Oh, the shame

A question about : Oh, the shame

Just got home from the weekly shop, which has latterly taken the form of the scan-as-you-shop facility in Tesco. I love it - everything gets packed in the right bag as you go along, and at the end you just pay and you're on your way.

Having said that, I do worry about absentmindedly forgetting to scan something, so I am forever scrolling up and down on the scanner, checking that everything is there.

EVEN SO, today as I was chosen for a 'random service check' as they call it, it turned out that one item had not been scanned - a Ј1 bag of crisps! No idea how it happened - I must have got sidetracked looking for the next item on my list. I am sitting here munching from the offending object as I type. The attendant was very nice about it and said not to worry, these things happen, but I still feel terrible that she might think I had tried to steal it. She also said that my next couple of shops might be routinely scanned as there had been 'a problem' on this occasion. Dare I ever use the wretched thing again?? Please tell me this has happened to more of you?!

Best answers:

• I have never forgotten to scan anything but I am very paranoid, especially as 9 times out of 10 I am chosen for a search! Used it tonight and this is the first time in a long time I wasn't selected, was very shocked! I don't use them now unless I have a voucher off a certain spend and I want to keep track of the total as I was getting embarrassed and panicky being checked every time!
• I've never heard of these searches before- do you think if I play along and forget to scan something I can get them to scan my items for me each time I shop? The sheer number of reduced items that wont scan and I have to type in the code for can mean I go from listening to classical music on my ipod to talking to the self-service machine in a threatening tone that would normally have me put somewhere where I am not of harm to myself or other people. If I could get a Tesco worker to do all the typing for me I'd be far less stressed out leaving the store! They always seem to be suspiciously busy when I look up for help after finding yet another item will not scan and I have to type in the code...
  Trust me OP. If my crazy moments with the machine are anything to go by, missing out an item by mistake means you got nothing on me in the embarrassment stakes and yet I keep going back...
• I know this may sound silly but I don't use the scan as you go for this exact reason. They told me that they do routine checks when they first showed me how to use it and I decided then that I wouldn't use it as I know I would worry all the way round and wouldn't enjoy my food shop
• Many times on the self scan checkouts, when I've had more than one of a particular item, I'll scan one & put it in my bag, with the next one in my other hand waiting to scan once the scales are okay. I pass it from one hand to the other, then put it in the bag without scanning.
  If it weren't for 'Unexpected item in bagging area' I would have saved a fortune in multibuys, or been banned from the store for attempted shoplifting.
  Quote:
• I don't mind the random spot checks but I do like the 'scan as you go' system as it means I can very easily keep an eye on what I'm buying. Helps me stick on budget and make decisions as to what to keep in my basket.
• I now make sure someone else is with me when I self-scan because I kept forgetting to scan items before putting them into the bags and so was going through everything before I paid, which sometimes took ages to do, and it defeated the object of self-scanning for me as I use it to speedily get in and out of the shop!
  To my knowledge, I've only ever once not paid for an item and that was a 'free' coffee at Waitrose that I'd not scanned as I thought the barcode for them was at the till, It was the last item of the transaction and rather than hold back everybody behind me, I thought I'd just take it to Customer Services - and promptly forgot!
• It may not have been your mistake; I too used the scan & shop for the first time this week to see how it works and only had 5 items. Like other posters a new system and paranoia made me carefully check every item, there was only 5, but when I finished, as it was my first time, I was checked and 1 item was missing, even though I'm certain it scanned. (Mine was a 6 pack of cat food) My protests that it did scan as I had been very careful were met with that glassy eyed "we've heard it all before stare".
  I did feel like I was being subtly accused of shoplifting, even more so when the assistant pointed out I'll be checked more often in future-left me feeling horrid and embarrassed.
  I also felt like going in to a hissy fit of "how dare you"-but resisted and left feeling angry and somewhat humiliated.
  I will be interested to see if we find other posters with items "missing".
  I really liked the idea of scanning my own shopping straight into the bags and off-I always use the self-service tills but feel bad holding up the queue if I have quite a big shop-but not sure I'll ever use scan & shop again after this.
• OP, firstly may I commend you upon your bravery in posting.
  Secondly, shame on you for shopping at Mr T's. Aldi is miles better
• I wouldn't worry about it. Shop assistants on the tills forget to scan things sometimes too.
• Not been to T's for years - is this a self-service till or a hand/trolley scanner?
  I remember using a hand scanner system in Safeways 15 years ago, so it should be a smooth customer experience by now.
• I didn't know they did spot checks, but then i don't use those things unless i have to. And when i do i often have to get so much help they know i haven't forgot anything 'cos they put most through.
  I don't think Op they'll post up your photo in the store entrance among the 'most wanted' for a bag of crisps.
• https://www.tesco.com/scan-as-you-shop/
• I used to use the scan and go service in Safeways (it was a while ago!) but it got to the point where the trolley was being re-checked every time we went because I was making too many (genuine!) mistakes. It wasn't worth using it in the end because scanning as we went around slowed us down shopping, and if everything had to go through the till anyway there was no advantage.
• Offspring peering over my shoulder have just *decreed* that if I'm away shopping on my own I am to use the robot & not this nice gadget.
  They've heard my language with the robot & quite correctly infer that I'd have so much fun playing with the toy that I didn't actually get supper, as well as risking being vilely rude to people and/or wildly overpaying to boot.