Where’s the cashier?

That’s a question you may have asked yourself in the last few months as more supermarkets embrace self-checkouts. To their credit, these new shopping introductions do work generally well, but–as any tech enthusiast will tell you–you can't always rely on them to work as expected.

Take the story of one 68-year-old Woolworths customer from Vincentia, New South Wales, who experienced a particularly frustrating snag with the checkout machine.

Noni Lyall was bagging groceries at the self-service checkout when a red light started flashing, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology informed staff that she had not scanned a bottle of juice.

A Woolworths shopper was left frustrated after self-checkout falsely accused her of theft. Credit: wisely/Shutterstock

And as much of the technology relies on surveillance and facial recognition software, it made the shopper feel like she was stealing.

'To put it bluntly, I was p***ed off, I just couldn't believe it,' she expressed.

'I'm a 68-year-old lady, I don't steal.'

She hurriedly explained to the staff that she had scanned the item, but it didn't fit into the bags, so she just placed it back in her trolley.

Thankfully, the staff quickly realised the error, and the situation was quickly resolved. Still, the false accusation made the shopper understandably angry and embarrassed.

‘I just thought, wow, you want us to do all our own work now by scanning our own groceries, not having the staff to service, and yet you're going to start accusing us of not paying?' Ms Lyall said.

She also shared that the experience gave her the ‘irk’, and she is determined to no longer shop at her city’s only Woolworths.

The new self-serve checkouts were implemented in Western Sydney’s Seven Hills last year, with much scrutiny over the AI-run software.

Samantha Floreani of the Digital Rights Watch group claimed the technology could make customers feel 'like they are constantly being watched and recorded'.

'This kind of normalisation of surveillance makes space for the growing use of invasive technologies in everyday life to access everyday essential services,' she said.

It’s notable that supermarket giants implement technology like this partly to combat shoplifters.

A spokesperson stated, ‘While most customers do the right thing at our self-serve checkouts, we're all busy, and mistakes can easily happen.’

Unfortunately, our members have experienced a similar issue with Woolies’ self-serve checkouts.

Member @Suzanne rose wrote: ‘We had taken a trolley into Woolworths from Kmart, so it wasn't even grocery items in the trolley, but it picked up that we had a trolley with items in it.’

‘The annoying thing was the lady was helping 2 other people, and then a third went up to ask for something else. I told her this was not fair I had to wait when I was using self-serve to get in and out, and then it picked up Kmart items in my trolley then wouldn't let me proceed,’ she added.

Member @Earth child shared: ‘After scanning and packing all items, the sensor reported two unused homemade bags in my trolley at the point of payment. The screen prompt asked for all items to be rescanned! I was kept waiting while the assistant helped others with issues at their self-serve bays, and wanted to resolve the unnecessary issue. Fortunately, I didn’t have to rescan, but if I was requested to do so, I would have emptied the contents of the bags, left them and walked out. ALDI staff are friendly, Woolies staff (are) dour. No wonder when they have to deal with customer frustration.’

‘I always used the self-checkout, not any more. You can not have your personal handbag in the trolley, as it will tell you that you have something in the trolley and not let you proceed. Where else can you place your personal bag, as you need two hands to use the personal checkout? You are made to feel like a thief,’ member @Sharson stated.

On the other hand, there are members who had no issues with the AI technology.

Member @Observer said: ‘I don't have any issues with it. I scan my items until l hit a $30 spend putting them to the side, scan the rewards card for benefits, and then pay. I place the trolley behind me so the camera doesn't see anything but me. Then all is good. Bagged items go back into my trolley with the receipt. Then I start again. When using my card to make the payment, I hold it in the palm of my hand so that my card details will not be recorded.’

‘Another way of having a go at self-checkouts. I couldn't care less if they want to look in my bags and don't care how many cameras are filming me. If people didn't steal so much, nobody would have to worry about it,’ member @freedy50 claimed.

Key Takeaways

• A Woolworths customer has voiced frustration over a self-serve checkout glitch that falsely accused her of theft.
  
• Artificially intelligent (AI) cameras at the checkout flagged that the customer had not scanned a bottle of juice, causing a public misunderstanding.
  
• The incident has contributed to an ongoing debate about the increased use of surveillance technologies in everyday life.
  

If you’re one of the customers who don’t like self-serve checkouts, we have an ongoing petition to stop its full transition in major retailers. You may sign the petition here.

What do you think of this story, members? Share your self-checkout experiences in the comments below!

 

[Veggiepatch]

Do you receive a discount at the servo for filling your own car?

No. But I get a discount at my local massage palour....for pleasing myself.

 

[Michelle 05]

Where’s the cashier?

That’s a question you may have asked yourself in the last few months as more supermarkets embrace self-checkouts. To their credit, these new shopping introductions do work generally well, but–as any tech enthusiast will tell you–you can't always rely on them to work as expected.

Take the story of one 68-year-old Woolworths customer from Vincentia, New South Wales, who experienced a particularly frustrating snag with the checkout machine.

Noni Lyall was bagging groceries at the self-service checkout when a red light started flashing, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology informed staff that she had not scanned a bottle of juice.

View attachment 29054

A Woolworths shopper was left frustrated after self-checkout falsely accused her of theft. Credit: wisely/Shutterstock

And as much of the technology relies on surveillance and facial recognition software, it made the shopper feel like she was stealing.

'To put it bluntly, I was p***ed off, I just couldn't believe it,' she expressed.

'I'm a 68-year-old lady, I don't steal.'

She hurriedly explained to the staff that she had scanned the item, but it didn't fit into the bags, so she just placed it back in her trolley.

Thankfully, the staff quickly realised the error, and the situation was quickly resolved. Still, the false accusation made the shopper understandably angry and embarrassed.

‘I just thought, wow, you want us to do all our own work now by scanning our own groceries, not having the staff to service, and yet you're going to start accusing us of not paying?' Ms Lyall said.

She also shared that the experience gave her the ‘irk’, and she is determined to no longer shop at her city’s only Woolworths.

The new self-serve checkouts were implemented in Western Sydney’s Seven Hills last year, with much scrutiny over the AI-run software.

Samantha Floreani of the Digital Rights Watch group claimed the technology could make customers feel 'like they are constantly being watched and recorded'.

'This kind of normalisation of surveillance makes space for the growing use of invasive technologies in everyday life to access everyday essential services,' she said.

It’s notable that supermarket giants implement technology like this partly to combat shoplifters.

A spokesperson stated, ‘While most customers do the right thing at our self-serve checkouts, we're all busy, and mistakes can easily happen.’

Unfortunately, our members have experienced a similar issue with Woolies’ self-serve checkouts.

Member @Suzanne rose wrote: ‘We had taken a trolley into Woolworths from Kmart, so it wasn't even grocery items in the trolley, but it picked up that we had a trolley with items in it.’

‘The annoying thing was the lady was helping 2 other people, and then a third went up to ask for something else. I told her this was not fair I had to wait when I was using self-serve to get in and out, and then it picked up Kmart items in my trolley then wouldn't let me proceed,’ she added.

Member @Earth child shared: ‘After scanning and packing all items, the sensor reported two unused homemade bags in my trolley at the point of payment. The screen prompt asked for all items to be rescanned! I was kept waiting while the assistant helped others with issues at their self-serve bays, and wanted to resolve the unnecessary issue. Fortunately, I didn’t have to rescan, but if I was requested to do so, I would have emptied the contents of the bags, left them and walked out. ALDI staff are friendly, Woolies staff (are) dour. No wonder when they have to deal with customer frustration.’

‘I always used the self-checkout, not any more. You can not have your personal handbag in the trolley, as it will tell you that you have something in the trolley and not let you proceed. Where else can you place your personal bag, as you need two hands to use the personal checkout? You are made to feel like a thief,’ member @Sharson stated.

On the other hand, there are members who had no issues with the AI technology.

Member @Observer said: ‘I don't have any issues with it. I scan my items until l hit a $30 spend putting them to the side, scan the rewards card for benefits, and then pay. I place the trolley behind me so the camera doesn't see anything but me. Then all is good. Bagged items go back into my trolley with the receipt. Then I start again. When using my card to make the payment, I hold it in the palm of my hand so that my card details will not be recorded.’

‘Another way of having a go at self-checkouts. I couldn't care less if they want to look in my bags and don't care how many cameras are filming me. If people didn't steal so much, nobody would have to worry about it,’ member @freedy50 claimed.

Key Takeaways

• A Woolworths customer has voiced frustration over a self-serve checkout glitch that falsely accused her of theft.
• Artificially intelligent (AI) cameras at the checkout flagged that the customer had not scanned a bottle of juice, causing a public misunderstanding.
• The incident has contributed to an ongoing debate about the increased use of surveillance technologies in everyday life.

If you’re one of the customers who don’t like self-serve checkouts, we have an ongoing petition to stop its full transition in major retailers. You may sign the petition here.

What do you think of this story, members? Share your self-checkout experiences in the comments below!

It happens to me as well, but I understand why they need this technology in place. There is a lot of theft happening in stores. Just be patient and understanding. We live in a different world.

I hate the things. I will NOT use them! We are not paid to scan our own groceries we receive no discount for doing so. I am not a staff member it is staff should be scanning groceries. I will NOT use them in K Mart either if everyone e refused there would be more staff employed shoot are too greedy!!!

No there wouldn't be more staff. If you understand business, you should know that there is an allocated amount for wages as well as every other expense. You can't just overspend or your business wouldn't last long. Having the self checkouts frees up the other staff members to do all the other necessary tasks needed to keep customers happy, like filling the shelves and unpacking the pallets off the delivery trucks. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. They are also quicker for customers to scan a few items and not have to wait in long queues. Please people, have some patience and don't take your frustration out on the staff members who are there to help you.

 

[Jo Piper3]

Where’s the cashier?

That’s a question you may have asked yourself in the last few months as more supermarkets embrace self-checkouts. To their credit, these new shopping introductions do work generally well, but–as any tech enthusiast will tell you–you can't always rely on them to work as expected.

Take the story of one 68-year-old Woolworths customer from Vincentia, New South Wales, who experienced a particularly frustrating snag with the checkout machine.

Noni Lyall was bagging groceries at the self-service checkout when a red light started flashing, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology informed staff that she had not scanned a bottle of juice.

View attachment 29054

A Woolworths shopper was left frustrated after self-checkout falsely accused her of theft. Credit: wisely/Shutterstock

And as much of the technology relies on surveillance and facial recognition software, it made the shopper feel like she was stealing.

'To put it bluntly, I was p***ed off, I just couldn't believe it,' she expressed.

'I'm a 68-year-old lady, I don't steal.'

She hurriedly explained to the staff that she had scanned the item, but it didn't fit into the bags, so she just placed it back in her trolley.

Thankfully, the staff quickly realised the error, and the situation was quickly resolved. Still, the false accusation made the shopper understandably angry and embarrassed.

‘I just thought, wow, you want us to do all our own work now by scanning our own groceries, not having the staff to service, and yet you're going to start accusing us of not paying?' Ms Lyall said.

She also shared that the experience gave her the ‘irk’, and she is determined to no longer shop at her city’s only Woolworths.

The new self-serve checkouts were implemented in Western Sydney’s Seven Hills last year, with much scrutiny over the AI-run software.

Samantha Floreani of the Digital Rights Watch group claimed the technology could make customers feel 'like they are constantly being watched and recorded'.

'This kind of normalisation of surveillance makes space for the growing use of invasive technologies in everyday life to access everyday essential services,' she said.

It’s notable that supermarket giants implement technology like this partly to combat shoplifters.

A spokesperson stated, ‘While most customers do the right thing at our self-serve checkouts, we're all busy, and mistakes can easily happen.’

Unfortunately, our members have experienced a similar issue with Woolies’ self-serve checkouts.

Member @Suzanne rose wrote: ‘We had taken a trolley into Woolworths from Kmart, so it wasn't even grocery items in the trolley, but it picked up that we had a trolley with items in it.’

‘The annoying thing was the lady was helping 2 other people, and then a third went up to ask for something else. I told her this was not fair I had to wait when I was using self-serve to get in and out, and then it picked up Kmart items in my trolley then wouldn't let me proceed,’ she added.

Member @Earth child shared: ‘After scanning and packing all items, the sensor reported two unused homemade bags in my trolley at the point of payment. The screen prompt asked for all items to be rescanned! I was kept waiting while the assistant helped others with issues at their self-serve bays, and wanted to resolve the unnecessary issue. Fortunately, I didn’t have to rescan, but if I was requested to do so, I would have emptied the contents of the bags, left them and walked out. ALDI staff are friendly, Woolies staff (are) dour. No wonder when they have to deal with customer frustration.’

‘I always used the self-checkout, not any more. You can not have your personal handbag in the trolley, as it will tell you that you have something in the trolley and not let you proceed. Where else can you place your personal bag, as you need two hands to use the personal checkout? You are made to feel like a thief,’ member @Sharson stated.

On the other hand, there are members who had no issues with the AI technology.

Member @Observer said: ‘I don't have any issues with it. I scan my items until l hit a $30 spend putting them to the side, scan the rewards card for benefits, and then pay. I place the trolley behind me so the camera doesn't see anything but me. Then all is good. Bagged items go back into my trolley with the receipt. Then I start again. When using my card to make the payment, I hold it in the palm of my hand so that my card details will not be recorded.’

‘Another way of having a go at self-checkouts. I couldn't care less if they want to look in my bags and don't care how many cameras are filming me. If people didn't steal so much, nobody would have to worry about it,’ member @freedy50 claimed.

Key Takeaways

• A Woolworths customer has voiced frustration over a self-serve checkout glitch that falsely accused her of theft.
• Artificially intelligent (AI) cameras at the checkout flagged that the customer had not scanned a bottle of juice, causing a public misunderstanding.
• The incident has contributed to an ongoing debate about the increased use of surveillance technologies in everyday life.

If you’re one of the customers who don’t like self-serve checkouts, we have an ongoing petition to stop its full transition in major retailers. You may sign the petition here.

What do you think of this story, members? Share your self-checkout experiences in the comments below!

I never use self service check outs.

 

[Mina vriesekolk]

At Woollies you try to put your shopping bag in the paid area , but it does not stay there properly when you want to put a scanned item into the bag . You then get annoying messages to put the item in the bag or you did not scan it .
At Coles the have clips to clamp your handle from the shopping bag in . Even the newer Coles , you put your trolley towards the end and put your scanned items straight into the trolley . Never have any issues there.

I agree , staff at Aldi are very friendly.

 

[Observer]

I hate the things. I will NOT use them! We are not paid to scan our own groceries we receive no discount for doing so. I am not a staff member it is staff should be scanning groceries. I will NOT use them in K Mart either if everyone e refused there would be more staff employed shoot are too greedy!!!

Would you consider using them if they offered you an overall discount if you did?

 

[AlanQ]

If that ever happens to me, I will be leaving the trolley right there for them to unpack, and taking my business elswhere

and most people watching would think 'she protest too much' and clearly was trying to steal and thinks walking out is the solution. Seen that happen many a time.

 

[Niecey52]

Where’s the cashier?

That’s a question you may have asked yourself in the last few months as more supermarkets embrace self-checkouts. To their credit, these new shopping introductions do work generally well, but–as any tech enthusiast will tell you–you can't always rely on them to work as expected.

Take the story of one 68-year-old Woolworths customer from Vincentia, New South Wales, who experienced a particularly frustrating snag with the checkout machine.

Noni Lyall was bagging groceries at the self-service checkout when a red light started flashing, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology informed staff that she had not scanned a bottle of juice.

View attachment 29054

A Woolworths shopper was left frustrated after self-checkout falsely accused her of theft. Credit: wisely/Shutterstock

And as much of the technology relies on surveillance and facial recognition software, it made the shopper feel like she was stealing.

'To put it bluntly, I was p***ed off, I just couldn't believe it,' she expressed.

'I'm a 68-year-old lady, I don't steal.'

She hurriedly explained to the staff that she had scanned the item, but it didn't fit into the bags, so she just placed it back in her trolley.

Thankfully, the staff quickly realised the error, and the situation was quickly resolved. Still, the false accusation made the shopper understandably angry and embarrassed.

‘I just thought, wow, you want us to do all our own work now by scanning our own groceries, not having the staff to service, and yet you're going to start accusing us of not paying?' Ms Lyall said.

She also shared that the experience gave her the ‘irk’, and she is determined to no longer shop at her city’s only Woolworths.

The new self-serve checkouts were implemented in Western Sydney’s Seven Hills last year, with much scrutiny over the AI-run software.

Samantha Floreani of the Digital Rights Watch group claimed the technology could make customers feel 'like they are constantly being watched and recorded'.

'This kind of normalisation of surveillance makes space for the growing use of invasive technologies in everyday life to access everyday essential services,' she said.

It’s notable that supermarket giants implement technology like this partly to combat shoplifters.

A spokesperson stated, ‘While most customers do the right thing at our self-serve checkouts, we're all busy, and mistakes can easily happen.’

Unfortunately, our members have experienced a similar issue with Woolies’ self-serve checkouts.

Member @Suzanne rose wrote: ‘We had taken a trolley into Woolworths from Kmart, so it wasn't even grocery items in the trolley, but it picked up that we had a trolley with items in it.’

‘The annoying thing was the lady was helping 2 other people, and then a third went up to ask for something else. I told her this was not fair I had to wait when I was using self-serve to get in and out, and then it picked up Kmart items in my trolley then wouldn't let me proceed,’ she added.

Member @Earth child shared: ‘After scanning and packing all items, the sensor reported two unused homemade bags in my trolley at the point of payment. The screen prompt asked for all items to be rescanned! I was kept waiting while the assistant helped others with issues at their self-serve bays, and wanted to resolve the unnecessary issue. Fortunately, I didn’t have to rescan, but if I was requested to do so, I would have emptied the contents of the bags, left them and walked out. ALDI staff are friendly, Woolies staff (are) dour. No wonder when they have to deal with customer frustration.’

‘I always used the self-checkout, not any more. You can not have your personal handbag in the trolley, as it will tell you that you have something in the trolley and not let you proceed. Where else can you place your personal bag, as you need two hands to use the personal checkout? You are made to feel like a thief,’ member @Sharson stated.

On the other hand, there are members who had no issues with the AI technology.

Member @Observer said: ‘I don't have any issues with it. I scan my items until l hit a $30 spend putting them to the side, scan the rewards card for benefits, and then pay. I place the trolley behind me so the camera doesn't see anything but me. Then all is good. Bagged items go back into my trolley with the receipt. Then I start again. When using my card to make the payment, I hold it in the palm of my hand so that my card details will not be recorded.’

‘Another way of having a go at self-checkouts. I couldn't care less if they want to look in my bags and don't care how many cameras are filming me. If people didn't steal so much, nobody would have to worry about it,’ member @freedy50 claimed.

Key Takeaways

• A Woolworths customer has voiced frustration over a self-serve checkout glitch that falsely accused her of theft.
• Artificially intelligent (AI) cameras at the checkout flagged that the customer had not scanned a bottle of juice, causing a public misunderstanding.
• The incident has contributed to an ongoing debate about the increased use of surveillance technologies in everyday life.

If you’re one of the customers who don’t like self-serve checkouts, we have an ongoing petition to stop its full transition in major retailers. You may sign the petition here.

What do you think of this story, members? Share your self-checkout experiences in the comments below!

I will not use self service checkouts as they are doing someone out of a job. It is quicker to go through a serviced check out.

 

[Red_101au]

I categorically refuse to use them
even if I only have one item, I will stand in line and wait.
I refuse to self serve.
when told I can check out myself I simply tell them, no thanks, I dont work here
if you want me to do your job I expect to be paid for it or at least recieve the staff discount .
I will also state I do not endorse putting people out of work by replacing them with machines.

I have been known to just leave a full trolley sitting at the checkout and walking off in frustration with lack of service when checkouts have not been manned

Just my two cents worth

 

[terri]

I didn't read anywhere that you were accused of stealing. You had only said that that was what it felt like.

And the problem was not putting the item with her other items, but instead putting it back in her trolley. There is a process and if followed correctly there will generally be no issue. The machine only thinks like a machine, not like a person.

 

[Suemac]

I will not use self checkouts on principle! This is doing someone out of a job, and I don't want to be watched by cameras, like I'm a prospective shop lifter!

 

[freedy50]

This is the main bit "....the staff quickly realised the error, and the situation was quickly resolved." Any normal person, like me, would just say Thanks and carry on. But not this woman with the usual childish rant about it "‘I just thought, wow, you want us to do all our own work now by scanning our own groceries, not having the staff to service,"

And what's her nonsense claim about because you're 68 you don't steal? I didn't realise there was an age limit for this?

And also why is SDC now jumping on the bandwagon with a stupid petition about it, which I would never sign? Are you not an unbiased organisation to just bring stories for people to discuss?

 

[freedy50]

I will not use self checkouts on principle! This is doing someone out of a job, and I don't want to be watched by cameras, like I'm a prospective shop lifter!

The same old bandwagon, allegedly, doing someone out of a job. Which they aren't.

This day and age there's too many people stealing things from shops like that so they've got to protect their goods. In the UK some supermarkets are even locking up chocolate so it can't be stolen.

You must have a guilty conscience if you've ended up thinking they think you're stealing something?

 

[Lynjw]

Where’s the cashier?

That’s a question you may have asked yourself in the last few months as more supermarkets embrace self-checkouts. To their credit, these new shopping introductions do work generally well, but–as any tech enthusiast will tell you–you can't always rely on them to work as expected.

Take the story of one 68-year-old Woolworths customer from Vincentia, New South Wales, who experienced a particularly frustrating snag with the checkout machine.

Noni Lyall was bagging groceries at the self-service checkout when a red light started flashing, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology informed staff that she had not scanned a bottle of juice.

View attachment 29054

A Woolworths shopper was left frustrated after self-checkout falsely accused her of theft. Credit: wisely/Shutterstock

And as much of the technology relies on surveillance and facial recognition software, it made the shopper feel like she was stealing.

'To put it bluntly, I was p***ed off, I just couldn't believe it,' she expressed.

'I'm a 68-year-old lady, I don't steal.'

She hurriedly explained to the staff that she had scanned the item, but it didn't fit into the bags, so she just placed it back in her trolley.

Thankfully, the staff quickly realised the error, and the situation was quickly resolved. Still, the false accusation made the shopper understandably angry and embarrassed.

‘I just thought, wow, you want us to do all our own work now by scanning our own groceries, not having the staff to service, and yet you're going to start accusing us of not paying?' Ms Lyall said.

She also shared that the experience gave her the ‘irk’, and she is determined to no longer shop at her city’s only Woolworths.

The new self-serve checkouts were implemented in Western Sydney’s Seven Hills last year, with much scrutiny over the AI-run software.

Samantha Floreani of the Digital Rights Watch group claimed the technology could make customers feel 'like they are constantly being watched and recorded'.

'This kind of normalisation of surveillance makes space for the growing use of invasive technologies in everyday life to access everyday essential services,' she said.

It’s notable that supermarket giants implement technology like this partly to combat shoplifters.

A spokesperson stated, ‘While most customers do the right thing at our self-serve checkouts, we're all busy, and mistakes can easily happen.’

Unfortunately, our members have experienced a similar issue with Woolies’ self-serve checkouts.

Member @Suzanne rose wrote: ‘We had taken a trolley into Woolworths from Kmart, so it wasn't even grocery items in the trolley, but it picked up that we had a trolley with items in it.’

‘The annoying thing was the lady was helping 2 other people, and then a third went up to ask for something else. I told her this was not fair I had to wait when I was using self-serve to get in and out, and then it picked up Kmart items in my trolley then wouldn't let me proceed,’ she added.

Member @Earth child shared: ‘After scanning and packing all items, the sensor reported two unused homemade bags in my trolley at the point of payment. The screen prompt asked for all items to be rescanned! I was kept waiting while the assistant helped others with issues at their self-serve bays, and wanted to resolve the unnecessary issue. Fortunately, I didn’t have to rescan, but if I was requested to do so, I would have emptied the contents of the bags, left them and walked out. ALDI staff are friendly, Woolies staff (are) dour. No wonder when they have to deal with customer frustration.’

‘I always used the self-checkout, not any more. You can not have your personal handbag in the trolley, as it will tell you that you have something in the trolley and not let you proceed. Where else can you place your personal bag, as you need two hands to use the personal checkout? You are made to feel like a thief,’ member @Sharson stated.

On the other hand, there are members who had no issues with the AI technology.

Member @Observer said: ‘I don't have any issues with it. I scan my items until l hit a $30 spend putting them to the side, scan the rewards card for benefits, and then pay. I place the trolley behind me so the camera doesn't see anything but me. Then all is good. Bagged items go back into my trolley with the receipt. Then I start again. When using my card to make the payment, I hold it in the palm of my hand so that my card details will not be recorded.’

‘Another way of having a go at self-checkouts. I couldn't care less if they want to look in my bags and don't care how many cameras are filming me. If people didn't steal so much, nobody would have to worry about it,’ member @freedy50 claimed.

Key Takeaways

• A Woolworths customer has voiced frustration over a self-serve checkout glitch that falsely accused her of theft.
• Artificially intelligent (AI) cameras at the checkout flagged that the customer had not scanned a bottle of juice, causing a public misunderstanding.
• The incident has contributed to an ongoing debate about the increased use of surveillance technologies in everyday life.

If you’re one of the customers who don’t like self-serve checkouts, we have an ongoing petition to stop its full transition in major retailers. You may sign the petition here.

What do you think of this story, members? Share your self-checkout experiences in the comments below!

Just remove the bag and put the item on the table by itself. U just have to click removed bag. They sometimes say skip bagging as well.

 

[Truus Papworth]

Won't use them, that is why I never shop at Target, as they only have selfserve machines. Now Bunnings is doing this also, but you can go to the return desk and get service there.

 

[Anoush]

I was recently in Woolworths doing my shopping on a busy Thursday,,,one check out open and the line waiting was getting longer and longer,,,only one person chose to leave the line,,,eventually a couple more staff came over to put us through,,,it's a disgrace,,I will not put my full grocery shop through those scanners,,,no discount for doing so,, only extra inflated prices greet us ,I don't mind if I only have a couple of things but that's as far as it will be

 

[kevinwoodtufftyke52@gmail]

Where’s the cashier?

That’s a question you may have asked yourself in the last few months as more supermarkets embrace self-checkouts. To their credit, these new shopping introductions do work generally well, but–as any tech enthusiast will tell you–you can't always rely on them to work as expected.

Take the story of one 68-year-old Woolworths customer from Vincentia, New South Wales, who experienced a particularly frustrating snag with the checkout machine.

Noni Lyall was bagging groceries at the self-service checkout when a red light started flashing, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology informed staff that she had not scanned a bottle of juice.

View attachment 29054

A Woolworths shopper was left frustrated after self-checkout falsely accused her of theft. Credit: wisely/Shutterstock

And as much of the technology relies on surveillance and facial recognition software, it made the shopper feel like she was stealing.

'To put it bluntly, I was p***ed off, I just couldn't believe it,' she expressed.

'I'm a 68-year-old lady, I don't steal.'

She hurriedly explained to the staff that she had scanned the item, but it didn't fit into the bags, so she just placed it back in her trolley.

Thankfully, the staff quickly realised the error, and the situation was quickly resolved. Still, the false accusation made the shopper understandably angry and embarrassed.

‘I just thought, wow, you want us to do all our own work now by scanning our own groceries, not having the staff to service, and yet you're going to start accusing us of not paying?' Ms Lyall said.

She also shared that the experience gave her the ‘irk’, and she is determined to no longer shop at her city’s only Woolworths.

The new self-serve checkouts were implemented in Western Sydney’s Seven Hills last year, with much scrutiny over the AI-run software.

Samantha Floreani of the Digital Rights Watch group claimed the technology could make customers feel 'like they are constantly being watched and recorded'.

'This kind of normalisation of surveillance makes space for the growing use of invasive technologies in everyday life to access everyday essential services,' she said.

It’s notable that supermarket giants implement technology like this partly to combat shoplifters.

A spokesperson stated, ‘While most customers do the right thing at our self-serve checkouts, we're all busy, and mistakes can easily happen.’

Unfortunately, our members have experienced a similar issue with Woolies’ self-serve checkouts.

Member @Suzanne rose wrote: ‘We had taken a trolley into Woolworths from Kmart, so it wasn't even grocery items in the trolley, but it picked up that we had a trolley with items in it.’

‘The annoying thing was the lady was helping 2 other people, and then a third went up to ask for something else. I told her this was not fair I had to wait when I was using self-serve to get in and out, and then it picked up Kmart items in my trolley then wouldn't let me proceed,’ she added.

Member @Earth child shared: ‘After scanning and packing all items, the sensor reported two unused homemade bags in my trolley at the point of payment. The screen prompt asked for all items to be rescanned! I was kept waiting while the assistant helped others with issues at their self-serve bays, and wanted to resolve the unnecessary issue. Fortunately, I didn’t have to rescan, but if I was requested to do so, I would have emptied the contents of the bags, left them and walked out. ALDI staff are friendly, Woolies staff (are) dour. No wonder when they have to deal with customer frustration.’

‘I always used the self-checkout, not any more. You can not have your personal handbag in the trolley, as it will tell you that you have something in the trolley and not let you proceed. Where else can you place your personal bag, as you need two hands to use the personal checkout? You are made to feel like a thief,’ member @Sharson stated.

On the other hand, there are members who had no issues with the AI technology.

Member @Observer said: ‘I don't have any issues with it. I scan my items until l hit a $30 spend putting them to the side, scan the rewards card for benefits, and then pay. I place the trolley behind me so the camera doesn't see anything but me. Then all is good. Bagged items go back into my trolley with the receipt. Then I start again. When using my card to make the payment, I hold it in the palm of my hand so that my card details will not be recorded.’

‘Another way of having a go at self-checkouts. I couldn't care less if they want to look in my bags and don't care how many cameras are filming me. If people didn't steal so much, nobody would have to worry about it,’ member @freedy50 claimed.

Key Takeaways

• A Woolworths customer has voiced frustration over a self-serve checkout glitch that falsely accused her of theft.
• Artificially intelligent (AI) cameras at the checkout flagged that the customer had not scanned a bottle of juice, causing a public misunderstanding.
• The incident has contributed to an ongoing debate about the increased use of surveillance technologies in everyday life.

If you’re one of the customers who don’t like self-serve checkouts, we have an ongoing petition to stop its full transition in major retailers. You may sign the petition here.

What do you think of this story, members? Share your self-checkout experiences in the comments below!

I always use a staffed checkout, there are people who need jobs.

 

[Frida1944]

I prefer to use a self checkout and have never experienced this. When I don't bag an item I have scanned when shopping in Coles a message comes up asking me if I want to bag it, and I respond accordingly. I'm surprised that didn't happen for this lady.

 

[Linwar]

Yeah we like Aldi's staff better than anywhere coz they're always cheerful.

Our ALDI check outs are so fast that they throw everything on the tiny ledge, I am still trying to pack when they are asking to be paid and they get very annoyed if you take an extra 2 minutes to pack.

 

[Bricat]

I loathe self-checkouts, and talking to the staff at my local Coles they loathe them too - very boring and occasionally nasty job for them as well. So I won't use them until there is a 20% discount for using them! Jobs are too important. When I can I use Drakes or Aldi - staff in both of them make shopping a great experience and I don't think either have self-checkouts. .

 

[Ralphstar1]

Where’s the cashier?

That’s a question you may have asked yourself in the last few months as more supermarkets embrace self-checkouts. To their credit, these new shopping introductions do work generally well, but–as any tech enthusiast will tell you–you can't always rely on them to work as expected.

Take the story of one 68-year-old Woolworths customer from Vincentia, New South Wales, who experienced a particularly frustrating snag with the checkout machine.

Noni Lyall was bagging groceries at the self-service checkout when a red light started flashing, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology informed staff that she had not scanned a bottle of juice.

View attachment 29054

A Woolworths shopper was left frustrated after self-checkout falsely accused her of theft. Credit: wisely/Shutterstock

And as much of the technology relies on surveillance and facial recognition software, it made the shopper feel like she was stealing.

'To put it bluntly, I was p***ed off, I just couldn't believe it,' she expressed.

'I'm a 68-year-old lady, I don't steal.'

She hurriedly explained to the staff that she had scanned the item, but it didn't fit into the bags, so she just placed it back in her trolley.

Thankfully, the staff quickly realised the error, and the situation was quickly resolved. Still, the false accusation made the shopper understandably angry and embarrassed.

‘I just thought, wow, you want us to do all our own work now by scanning our own groceries, not having the staff to service, and yet you're going to start accusing us of not paying?' Ms Lyall said.

She also shared that the experience gave her the ‘irk’, and she is determined to no longer shop at her city’s only Woolworths.

The new self-serve checkouts were implemented in Western Sydney’s Seven Hills last year, with much scrutiny over the AI-run software.

Samantha Floreani of the Digital Rights Watch group claimed the technology could make customers feel 'like they are constantly being watched and recorded'.

'This kind of normalisation of surveillance makes space for the growing use of invasive technologies in everyday life to access everyday essential services,' she said.

It’s notable that supermarket giants implement technology like this partly to combat shoplifters.

A spokesperson stated, ‘While most customers do the right thing at our self-serve checkouts, we're all busy, and mistakes can easily happen.’

Unfortunately, our members have experienced a similar issue with Woolies’ self-serve checkouts.

Member @Suzanne rose wrote: ‘We had taken a trolley into Woolworths from Kmart, so it wasn't even grocery items in the trolley, but it picked up that we had a trolley with items in it.’

‘The annoying thing was the lady was helping 2 other people, and then a third went up to ask for something else. I told her this was not fair I had to wait when I was using self-serve to get in and out, and then it picked up Kmart items in my trolley then wouldn't let me proceed,’ she added.

Member @Earth child shared: ‘After scanning and packing all items, the sensor reported two unused homemade bags in my trolley at the point of payment. The screen prompt asked for all items to be rescanned! I was kept waiting while the assistant helped others with issues at their self-serve bays, and wanted to resolve the unnecessary issue. Fortunately, I didn’t have to rescan, but if I was requested to do so, I would have emptied the contents of the bags, left them and walked out. ALDI staff are friendly, Woolies staff (are) dour. No wonder when they have to deal with customer frustration.’

‘I always used the self-checkout, not any more. You can not have your personal handbag in the trolley, as it will tell you that you have something in the trolley and not let you proceed. Where else can you place your personal bag, as you need two hands to use the personal checkout? You are made to feel like a thief,’ member @Sharson stated.

On the other hand, there are members who had no issues with the AI technology.

Member @Observer said: ‘I don't have any issues with it. I scan my items until l hit a $30 spend putting them to the side, scan the rewards card for benefits, and then pay. I place the trolley behind me so the camera doesn't see anything but me. Then all is good. Bagged items go back into my trolley with the receipt. Then I start again. When using my card to make the payment, I hold it in the palm of my hand so that my card details will not be recorded.’

‘Another way of having a go at self-checkouts. I couldn't care less if they want to look in my bags and don't care how many cameras are filming me. If people didn't steal so much, nobody would have to worry about it,’ member @freedy50 claimed.

Key Takeaways

• A Woolworths customer has voiced frustration over a self-serve checkout glitch that falsely accused her of theft.
• Artificially intelligent (AI) cameras at the checkout flagged that the customer had not scanned a bottle of juice, causing a public misunderstanding.
• The incident has contributed to an ongoing debate about the increased use of surveillance technologies in everyday life.

If you’re one of the customers who don’t like self-serve checkouts, we have an ongoing petition to stop its full transition in major retailers. You may sign the petition here.

What do you think of this story, members? Share your self-checkout experiences in the comments below!

We never use self checkout....it's appalling that these supermarkets make customers do all the work.