WWYD - I want to return these shorts but realised I didn’t pay

[Aneena]

Bought some shorts in the sale at a supermarket a few days ago. I tried them on at home and they didn’t fit well so I want to return them. Now I have got out the receipt I realise somehow I haven’t paid for them? Honestly no idea how as I could have sworn they were scanned. I am absolutely mortified

I really want to just bring them back to customer services and explain. I want to buy them in a different size if they still have them so I would be giving them back and spending money on top of that - so surely that would show I haven’t done it on purpose.

I am just so paranoid they will think I have done it purposefully and now I’m only bringing them back because they don’t fit. Am I massively overthinking this?

YANBU - yeah they will think you’re a thief
YABU - just take them back

I rest my case.

Well then I wouldn’t have needed to look at the receipt so I would never realised I hadn’t paid! If I realised I would still go back and offer to pay

I've done this. No drama, they happily accepted them back. They don't care. I've had to return scanners I've accidentally taken home too. Honest mistake, so crack on.

also a bit confused by all of the “wow you’re being a drama queen/ is this all you have to worry about” comments…

I have plenty to worry about - excuse me for not wanting accusations of theft added to the mix

I went to Tesco's scanned my shopping at self scan and somehow never done the actual paying part .
I never realised till I got back to my car , I went back in explaining my mistake and redone it , mildly embarrassing but better than being a thief.( I was thinking I'd have been pulled if I never realised the next time I shopped there )
The staff were very friendly and appreciated my honesty, they assumed it was a glitch and cleared the list when the next customer went to use it .

So if you had kept them you'd go back and pay but the thought of taking the unworn shorts back mortifies you?

Just take them back, it's not a big deal, they really will not care.

If you think that's embarrassing...I returned a hand-held car vacuum to a store and told the assistant, "I can suck harder". There were several seconds of silence.

Anyway, on topic - charity shop 😁

Just take them back to the supermarket and hang them back on the hanger when you buy the other size?

It really doesn’t need all this hand wringing and fuss does it 🙄

This 💯

Return the shorts to customer service desk, explain that you just realised you hadn't paid for them as they're not on receipt but you don't want them. Then go and see if they have them in the correct size and buy them. Don't try to do both things at the same time.

Don’t place your paranoia on others.
it’s a big bear of mine. If you’re bringing up children talking like this, please stop.

I may be wrong but I don’t think there has been a theft so far; nothing has been stolen. ‘Theft’ and ‘stolen’ both incorporate the concept of intention to permanently deprive the owner, and not return the item.

OP didn’t intend to deprive Tesco of the item; she thought she had paid, until such time as she checked the receipt.

If she now gives the shorts to a charity, she would be intentionally, permanently depriving Tesco of them and could reasonably be considered to have stolen them and being a thief. Also possibly putting the burden of handling stolen goods on to the charity....

If, however, if the does the moral and honest thing and takes them back to the shop and explains, it is obvious she has no intention of permanently depriving Tesco of the shorts. As previous posters have said, the Customer Service staff will probably not even turn a hair.

Go on, OP, put your big girl (M&S ?) pants on and do the right thing; one less thing to worry about 😊

Oh, and to all those posters banging on about big businesses being able to afford to lose the money for the shorts or landfilling by dumping clothes, that is not relevant to the issue.

You didn't steal them - you didn't deliberately avoid paying.

Just buy a pair in the right size and give the others to charity. It does fix the problem because it was an oversight not a deliberate attempt to defraud.

Don't say a word, they couldn't give a hoot about your good morals, just go and buy the right size.

You don’t need to explain they don’t fit, take them to customer services say I’m bringing these back I got home and and changed my mind and after looking at the receipt I realised they hadn’t scanned…. Hand shorts over go buy more

Seems we’re the only 2 to want to sell 😂😂

If you didn't pay for them then in my eyes there is "nothing" to return.
If you were going to go there anyway to buy a pair that did fit, then what have you lost? You just walk in and buy a pair that does fit and you have the same end result.

@Aneena I’d do this and take the receipt if you just leave the shorts with customer service then you can go buy the ones you want

I think you have missed the point of the post. The op isn't worried about what 'she has lost'

I'd doubt they'll do anything without a receipt. You're in no different position to if you'd had one (a receipt) and lost it.

Well, they will be stolen if she deliberately chooses not to give them back now.

That's a fair point.

Okay, so OP can take them back and buy a new pair in the right size.

It does seem like a bit of a fuss over an honest mistake.

This is what I would do.

This. Why tie yourself up in knots trying to explain to the staff?

Surely just put in back on the rack/shelf, if you are too embarrassed to go to customer services?

The charity shop suggestion is bizarre.