Is Walmart’s self‑checkout ‘theft’ prosecution threat actually fair?

Question

So you used self check out at Walmart and an item didn't scan , they take you to a back room and say you are a thief and will be prosecuted and go to jail, lose your job , and take a credit hit. Warrants issued for arrest. Then you get a letter from Walmart saying if you pay us X Amount this all goes away.

Is Walmart’s self‑checkout ‘theft’ prosecution threat actually fair?

Is this ok? Is it away for Walmart to get back what they lose in shop lifting? Is it taking advantage of good people that didn't try to steal the item?

Telekinetic-Potato · Accepted Answer

Right and who decides if it was intentional or it was because of their piece of shit scanner?

Do the cashiers get trained? Am I resposible to "number in" those vegetables after I paid $5 for a bag of goldfish?

And why does Walmart get to cry victim when they get to price fix and get away with it? Why do they get sympathy even though they fuck everyone out of everything?

They're a predatory company. I say people are stealing from your store? Good. It's your fault. I wish there were a version of reality where people would steal from the Walmart and Amazon's and Microsofts of the world so bad that we can go back to having thousands of small businesses again.

The world would be so much better of a place and maybe stealing wouldn't be such a problem if 23% of the American workforce didn't belong to.5% of the companies based here.

Sevenpointfive · Accepted Answer

if they are going to do this then they need some sort of judicial process for innocent people. that could be done on a case by case basis. they would have to follow this persons visit throughout the store and judge his behavior.

to me, using the self-checkout is an honor system. if you break that trust then you must pay. but they also have a person on camera watching and a person assisting at the self-checkout. it should be a built-in system to stop the transaction with an error. the assistant verifies the error and regardless of theft they will pay on the spot and not get prosecuted.

they already act like the TSA at the exits so they might as well go all in. flag people who you suspect to verify their receipt. it solves all problems.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I doubt it's even legal. A lawyer would just argue trained cashiers make errors all the time so why is an untrained customer being prosecuted for not noticing something didn't scan? Besides everyone I've uses doesn't let you proceed until it feels the right weight on the opposite side. You'd just argue there should be safeguards against innocent errors.

I've never been in a Walmart but in my experience if things go wrong with these self checkouts there's never a staff member on hand to help. Worse still if you have alcohol you have to wait ages until someone comes to check your over 18.

So if there's no staff and these things are by the exit anyway wouldn't a thief just steal the whole basket and not mess around trying to scam one item?

emeraldsaphire · Accepted Answer

Sounds like extortion to me. The problem is it's very hard to tell if something was intentionally not scanned or if it was a mistake. That would make a case like this hard to prosecute * If you need to prove intent, if you don't then it would be easy * Even still having to defend yourself from this kinda accusation is punishment enough.

Likes2drive · Answer

All that stuff is recorded so they can tell if you actually tried to scan it or not so if the scan didn’t go through, then it’s not your fault , if that was the case then everybody would make sure they only use a cashier and nobody would be at the self checkout unless they had one item they’re paying for so there’s no way they could actually say they stole it

jshm2 · Answer

Yes. Taking something commercial without paying, is theft.

Sure a lawyer can steal your money by trying to argue different in court, but they will lose - but get paid anyway. So you lose twice.

Don't be a dumbass and steal when you don't know how. I used to know a couple of professional shoplifters who could get you anything, for a price, and there is an art to it.

But stealing for the sake of stealing is retarded. Also, those "loses" they take off their annual tax bill. So in essence you're stealing from the people who could have benefitted from those taxes.

indissoluble · Answer

You Democrats sure do love calling criminals good people. Fiery but mostly peaceful... Shop lifters are good people that are being taken advantage of... Rapist immigrants are doing jobs that Whites don't want to do... You've got a lot wrong with you...

BadApple69 · Answer

If something doesn’t scan you don’t put it in your bag. If you do, that is theft.
I have zero problems with someone getting spanked (financially) for stealing.
This idea that stealing from corporations is justified is BS. You want it, you pay for it. If not you walk away. End of story.

lilBigPotato · Answer

Don't know about this but I'm pretty sure that there are cameras that can help clarifying the situation.

Anonymous · Answer

I have never had a problem with this. I mostly use Instacart, but on the rare occasions I go to the store myself (not Walmart), they have an employee who watches the self checkout line and if an item doesn’t scan, they come over to help you. I think Walmart should do the same thing.

genericname85 · Answer

well if they act like that, they'll soon not have customers. cause self-checkout theft is more often than not an accident or a genuine mistake, not intentional theft.

molonski2 · Answer

I just hate self checkouts , they should have a staff member there always , this place makes a plethora they need to work on themselves , Greedy.

exitseven · Answer

it scares a lot of people from not ripping them off. Self checkouts save stores a lot of money because they do not have to have as many employees. However it is pretty easy to do some shoplifting.

DryGermanGuy · Answer

The people should boycott all these scummy behemoth companies!

Anonymous · Answer

This isn't the first time. C'mon pepperidge farms has been extorting their customers for years. Walmart is just advancing the business model.😆

Lesbologist · Answer

I'll watch this and consider your question...

XXblack88 · Answer

I don't use self checkout unless I have one thing I'm buying

NathanDavis · Answer

that does sound pretty dumb... but Walmart has gotten away with a whole lot more... lol

Tomislav7 · Answer

I am a thief a liar a faqqot and untrustworthy if you ever see me in a grocery store you better have an employee perched on my shoulder watching my every move

Maria1sc · Answer

its free labor for them. make them do there job and give jobs to people to price everything. they make way to much for us to give them free labor

Massageman · Answer

I avoid the self-checkouts whenever possible. If the store wants to pay me $25 an hour to check out my order, then I might reconsider.

AngryCarl3 · Answer

Technically that's extortion. If America had a functioning justice system they wouldn't get away with it.

Jen_oic · Answer

@888thegreat  if it keeps the prices down

LiamJHayden · Answer

Is it really that difficult to check the receipt to make sure everything scanned?

Godihateyou · Answer

When they say "market conditions" they mean blacks. Just like when they say "teens" or "sunbathers" it's always the blacks

Anonymous · Answer

Don't use self-checkouts... tool of enslavement

Is Walmart’s self‑checkout ‘theft’ prosecution threat actually fair?

Most Helpful Opinions

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

Are Walmart Shoppers A Threat To Society?

Is Walmart’s self‑checkout ‘theft’ prosecution threat actually fair?

Most Helpful Opinions

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

Are Walmart Shoppers A Threat To Society?

We're glad to see you liked this post.