Walmart shoppers have been warned by a lawyer that they should be careful when using self-checkout as dozens of horror stories continue to surface.
Data has shown that in just a year’s time, over 60 customers were arrested at a supermarket for accidental skip-scanning.
Lawyer Sandra Barger said she’s heard of shoppers getting a ticket for forgetting to scan one item at self-checkout.
Barger told KGUN9: “I had one client that had his kids with him and it was the simple one item that he missed, which can happen. Anyone can do that.”
Instead of immediately calling the police, Barger believes stores should practice giving shoppers a chance to scan missed items prior to legal action.
She also urged regulations to be introduced.
A shopper in her 60s was left in “complete shock” when cops slammed her with a petty theft citation after she failed to scan some items.
“Like all retailers, we take basic measures to control inventory and keep prices low,” Walmart told KGUN9 in a statement.
“For obvious security reasons, we don’t discuss specific store policies.
“When necessary, we reach out to law enforcement as part of our commitment to meet our customers’ and associates’ expectations of a safe and enjoyable shopping experience.”
Attorney Carrie Jernigan has given multiple warnings to customers to not use self-checkout.
She claimed Walmart will look months and months into the past to account for lost inventory, digging through the transactions of previous customers.
There are three self-checkout flop groups according to Jernigan.
She said: “The first group of people getting charged with shoplifting using the self-checkout are (sic) people going into the stores with the intent to steal.
“The second group of people catching this charge, I will call the theft-by-mistake.
“These are the people that I genuinely think just forgot to scan an item.”
She continued: “It is usually something that was on the bottom rack of the cart or say a DVD that has slid under the purse, and when they are walking out, asset protection stops them.”
Supposed ex-Walmart employee Athenia Maria revealed that workers have the option to pause the self-checkout machine remotely from their handheld devices if they suspect a customer is stealing an item.
From the customer perspective, it merely looks like a glitch.
There is no option but to get the employee formally involved after this theft prevention button has been deployed.
