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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:
mummy182822828 · 09/12/2023 05:02

Hi back go shop and give them £95 in cash thrb explain the situation they got ctv cams

shellmo4 · 09/12/2023 05:05

Have you been into the shop since it happened?

Justfinking · 09/12/2023 05:21

Greeeg · 09/12/2023 00:43

😂😂 grow up and live a little that’s not the way it works. Inflation is due to 100 other things before ‘lost stock’.
she will be fine.

What do you think shrinkage is? Also have you heard of profit and loss and a balance sheet? 🙄

Ohhoho · 09/12/2023 05:36

It is a massive problem for stores, to prevent theft at their self checkouts but stepping back and looking at the whole problem they have decided that the losses are worth it compared to installing and employing more staff. It’s a risk they are prepared to take allowing the public to process their own shopping. A lot of people are very dismayed by this.

Recently my trolley wheels were locked, security men surrounded me, in the car park because I had decanted my smallish shop into a basket, as the self checkout trolley queue was long and basket queue short. The till then asked me whether I wanted a receipt and i declined. After I had paid and packed I went to find my trolley because it had my token in it. And wheeled it through the doors which somehow electronically knew that that it hadn’t gone through the tills! Publicly embarrassing for me, especially with no receipt, no apology from them. And I didn’t feel vindicated, they obviously hadn’t imagined some would do what I did. (Never again)!

It was a genuine mistake on your part. You will make sure it doesn’t happen again. Trying to return the money ? will be more fuss for everyone. You could insist but with babies in tow I think you will just have to accept that it happened with neither joy nor guilt.

thebestinterest · 09/12/2023 06:06

Of course you should go back to the store and pay for the produce that you removed.

Doing anything less is considered stealing and you could absolutely be under surveillance/tracked the next time you go in, and possibly banned.

I don’t understand why people are telling you to “pay it forward.” You need to pay the store that owns the produce you took, not some food bank.

wth??

Emotionalsupportviper · 09/12/2023 06:20

StarlightLime · 08/12/2023 19:40

Charming.

Show quote history

I thought the same.

Some poor bugger will have had a horrible Christmas, with half their food missing, probably nothing in store that can be sent out at such short notice, and arguments with a store which is adamant that they got their delivery.

But hey - @Diyextension got free goodies, so all's right with the world.

Emotionalsupportviper · 09/12/2023 06:22

Ohhoho · 09/12/2023 05:36

It is a massive problem for stores, to prevent theft at their self checkouts but stepping back and looking at the whole problem they have decided that the losses are worth it compared to installing and employing more staff. It’s a risk they are prepared to take allowing the public to process their own shopping. A lot of people are very dismayed by this.

Recently my trolley wheels were locked, security men surrounded me, in the car park because I had decanted my smallish shop into a basket, as the self checkout trolley queue was long and basket queue short. The till then asked me whether I wanted a receipt and i declined. After I had paid and packed I went to find my trolley because it had my token in it. And wheeled it through the doors which somehow electronically knew that that it hadn’t gone through the tills! Publicly embarrassing for me, especially with no receipt, no apology from them. And I didn’t feel vindicated, they obviously hadn’t imagined some would do what I did. (Never again)!

It was a genuine mistake on your part. You will make sure it doesn’t happen again. Trying to return the money ? will be more fuss for everyone. You could insist but with babies in tow I think you will just have to accept that it happened with neither joy nor guilt.

This is why I always collect my receipt.

Wouldn't have prevented you being stopped, but would have made things easier to explain.

Emotionalsupportviper · 09/12/2023 06:24

Ibizabar · 08/12/2023 22:41

What is a scurvy thief? Someone who nicks Oranges?

Limes.

Emotionalsupportviper · 09/12/2023 06:27

LaurieStrode · 08/12/2023 23:33

Maybe Tesco doesn't care but one would think an individual would have a conscience.

If we only all behaved when there was a possibility of being caught, our society would be an interesting place. Whatever happened to integrity?

Show quote history

AND what about the staff member who gets a bollocking for letting someone get away with this?

There are never enough staff in these areas = poor souls are usually run ragged helping with idiots like me who can't work the machines, taking ff tags, dealing with things that won't scan etc, and now they get in trouble because they have been busy at one till and someone has (even inadvertently) robbed the store at another.

LaurieStrode · 09/12/2023 06:33

thebestinterest · 09/12/2023 06:06

Of course you should go back to the store and pay for the produce that you removed.

Doing anything less is considered stealing and you could absolutely be under surveillance/tracked the next time you go in, and possibly banned.

I don’t understand why people are telling you to “pay it forward.” You need to pay the store that owns the produce you took, not some food bank.

wth??

Agree. What does one thing have to do with the other?

If Tesco want to donate to the food bank, they will. If OP wants to, she should purchase, and PAY for, goods to donate.

Kak19 · 09/12/2023 06:35

I work in retail and for the people saying the self service checkout person won’t get in trouble you’re so wrong! Company’s will claw it back out of your wages so no the big company won’t pay for your mistake the little person on minimum wage will!

Keepthecat · 09/12/2023 07:00

Why would you make a thief of yourself? Of course you should go back and tell them what happened and pay. I did it and was relieved to settle it.

GingerNutMe · 09/12/2023 07:43

Supermarket transactions are local transactions, not direct to the bank, so it is possible their was a hiccup with that days 'download' which might well be caught up with. I had it once, granted with a small independent shop not a supermarket, but it took like 4 months for the transaction to go through. I was only alerted because I didn't recognise it what with it being so long afterwards and flagged it with the card supplier.

sesquipedalian · 09/12/2023 08:01

I once went back to M and S to pay for an item of clothing that had mistakenly not been put through the till - they were incredibly nice about it. Like the OP, I simply could not cope with being a persona non grata in my local M and S!

Rosejasmine · 09/12/2023 08:09

I would go back and offer to pay, I don’t think they will prosecute you precisely because you have gone back in to explain your mistake.
If they are already aware and cameras picked you up in the store, cameras might have picked up you putting shopping in your car and they could trace your address through your car reg.
Just go in, they’ll be fine with you I’m sure and you never know they might say thank you, we have already written it off and be more careful next time.

Wouldyouguess · 09/12/2023 08:14

Greeeg · 09/12/2023 00:43

😂😂 grow up and live a little that’s not the way it works. Inflation is due to 100 other things before ‘lost stock’.
she will be fine.

You are missing the point- on the national scale, there will be many shoplifters or people who by accident didnt pay, and we all will cover for the loss by paying more for our shopping at one point or another in future.

Wouldyouguess · 09/12/2023 08:20

Diyextension · 08/12/2023 19:39

Just wait till they come knocking on the door and then say “ oh i never realised it didn’t go through ,i never check my bank”. Which they never will.🙂.

We once needed our garage door repairing ( new motor) It was £450. Paid the £70 call out fee and had to pay the rest when they replaced it. They came fixed it and then never sent a invoice, did i phone them…….no. Its not my fault they are crap at running a business

we had half of someone’s tesco Christmas shopping dropped with ours once, i didnt know what had been ordered so just unloaded it quickly so he could go. They never came back for it 🙂

Never look a gift horse in the mouth 🎁🐎

Funny, as I had a siilar situation- we had an urgent plumbing done in the house. I didnt have cash and asked if I can pay by bank transfer. the guy never sent his details, I texted him tice over the course of two months, no response. Did I just say amazing, I just earned 150 quid?
No, I texted him again and then emailed the company to make sure we paid for what they delivered. They provided a service and we agreed to pay, and the fact he was busy or maybe not very well organised to send the invoice did not entiltle me to steal fro mthem. You can ofc be a dishonest and rejoice because of someone elses misfortune, but that is not an argument for others to do the same.

Ineke · 09/12/2023 08:34

There is a knock on effect here, prices are higher to cover such losses which affects all of us.

Emotionalsupportviper · 09/12/2023 09:21

Kak19 · 09/12/2023 06:35

I work in retail and for the people saying the self service checkout person won’t get in trouble you’re so wrong! Company’s will claw it back out of your wages so no the big company won’t pay for your mistake the little person on minimum wage will!

Many years ago I was given change for a tenner instead of a fiver at a small shop (so not a supermarket, but the principle is the same, I think). I didn't clock it at the time - I thought I must have given the assistant a £10 note without realising. Back to the car as I was putting the money into my purse (I was wrestling with DS at the time and had just shoved the change into my pocket) I saw that I had got the wrong change - I knew because I had only had one £10 in my purse and it was still there.

I did wrestle with it a bit, I admit - we were pretty skint at the time - but I knew I couldn't get rid of the guilt, so went back in and explained. The girls was SO grateful - she was honestly close to tears. She said that if I had't brought it back and the till was short, she would have had it stopped out of her wages by the boss. (He had a reputation locally for being an A-hole - just a nasty man in general)

I was very glad I'd gone back. I'd hate to have got someone's wages docked because they made a mistake when they were run off their feet and trying to serve a busy shop, quickly.

likethislikethat · 09/12/2023 09:49

LaurieStrode · 08/12/2023 22:34

Do people really think like this?

So if you lose something of value, the finder should just smirk and say "Life gave me a bonus!" rather than return it to you? If your wages are accidentally deposited into someone else's account, should your employer just say "well, life gave them a bonus; deal with it!"

Show quote history

Illogical comparison.

Tesco sells about £67bn a year and in their pricing structure are all manner of costs for breakages, staff discounts, till misreads, theft, simple mistakes etc. and this is one of those things.

Now contrast that with a small corner shop who sells perhaps £200k a year and makes maybe £1000 a week, well them losing £100 is serious but to a corporation selling £67bn a year, is is so low an amount that they wouldn't waste time trying to find out about it.

So it really is just a "move on" scenario.

BusyMum47 · 09/12/2023 10:38

I had something similar a few years ago. Filled up with fuel at a Morrisons supermarket petrol station & grabbed a few items for tea in the little shop, handed over my card to the cashier to swipe (they didn't have a contactless machine at the time), she did her thing, I answered 'no need' to the offer of a receipt & drove the short distance home. Cashier was pretty rude in that she was having a conversation on her mobile phone throughout the entire transaction.

2hrs later, 2 Police officers knocked on my door & said that they'd been called by Morrisons to track me down because I'd driven off without paying for the fuel!!

I was bloody mortified!! Turns out, the rude cashier had been so engrossed in her personal call that she'd only charged me for the food & not the fuel so had reported me for theft - presumably to cover her ass for the loss of £50 worth of diesel! I had no receipt to prove anything, either.

The Police had to watch the CCTV tapes of the transaction in the shop to see that I had clearly indicated to her which pump I had used, had happily handed my card over for HER to process while she was constantly on her phone!

I was FUMING!! Complained to Morrisons & got a grovelling apology, some vouchers & a promise that the cashier would be disciplined! Luckily, the Police believed me from the start & were lovely about it but I ALWAYS take receipts now- for everything!!

Jojofjo44 · 09/12/2023 10:39

If it was my local supermarket, I'd go back and pay. If it was a random one on my travels I'm not sure I would.

Applescruffle · 09/12/2023 10:45

They won't be able to let you pay for it, there's nothing to scan and no receipt to put through. So best thing to do is donate the money to a charity.

It happened to me once, my little girl was having a tantrum and I was distracted and must not have used my card properly. It was I think about £50-£60

I went into Tesco cafe with the shopping after and got a coffee and a drink for my little girl, I even took the magazine I had bought/stole for her out of the shopping and let her sit there colouring it. Then a man came over to tell me I hadn't paid for my shopping! I was sooo confused but turned out he was right.
I didn't get in trouble as it was obviously unintentional as I was just sat there in the cafe and not running 😆 MORTIFIED though and I had to unload it all into a conveyor belt so I could put it through a till. They were very nice about it.

LaurieStrode · 09/12/2023 11:07

Tesco's profitability has zero to do with whether or not a person who realizes they didn't pay is a thief if they don't rectify their error.

Daffodi1970 · 09/12/2023 11:10

That won’t happen! The lady scanned her card so any so called footage would show her doing that!
OP, write it off as a big mistake you intended to pay. Pay it forward as others have said & donate to a food bank or some charity.