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3 reasons you may want to skip the self-checkout line at Walmart

On Behalf of | Mar 6, 2019 | Shoplifting

No one likes to wait in line, especially in Walmart. After wading through the throng of shoppers in narrow aisles, the last thing you want to do is wait in line behind them.

Enter the self-checkout solution. More stores in the Orlando metro-area have installed a section of checkout stations designed to keep customers moving. However, the self-checkout line comes with a price and it may include handcuffs. Consider these three reasons you should avoid scanning your groceries yourself.

1. Shoplifting rings have ruined the convenience

Self-checkout kiosks enable people an alternative to waiting for cashiers. However, with the rise in theft at unmanned registers, that convenience disappears. Shoplifters rely on a bait-and-switch tactic specifically designed for self-scanning checkouts. Walmart has no choice but to step up their diligence or risk losing millions of dollars or more. A single misstep on your part may result in an accusation of shoplifting, even if the mistake was innocent.

2. The scale may not register properly

Ever had the fight with the register about “unexpected item in bagging area”? It is infuriating, but it has a purpose. The design catches people bagging what did not cross the scanner. To most shoppers, however, an error message like this does not mean anything illicit occurred – it means you did not get the cereal in the bag quick enough. To authorities, however, it may signal something was paid for.

3. Scanners do not always work

You may function on autopilot in the self-checkout line, dragging your items across the scanner and waiting for the beep to indicate success. You may zone out and an item you thought scanned did not. With the plethora of cameras around the register, a loss prevention officer may assume the omission was intentional. When you go to leave the store, you may find yourself in a “he-said, she-said” with cameras.

Facing false accusations and arrest of shoplifting when you committed no such crime is embarrassing. Instead of opting for what appears the more convenient way to check out from the store, wait a few more minutes and get out without accusation.