (and shitty little RL rs on shelves) cannot see that clearly.

Foodbank is a sweet gesture.

Be careful with this attitude. People ‘accidentally’ leave patrol stations all the time without paying. The police are still called and they are forced to pay.

it might take a supermarket longer to identify OP but her picture could be on a wall right now!

honoldbrist · 08/12/2023 09:12

This happened to my husband in the coop. It was my card and i noticed it had been declined on the text that came through - i assumed that he just paid with his card instead and didn't think any more of it.

A couple of weeks later he went into the shop and the assistant recognised him and mentioned it. She said she had kept the receipt on the side for a few days but now she couldn't find it so not to worry about it. It was only about £20 and we go in that coop all the time (and it had happened on the served till rather than self service so clearly not deliberate).

I wouldn't ignore.

AMuser · 08/12/2023 09:23

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.

and what did they say? You seem to have forgotten the last sentence of your post?

ny20005 · 08/12/2023 10:24

@CampsieGlamper

The shops system didn't fail. People are routinely asked to enter a pin. It's the customers responsibility to ensure they've followed instructions on screen / device rather than assume contactless has worked & leave with shopping you've not paid for

mammabing · 08/12/2023 10:36

Something very similar happened with my SIL a few years ago. She was distracted by her LO and was chatting away to the employee whilst security tags were being removed and walked out without paying. She was doing the big Christmas shop too so it was about £300.
The employee rather than following it up voided the transaction.
SIL ended up ringing the store and apologising profusely and they said not to worry as it was the employees fault for not chasing her down and to have a merry Christmas on them!

Ploctopus · 08/12/2023 10:42

This isn’t stealing! Stealing requires criminal intent. This was an accident.

Honestly don’t fret about it. There isn’t a supermarket in the world that can’t afford to take a hit on a £95 shop, and in any event they wouldn’t take your money now when it’s weeks later and you can’t prove what you bought etc.

Chalk it up to a lucky break and don’t give it another thought.

xILikeJamx · 08/12/2023 10:55

Your actively tried to pay and they didn't take it. I wouldn't worry about it too much. If they ever contact you just say you didn't realise it hadn't gone through and offer to pay.

The tills do have cameras but I can't imagine they keep the footage for too long as they would need infinite storage.

Also these b@stards are making billions in profits while people are struggling and choosing whether they can eat day-to-day, so f*ck them.

Livelifelaughter · 08/12/2023 11:23

It happens, I have forgotten to pay for items, even once left a cafe without paying, but I have always gone back and paid, and thanked for my honesty. The thing is you are no worse off paying for what you rightly should have paid for. If I hadn't paid it would just feel wrong to me, I wouldn't feel comfortable.

janfebmarchapril · 08/12/2023 11:40

I wouldn't be contacting them to pay

LaurieStrode · 08/12/2023 11:45

Ploctopus · 08/12/2023 10:42

This isn’t stealing! Stealing requires criminal intent. This was an accident.

Honestly don’t fret about it. There isn’t a supermarket in the world that can’t afford to take a hit on a £95 shop, and in any event they wouldn’t take your money now when it’s weeks later and you can’t prove what you bought etc.

Chalk it up to a lucky break and don’t give it another thought.

It was an accident until she realized. Then it became theft.

LaurieStrode · 08/12/2023 11:48

xILikeJamx · 08/12/2023 10:55

Your actively tried to pay and they didn't take it. I wouldn't worry about it too much. If they ever contact you just say you didn't realise it hadn't gone through and offer to pay.

The tills do have cameras but I can't imagine they keep the footage for too long as they would need infinite storage.

Also these b@stards are making billions in profits while people are struggling and choosing whether they can eat day-to-day, so f*ck them.

Why don't you start a not-for-profit supermarket chain and let us know how that goes?

Sartre · 08/12/2023 11:50

The tills obviously have cameras but you did tap your card so you obviously tried to pay, it just didn’t work. Tesco won’t have you down as a non-payer because of this, they’d have found a way to contact you by now if so…

I agree with others, just pay it forwards by donating to a food bank if you can afford to.

toomuchfaff · 08/12/2023 11:52

careful, there was an article recently whereby a supermarket was getting kickback because they had a software glitch that meant their card payments had taken a month to process putting people into overdraft etc. Maybe its just taking longer than youve given credit for? Leave the money in the account in case it goes out in a month or something? Usually the screen doesnt clear until payment is taken successfully - so the till wouldnt have been available for the next customer?

2dogsandabudgie · 08/12/2023 11:52

I would go in and speak to customer services and explain. No one would have been able to use that till after you until the customer services assistant sorted it so they will know you haven't paid as your card details will be on the system.

This happened in Aldi the other day, someone paid contactless at the self service tills, had quite a large shop but it didn't go through. They were stopped on the way out and it was a genuine mistake, when they went back to the till it had asked for the pin number. The employee said that 9 times out of 10 it is a genuine mistake.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 08/12/2023 11:59

Timspam · 08/12/2023 07:36

Twice now with online food shops we've never been charged, I never paid, they make enough profit, just accepted the good fortune just like I accept the bad when my boiler breaks etc.

Losses like this do NOT come out of the supermarket's profits, @Timspam - shops include shrinkage (which is all losses such as shoplifting, breakages, food spoiling and accidents like the one the OP made) in their prices. So it isn't Tesco's bottom line that takes the hit here - it is the price that we all pay for our shopping.

Thinking about the discussions about theft and potential prosecution for something like this - I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know if it is theft, in legal terms, if an accident like this happens, and you don't contact the shop to make it right - but it does seem morally wrong to keep things you know you haven't paid for.

Bobbotgegrinch · 08/12/2023 11:59

I wouldn't worry about it. Theres plenty of people who don't keep such a strict budget so would never have even noticed this had happened.

At the end of the day, if they even notice, then they'll have CCTV showing you scanned all your shopping, and tapped the card reader with your card. Doesn't exactly scream shoplifter.

Let customer services know if you want, but given that you don't have a receipt, it'll probably be more hassle for them than it's worth to deal with it.

Hewenttochurch · 08/12/2023 12:08

AMuser · 08/12/2023 09:23

and what did they say? You seem to have forgotten the last sentence of your post?

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I know, isn't that the weirdest post, leaving out the most salient piece of information!

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