Shoppers urged to stay vigilant after shocking self-checkout mistake at Woolworths

Errors at the checkout can be frustrating, but what happens when a simple mistake leads to a major shock at the register?

A routine shopping trip turned into an unexpected ordeal for one Queensland mum, sparking questions about how reliable these systems really are.

Her experience has left other shoppers rethinking their approach and raising concerns about a common feature many rely on daily.


A Woolworths shopper has issued a warning about the importance of double-checking the self-serve checkout screen before paying for items.


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Shopper warns: always check your self-checkout screen. Image source: Pexel/Gustavo Fring


Bek, a Queensland mum, recently visited her local Woolworths and was stunned when her shopping total reached approximately $80 after scanning just a few items.

‘I looked and the *Gabby’s Dollhouse* colouring book said $48 and it was a quantity of eight, so, like, eight of them, instead of one,’ she said.

Bek called over staff to assist, but the issue persisted.


She added: ‘I called the staff over and they tried to enter it manually. And it kept changing it to eight. They couldn’t figure out why.’

The colouring book should have cost just $6, but the system read it as eight items, inflating the price to nearly $50.

While staff resolved the issue, it remains unclear what caused the glitch.


Other shoppers shared similar experiences with the self-serve checkouts.

One said: ‘That happened with me a few months ago now…I didn’t know until I paid for it and it seemed expensive to what I went for.’

Another added: ‘It happened when I scanned a Redbull can. It came up as a 4 pack of them.’


A third recounted an incident at a staffed checkout.

‘This happened to me through the serviced checkout, on two occasions the girl scanned incorrectly and I was charged extra for items I didn’t buy,’ they said.

A Woolworths spokesperson addressed the issue in a statement.


‘This is an isolated issue, related to the barcode on one of the pencil sets we sell,’ they said.

‘Our team is correcting the scanning error on this barcode to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

‘We’re glad to see that our team was able to quickly rectify this issue in-store and the customer was only charged for the correct quantity.’


Shoppers who notice discrepancies at the self-serve checkout are encouraged to alert a staff member immediately.

The incident has made Bek more vigilant about her purchases.
‘It definitely makes me more cautious,’ she said.

‘I was always for self-serve checkouts because it’s quick and easy…But now, I would actually prefer to see more checkout staff.’

Key Takeaways
  • A Queensland mum was stunned when her Woolworths self-checkout bill came to nearly $80, despite scanning only a few items.
  • The issue arose when a single item was mistakenly scanned as multiple, inflating the price significantly.
  • Other shoppers shared similar experiences, with some encountering pricing errors on both self-serve and staffed checkouts.
  • Woolworths acknowledged the glitch, assuring customers that the issue would be fixed and urging vigilance at checkouts.

Have you ever been caught off guard by a scanning error? Share your experiences in the comments below.
 

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Be smart. Note the discrepancies, pay attention checkout, and keep receipts. Once you have paid, exit the checkout, and go to the enquiry desk. Once the mistake is noted, you have a legal right to get the item for free. Make them pay! Not you!
Absolutely! We have got 2 legs of lamb and our Christmas ham because of this rule. Both Coles and Woollies. If you spot an item wrongly marked, buy it at the checkout. Then go to the Service desk and tell them. They will refund your money and you get to keep the item. The last time, my husband told them ( It was the ham). They rang the section to check and she said it was the right price. John then went himself to the manager of the section and showed her the item. She was embarrassed that she had got it wrong ( maybe didn't even check it?) and we got it for free.
 
Be smart. Note the discrepancies, pay attention checkout, and keep receipts. Once you have paid, exit the checkout, and go to the enquiry desk. Once the mistake is noted, you have a legal right to get the item for free. Make them pay! Not

Be smart. Note the discrepancies, pay attention checkout, and keep receipts. Once you have paid, exit the checkout, and go to the enquiry desk. Once the mistake is noted, you have a legal right to get the item for free. Make them pay! Not you!
You do realise this is called deceiving when you knowingly saw the fault but refused to do anything about it just to get it free?? You can be charged or refused a refund...
 
I was once overcharged and it turned out the staff member had accidents lent on the scales when

Absolutely! We have got 2 legs of lamb and our Christmas ham because of this rule. Both Coles and Woollies. If you spot an item wrongly marked, buy it at the checkout. Then go to the Service desk and tell them. They will refund your money and you get to keep the item. The last time, my husband told them ( It was the ham). They rang the section to check and she said it was the right price. John then went himself to the manager of the section and showed her the item. She was embarrassed that she had got it wrong ( maybe didn't even check it?) and we got it for free.
Glad you got your item free..but do you feel any guilt for knowingly deceiving..yourself??
 
Be smart. Note the discrepancies, pay attention checkout, and keep receipts. Once you have paid, exit the checkout, and go to the enquiry desk. Once the mistake is noted, you have a legal right to get the item for free. Make them pay! Not you!
Yes.

Woolworths still observes the obligation to refund and provide the item free per the Scanning Code of Conduct.

You need to ask though.
 
Refuse to use self checkout. We are retired (10 yrs) supermarket /general store owners Always believed in hiring both junior & seniors. These checkouts put people out of work & are manned by a paid employee to mostly stand idle when could be more useful stacking shelves, facing up & general cleaning. Makes sense to us as ex independent Friendly Grocer/ IGA retailers. - commonsense!!!!!! Puts people in employment instead of being on benefits from govt. & helps those employed to put food on table for families & maybe help in crime as they have a purpose in their lives, makes them more motivated to enjoy their days & are not bored to turn to crime. - Have a happy day folks. 🤗🎼👍
 
As I said in one of my earlier comments both Woolworths and Cole's place their stock and pricing on the shelves misrepresenting the one which is actually on special so you pick up the more expensive product. It is a deliberate ploy and they need to stop it and also we need to be on our A game and be very careful. This is where we get ripped off deliberately.
 
it isn't just the supermarkets you should check all your dockets we are all human and a human put it into the machine first off then if you see it be nice to the person you are reporting it to as they may not have seen it
 

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