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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:
MargaritaThyme · 07/12/2023 21:08

Supermarkets aren’t stupid. They know perfectly well that mistakes like this are inevitable with scan & go and self service checkouts, and that they are an invitation to shoplifters. But, compared to the amount of money this technology saves them on staff wages, the losses are a drop in the ocean. Which is why they keep installing more & more of them and understaffing normal tills so customers are faced with a choice between self-service or joining the end of a massive queue.

DontListenToWhatYouveConsumed · 07/12/2023 21:09

My parents did this. Walked out with £200 worth. Went back after they'd packed it all away & were looking for the receipt to realise their mistake.
They were met with shitty attitude security guards (pensioners ffs) but the staff that knew and recognised them stepped in and were able to sort it.
I'm not sure how/if you can get it sorted after 3 weeks though, but personally I would try.

Mariposista · 07/12/2023 21:09

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.

Absolutely this.

FatFatMary · 07/12/2023 21:10

ButterCupPie · 07/12/2023 21:01

Applies both ways though.

Show quote history

You’re entitled to your beliefs

Frabbits · 07/12/2023 21:12

Any decent, honest person would go back and explain.

LauderSyme · 07/12/2023 21:13

@FatFatMary "Just because your morals are different to mine doesn't make yours automatically right"

Just because I think it's fine to keep something I haven't paid for and should have paid for, and know full well I haven't paid for but don't intend to ever pay for, doesn't make my morals lacking in any way whatsoever.

🤔🙄

tachycardigan · 07/12/2023 21:14

Of course you should offer to pay it. Why is this even a question?!

BeachedOff · 07/12/2023 21:14

Onabench · 07/12/2023 20:55

if you accidentally forgot to scan your bread, I’d shrug it off. But £90 odd quid on a shop you probably frequent, with your kids? I’d absolutely try to reconcile this.

£90 only gets you a tub of Lurpak.

FatFatMary · 07/12/2023 21:15

LauderSyme · 07/12/2023 21:13

@FatFatMary "Just because your morals are different to mine doesn't make yours automatically right"

Just because I think it's fine to keep something I haven't paid for and should have paid for, and know full well I haven't paid for but don't intend to ever pay for, doesn't make my morals lacking in any way whatsoever.

🤔🙄

I agree with you.

ttcat37 · 07/12/2023 21:15

Of course you should pay it back. If you go back and explain it to them you won’t get in trouble.

BlazingJune · 07/12/2023 21:16

Go back or you be forever worrying that CCTV and the till cameras will catch up with you.

FWIW I one didn't scan a few carrots I'd bought (loose) and realised once I'd got to my car. I took them back, told the asst and paid.

woodpecker2 · 07/12/2023 21:16

I almost did this in Morrisons, I was using a large self service checkout and waved my card at the reader but unknown to me didn’t take the money. I continued packing the trolley, the checkout screen had a message about the bagging area and the card reader said please insert card but it was so small I didn’t see it. A staff came over as I was leaving and said I’d not paid which was a surprise to me as the checkout screen didn’t say that. He said it happens all the time and I’m not surprised as their machines aren't talking to each other. I felt like a proper shop lifter.

ButterCrackers · 07/12/2023 21:16

Ask your bank if there was a transaction recorded at the time and place of your shopping trip in case there’s any problem with the app. If you know exactly that the cost hasn’t gone from your account then do go back to the shop. They can check on their side what happened. If I was the shop manager I’d say thank you for your honesty but that you don’t have to pay again.

Illbebythesea · 07/12/2023 21:16

I would go back and pay because there is a strong possibility that they did notice, went back through cctv and security could pull you over next time you shop. I would go online to deal with it because it seems more often than not they don’t take the money back anyway & then you can prove you’ve dealt with it if pulled up in the shop.

BlazingJune · 07/12/2023 21:17

doesn't make my morals lacking in any way whatsoever

I think it does.

Sorry. It's called thieving.

ButterCupPie · 07/12/2023 21:17

FatFatMary · 07/12/2023 21:10

You’re entitled to your beliefs

Show quote history

Indeed I am, and my belief is that (a) morally and (b) legally, if I have become unjustly enriched to the tune of £95 worth of shopping, by mistake, so not theft, I owe that money. It doesn't matter if it's Tesco or the corner shop.

FatFatMary · 07/12/2023 21:17

@LauderSyme morality is subjective

Debtfreegoals · 07/12/2023 21:18

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

This made me laugh and is 100% something my husband would do

BlazingJune · 07/12/2023 21:18

Just because I think it's fine to keep something I haven't paid for and should have paid for, and know full well I haven't paid for but don't intend to ever pay for, doesn't make my morals lacking in any way whatsoever.

Wow. Just wow.

Ittastesvile · 07/12/2023 21:19

A similar thing has happened to me three times. I went back every time to explain.

First time they just looked at me like I was insane and refused to believe it had happened. So I got the shopping for free.

Second time they thanked me for my honesty but told me not to worry about it.

Third time they also were surprised I'd gone back but did ask me to pay.

The amounts were less than £20 each time. It was worth it to me as it's the right thing to be honest and for peace of mind.

Dazedandcovidconfused · 07/12/2023 21:19

OP you do need to check it’s gone through on your card before you leave the shop. You didn’t and as a result you walked out of the supermarket without paying for your shopping. Very obviously the right thing to do is go back and pay?

girlfriend44 · 07/12/2023 21:19

Those saying don't pay, would you say that if it was your business?

Go back and Pay. Shopping isn't free?

Moveoverdarlin · 07/12/2023 21:20

I’m a law abiding citizen with not so much as a parking ticket to my name, but I wouldn’t go back and pay. Take it as a win. We don’t get many little perks like that and it’s only because you’re so on the ball that you noticed the money hadn’t gone out. I’d never notice that. Stuff like this happens all the time in shops, especially with self checkouts. If you go in the shop tomorrow, you’ll be queuing at customer services for ages. The cashier won’t be able to take £95 off you without a receipt or some kind of record of the transaction. It’ll be a ball ache for her, she’ll have to get the manager, people will be pissy behind you, why are you bothering?? Similarly if you ring, you’ll be on hold, they’ll ring you back blah blah blah. If it was a small business of course you should go back. It’s Tesco! You didn’t steal anything. The transaction had an error and didn’t complete.

Stressedafff · 07/12/2023 21:20

This has happened to me before during a Mastercard outage. I went in, explained it was an accident and just paid it

im convinced if I don’t do these things then I’ll get my karma!

LauderSyme · 07/12/2023 21:21

In case it is at all unclear, I was being sarcastic and @FatFatMary is probably a big fat fat tealeaf and proud of it.