Scanning error in supermarket - conundrum

[Scannerscammer]

Just idly wondering about people's opinions on something that happened the other day...

Lately every bloody time I've been to the supermarket there has been an annoying time-wasting issue such as discounts advertised on the shelf not registering at the checkout (so I had to go and check, and take picture of the ticket price), the self-service machine playing up and objecting to every item I tried to scan (so I kept having to call over the assistant) - the usual irritating nonsense.

The last time I went, a few days ago, I just had a couple of items to pick up and did self-scan on my phone. One of the items (a bottle of orange juice) scanned as a totally different item (a bottle of washing liquid) even though I had been nowhere near the aisle with laundry products.

I'm afraid I thought, fuck this, I am not wasting yet more of my time because the supermarket wants to save money by getting its customers to take on the job of scanning and checking out products but can't get it to work properly. So I paid for the two items which I had scanned and went on my merry way, having saved about a pound.

Am I a terrible thief who deserves to burn in hell and eat out-of-date value pork pies for the rest of eternity, or would you have done the same thing?

I think some staff as as annnoyed by the glitches as customers at some of the issues

Our local supermarket has replaced all but one of the checkouts with self service and the checkout is closed at 6.30 leaving one person on the dozen or so self checkouts.

We went in at 6.45 on Tuesday night and they had just 'yellow stickered' their shelves. Alongside the £50 or so of shopping we had about a dozen items all reduced. The self scanner didn't like them. When the staff member came over she said she'd had enough that day of the problems with the system, and put all of the reduced food through for free for us. It was about £30 or so. Now, I'm obvs not complaining but I feel very sorry for the staff. Just how bad must it be dealing with issues like this, being moamed at and constantly having to apologise for the stores owners reducing staff and making just shopping 5 x harder every single time.

OP I don't blame you for taking the shopping as you did!

Ahh scan and shop? That's absolutely fine then. The system has scanned it and they have all their controls in place. Even if it had been spot checked all that would happen is it would beep and say you'd paid for it. They'll realise when their stock doesn't quite match up

I scanned something the other day, I cant remember what but it came up as something else. I noticed it, noticed the price was 2 something thought that that sounded about right for the item that I had scanned and moved on. I just presumed that the wrong name was inputted somewhere along the line. I've no idea if I paid the correct price or not and I don't really care.

What was the price difference? Pennies, surely?

I can't have it both ways? What, that I should be able to scan an item and expect it to appear correctly in my basket without having to exchange it, check/prove the discount or summon someone for assistance? Um, okay.

If there are scanning issues (which arise because the store is trying to save money) it should not automatically be the customer who suffers either in terms of financial penalty or by suffering delay and inconvenience.

Sorry if that sounds entitled or sanctimonious, but I go into a supermarket for one reason only, and that isn't to have a fun day out solving a load of irritating problems because of faulty equipment or errors in programming.

About a quid, maybe £1.50.

Of course the vast majority of people would have done the same as you. I doubt that I'd have even noticed that an item scanned as something else.

No, it was the orange one.

Yes, it must be soul-destroying, but so long as shareholders and the CEO etc. benefit then who cares about the people on minimum wage - or the actual customers?!

She's not blaming the shop staff. She said "because the supermarket wants to save money".

I hope you took it and enjoyed it!

As an aside, I didn't know you could use your phone to scan your shopping.
I must have a look.

Someone who works in a supermarket explained why this situation occurs - it's usually an expired offer still sitting on the shelf edge.
But I suppose all-knowing conspiracy theories feel better than listening to some lowly shop worker.

It's also strange how I don't tend to stumble upon offers that won't go through. Must be the very diligent promo change workers in my supermarket who are doing their job very well!
And I must be very proficient with self-checkouts as the only items I tend to encounter an issue with are those that are too light to register on the scales.
Though I think I'm the odd one out - most people faff it all up and stand there looking surprised.

I would have done the same and I’m usually very honest. But I ache too bloody much to keep sorting out a supermarket’s issues.
When you have a spare £1 put something in the food bank if that helps.

Totally fine. Just payback for the times they’ve ripped you off with deals not scanning etc… It all works out equal in the end.

If it’s an expensive item you like I’d go back and get some more.

That's good then.

You should get a discount on your shopping if you use self-scan, I would say 10% would be fair.

Haha! I didn't think of that.

Aldi by any chance?
Our one is an utter joke.
The self check area is always packed because despite having 6 additional manned tills, they're never open and if they are there's only one open.
Last week I had a basket of 6 items. Every single one wasn't registering in the bag
The cow that man's the self check area is vile. I've twice had to speak to managers about her conduct, she was bloody vile to my autistic DS a few months back.
So she's come over 6 times. Then she starts tutting and grumbling at me telling me I'm obviously causing an issue. I asked how when clearly the scale that registers that items have been placed in the bag area was faulty.
So I went to pay contactless, but as I've done it, the till changed screen back to "unexpected item, please remove from bagging area". Nothing had touched it. So she comes over and starts searching the bag, I asked her why and she said "maybe you've stolen from us". I explained that I was trying to pay and the till was clearly faulty as a whole, and she should close it after me.
Tried to carry on, card declined. So she stands over me, says loudly "ugh all that and you can't even pay", literally spat at me with venom and to cause embarrassment.
I assured her I had more than enough funds so she tells me to do chips and pin, but the till just failed again and again said unexpected item.
I had no cash on me so called DH who had to leave our work and run round with money.
Checked my bank later, it had gone out twice. So I paid three times.

Reported it in store, heard that many people had issues with that member of staff but they couldn't get rid of her. No explanation as to why.
I'm still waiting for my money back so have had to apply to my bank for a chargeback.

It's a ball ache but the only store near me. So now I ask for a till to be opened because I refuse to use the self checkout as I loudly said last time the thing is openly defrauding customers and manned by an incompetent bully. She is so well known locally she gets brought up on Facebook all the time

Good idea.

Presumably the w u liquid was cheaper?

Couldn’t be arsed about this, if the system doesn’t work properly that’s not my problem, as long as there wasn’t too much of a price difference (and I mean over £5 which I doubt there would be between orange and washing up liquid!).

I am always rushing around and likely would not have noticed. It’s the supermarket’s problem to resolve.

I can't get worked up about this. It's their fault, so their loss.