Upsetting self-checkout mistake at Coles leaves customer ‘humiliated’
- Replies 22
Imagine you're at your local Coles supermarket for a quick grocery run.
You've gathered everything you need, packed your bags at the self-checkout, and you're ready to pay and head home.
But then, your card declines. You check your account, call your spouse, and try to pay multiple times, but the light at the top of the self-checkout remains stubbornly red.
This was the unfortunate incident for Gary Duffield at a Coles in Trinity, Western Australia.
Despite having sufficient funds in his account, Gary's card was declined due to an undisclosed system issue at the store.
When he looked around, he thought he wasn't alone as other customers were also experiencing the same problem.
So he sought assistance from a Coles worker and was informed of the ongoing service issue that was preventing some customers from using their cards.
'I asked why people weren’t notifying people before entering,' Gary told a news source.
'I wasted 45 minutes of my life [and] it was humiliating.'
The Coles worker suggested using another card, but Gary didn't have one. He was then allegedly asked to leave his groceries and go.
The duty manager on the scene echoed the same sentiment, adding to Gary's frustration. The lack of signage about the issue was justified by the fact that some cards were still working.
'I had to unpack the groceries to get my bags back while the duty manager stood there and watched me,' Gary lamented.
Gary then shared his ordeal on social media and found out that many people have been also inconvenienced, with some saying that they were even asked for their phone pin code by the register to pay at the store that night.
‘The lady said a few people had to do it so I did too,’ one person said while adding, ‘I changed my passcode straight after’.
Other people commented on how this is an example of why cash is so important.
‘This is why we need to keep using cash! Cash is King!’ one said.
Coles has since rectified the issue causing the payment problems but has yet to did not respond to questions about their ways of informing customers when there are problems with their payment system.
'Due to a technical issue affecting our Trinity WA store earlier this week, some customers were unable to use card payment,' a Coles spokesperson said.
'We apologise to any customers for this inconvenience.'
Meanwhile, a separate Coles outage happened that made card transactions impossible and left shoppers leaving instead of getting cash to pay.
Despite the increasing shift towards cashless transactions, this incident highlights the importance of carrying cash.
Indeed, while digital payments offer convenience and speed, they are not infallible. System outages, technical glitches, and cyber threats can disrupt digital transactions, leaving customers stranded.
In contrast, cash is reliable and universally accepted, making it a crucial backup in digital disruptions.
Moreover, using cash can help with budgeting. It provides a tangible way to track spending and can help limit impulse purchases, which are all too easy with a simple swipe or tap of a card.
So, the next time you head out for your grocery run, remember to carry some cash along with your cards. It might just save you from an embarrassing situation at the checkout.
What are your thoughts on this incident, members? Have you ever faced a similar situation? Share your experiences in the comments below.
You've gathered everything you need, packed your bags at the self-checkout, and you're ready to pay and head home.
But then, your card declines. You check your account, call your spouse, and try to pay multiple times, but the light at the top of the self-checkout remains stubbornly red.
This was the unfortunate incident for Gary Duffield at a Coles in Trinity, Western Australia.
Despite having sufficient funds in his account, Gary's card was declined due to an undisclosed system issue at the store.
Gary was told to leave his groceries and go by staff after a Coles supermarket’s technical issues in their payment system. Image: Freepik
When he looked around, he thought he wasn't alone as other customers were also experiencing the same problem.
So he sought assistance from a Coles worker and was informed of the ongoing service issue that was preventing some customers from using their cards.
'I asked why people weren’t notifying people before entering,' Gary told a news source.
'I wasted 45 minutes of my life [and] it was humiliating.'
The Coles worker suggested using another card, but Gary didn't have one. He was then allegedly asked to leave his groceries and go.
The duty manager on the scene echoed the same sentiment, adding to Gary's frustration. The lack of signage about the issue was justified by the fact that some cards were still working.
'I had to unpack the groceries to get my bags back while the duty manager stood there and watched me,' Gary lamented.
Gary then shared his ordeal on social media and found out that many people have been also inconvenienced, with some saying that they were even asked for their phone pin code by the register to pay at the store that night.
‘The lady said a few people had to do it so I did too,’ one person said while adding, ‘I changed my passcode straight after’.
Other people commented on how this is an example of why cash is so important.
‘This is why we need to keep using cash! Cash is King!’ one said.
Coles has since rectified the issue causing the payment problems but has yet to did not respond to questions about their ways of informing customers when there are problems with their payment system.
'Due to a technical issue affecting our Trinity WA store earlier this week, some customers were unable to use card payment,' a Coles spokesperson said.
'We apologise to any customers for this inconvenience.'
Meanwhile, a separate Coles outage happened that made card transactions impossible and left shoppers leaving instead of getting cash to pay.
Despite the increasing shift towards cashless transactions, this incident highlights the importance of carrying cash.
Indeed, while digital payments offer convenience and speed, they are not infallible. System outages, technical glitches, and cyber threats can disrupt digital transactions, leaving customers stranded.
In contrast, cash is reliable and universally accepted, making it a crucial backup in digital disruptions.
Moreover, using cash can help with budgeting. It provides a tangible way to track spending and can help limit impulse purchases, which are all too easy with a simple swipe or tap of a card.
So, the next time you head out for your grocery run, remember to carry some cash along with your cards. It might just save you from an embarrassing situation at the checkout.
What are your thoughts on this incident, members? Have you ever faced a similar situation? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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