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

But it’s not about the OP being better or worse off, it’s about intentionally depriving the shop of the goods or payment which is theft.

If she takes them back and explains then she isn’t a thief and the charity shop don’t get stolen goods.

Giving them to a charity shop knowingly, permanently deprives Tesco of the goods/value which would make OP a thief.

It really isn’t a difficult concept to describe to the shop staff.

If it was a small local independent business I would agree. A massive multinational supermarket chain which has multi million pounds in profit not so much.

When I had my youngest as a baby in the pram I went into Boots. Can't remember what I wanted that they hadn't got but I did walk out brandishing the toothbrushes I was going to buy. I realised what I'd done and ran back. They laughed as I was in such a state but my husband was the inspector on duty at the local police station and I was picturing his face as I was brought in under arrest.

Just take them to customer services, hopefully they won't laugh at you.

This
Reassuring that honesty still prevails for the majority

I think you are wrong, the offence has already been made out and was valid as soon as they left the shop without payment. Especially if OP used self checkouts.

If theft from a shop/shoplifting requires shops to wait a few weeks to see if the items are returned to them, why do they call the police or ban people at the time of the offence?

OP has quite clearly said she thought they had been scanned and if she had discovered she hadn’t paid for them (even if they had fitted) she would have paid for them. She is showing she did not have intent to permanently deprive the shop of the goods/value.

I’m not sure what your second paragraph regarding waiting a few weeks means. OP wasn’t stopped by security staff and Police were not called. OP made a genuine mistake and was asking how MNers would handle the situation.

Because they are caught shoplifting, presumably

Your first paragraph isn’t a defence to the crime though. The crime was made out when the goods were taken out of the shop without payment. By all means you might not think it’s a serious crime, but denying that a crime has occurred is just manipulating the facts. You can’t say, “my mind felt differently to my actions.”

The second paragraph is pointing out the limitations of your logic, if it’s apparently not a crime until the shop can proves “intent to permanently deprive the shop of the goods/value” then why do shops apprehend there and then? They don’t wait a few weeks “just in case” it was a “genuine mistake”.

I'm paranoid and worry too, I once went to a supermarket and walking round realised I had a packet in my bag for lunch at work, I circled back round and took the packet from my bag and left it on a shelf in case they randomly asked to do a bag search, I've never stolen anything in my life but I'm such a worrier it seemed like the best solution. 🤣 I probably looked far more suspicious trying to leave the packet than I would just going about my business as normal

I'm paranoid and worry too, I once went to a supermarket and walking round realised I had a packet in my bag for lunch at work, I circled back round and took the packet from my bag and left it on a shelf in case they randomly asked to do a bag search, I've never stolen anything in my life but I'm such a worrier it seemed like the best solution. 🤣 I probably looked far more suspicious trying to leave the packet than I would just going about my business as normal

Am I bad for thinking this?.....buy the correct size sell the others on vinted. 🤣My Vinted obsession is obviously worse than I thought. 🤔

What crime do you think the OP has committed?

When people behave honestly in a situation like this, they don't do it to live up to the shop's moral standards or because of what strangers on MN would think of them but to live up to their own. They know what they did, even if nobody in the world would ever find out and they were guaranteed to get away with it.

@SupposesRoses

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

This. No idea why people are trying to make it so complicated or avoid putting the error straight. If there was a queue though then I might get the shorts out at the rack, swap for the bigger pair and go to pay without discussion.

OP did not intend to deprive the shop of anything, so it is not a crime. Unless she then keeps the shorts without offering to pay more she knows, then it's intentional deprivation.

I’m in the camp of going to Customer Services and telling them the truth. They may say nothing doing or offer you a credit note or straight exchange but at least you’ll know where you stand.

You don’t have to take them back - just buy the pair on the right size. You are no worse off financially - unless you are disappointed you got them for ‘free’ but they are not free if you now have to buy a bigger pair?

She wants to take them back. She knows she’s not worse off financially, that’s not her issue. She’s not disappointed.

I’m in the “just bring them back to the shop and put them back on the rail” camp. What’s with the insistence that you HAVE to inform customer services about your mistake?

Just take them back to the shop and put them on the rail! Simple. No need to inform anyone.
Then pick up the size you want and buy them.

Plead ignorance. Take them back and say you don't have the receipt but you just want a swap. So long as labels were on you may not need the receipt.
It was a mistake, it's done, don't overcomplicate.

That's knowledgeable theft. What she did originally was accidental. She can rectify that and sleep at night by just putting the shorts back on the shelves. She's willing to pay for the right size (as she, and anyone with half decent morals should be!). Why are you encouraging her to take them for free? Not just you - clearly I can see many other posts suggesting similar, but I'm so shocked at how many people think that's OK.

Who mentioned the shops moral standards ? Not I.