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Instead of having two people at the exit(s) to check receipts, they can scan items at registers. “Another approach is adding a receipt-scanning gate at self-ch

Instead of having two people at the exit(s) to check receipts, they can scan items at registers. “Another approach is adding a receipt-scanning gate at self-checkout areas, which Safeway has done at multiple locations in California, in addition to shutting down self-checkout entirely in some stores.”

underseacables 2y ago
Am I the only one that finds acts like receipt checks, and showing the camera watching you on the self checkout, to be hostile towards consumers? I understand it is in response to theft, but has no one thought about the detriment this does to the consumer using self check out? The very nature of the self check out and all of its problems are driving people to hate them, and in turn resent the retailer.
- throwaway22032 2y ago
  I agree with this as well, it's something that drives me to use smaller stores more even if they cost more. It's just not civilised.
- add-sub-mul-div 2y ago
  > The very nature of the self check out and all of its problems are driving people to hate them What are you talking about? I use self checkout at every opportunity I can. Feel free not to if you don't want, but this projection is weird.
  - tdb7893 2y ago
    Except for how at the grocery store the self checkout scale never works well and I need an employee to come over every time I prefer self checkout. Non-self checkouts to me feel like when I drove to a state where I wasn't allowed to pump my own gas, like it's not that hard just let me do it myself and don't bother me please.
  - albedoa 2y ago
    The thought that OP was projecting onto you, specifically, when referencing "people" — and likely before ever knowing of your existence — is what's weird.
- Terr_ 2y ago
  I don't like receipt-at-door, but I'm not sure I'd describes it as hostile as much as kind of sad. (Unless enforcement is biased, or the person doing the checking is being rude, etc.) I mean, everything in my cart is stuff that I just finished willingly recording into their sales records, so it's not as if I've had time to develop much sense of privacy or attachment over it. For whatever reason, I think I'm more annoyed/discomfited by the "higher security tiny store within a store" thing some places have been doing, especially when all I wanted was a single toothpaste or something.
  - bluefirebrand 2y ago
    > I don't like receipt-at-door, but I'm not sure I'd describes it as hostile as much as kind of sad. It is straight up illegal in Canada for a store to require you to show your receipt in order to be allowed to leave. It's unlawful detainment. This applies to Costco as well. Of course you can have your membership revoked if you refuse there. However other grocery stores have no recourse if you leave without showing your receipt.
    - Terr_ 2y ago
      > in order to be allowed to leave That seems like a straw-man argument. I've never seen anyone actually detained by private employees who suspect theft, and I'll bet many companies' policies quite explicitly prohibit those employees from trying.
      - fragmede 2y ago
        How much stuff have you stolen from stores in order to ascertain that private security doesn't stop thieves? Of course they actually do. Just be glad you're lucky enough not to have had to deal with that.
        Terr_ 2y ago
        You're saying private employees at grocery stores regularly and illegally detain shoppers? C'mon man, citation needed. I'm going to pre-buttal a bunch of "that's not actually the same claim" items here: * If it's a couple notable incidents before the company gets a bloody nose in an expensive lawsuit and changes things, then that's not regular behavior. * If the employee detains someone in accordance with local laws (e.g. the seldom-usable "citizen's arrest"), then it's not illegally acting like police. * If the person is detained by actual police because the employee called them over, then that's not the private company doing the detention.
denimnerd42 2y ago
I refuse to let them check my receipt other than Costco/Sam's where apparently you can lose your membership. Even there if the line is too long I walk out with my stuff. I'm not a thief and won't be treated like one.
- pooooplaaa 2y ago
  big +
- cperciva 2y ago
  FWIW, Costco's receipt checkers aren't looking for shoplifting so much as checking to make sure people collected everything they paid for. In particular stuff like gift cards where you pick up a cardboard token in the store and then get the actual item after paying.
  - TechNeat 2y ago
    [dead]
  - hfe 2y ago
    https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/714/~/why-do-i-have-to-show-my-receipt-at-the-door%3F https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/answer_view/a... Its also loss prevention.
  - nneonneo 2y ago
    There was some news story a while back which claimed that the receipt checking was for the benefit of the consumer, but no: it’s mainly loss prevention. See https://www.businessinsider.com/why-costco-workers-check-receipt-2019-4 https://www.businessinsider.com/why-costco-workers-check-rec... for example.
    - denimnerd42 2y ago
      I mean technically loss prevention is to the benefit of the customer.
- 2y ago

underseacables 2y ago

Am I the only one that finds acts like receipt checks, and showing the camera watching you on the self checkout, to be hostile towards consumers? I understand it is in response to theft, but has no one thought about the detriment this does to the consumer using self check out? The very nature of the self check out and all of its problems are driving people to hate them, and in turn resent the retailer.

throwaway22032 2y ago
I agree with this as well, it's something that drives me to use smaller stores more even if they cost more. It's just not civilised.
add-sub-mul-div 2y ago
> The very nature of the self check out and all of its problems are driving people to hate them What are you talking about? I use self checkout at every opportunity I can. Feel free not to if you don't want, but this projection is weird.
- tdb7893 2y ago
  Except for how at the grocery store the self checkout scale never works well and I need an employee to come over every time I prefer self checkout. Non-self checkouts to me feel like when I drove to a state where I wasn't allowed to pump my own gas, like it's not that hard just let me do it myself and don't bother me please.
- albedoa 2y ago
  The thought that OP was projecting onto you, specifically, when referencing "people" — and likely before ever knowing of your existence — is what's weird.
Terr_ 2y ago
I don't like receipt-at-door, but I'm not sure I'd describes it as hostile as much as kind of sad. (Unless enforcement is biased, or the person doing the checking is being rude, etc.) I mean, everything in my cart is stuff that I just finished willingly recording into their sales records, so it's not as if I've had time to develop much sense of privacy or attachment over it. For whatever reason, I think I'm more annoyed/discomfited by the "higher security tiny store within a store" thing some places have been doing, especially when all I wanted was a single toothpaste or something.
- bluefirebrand 2y ago
  > I don't like receipt-at-door, but I'm not sure I'd describes it as hostile as much as kind of sad. It is straight up illegal in Canada for a store to require you to show your receipt in order to be allowed to leave. It's unlawful detainment. This applies to Costco as well. Of course you can have your membership revoked if you refuse there. However other grocery stores have no recourse if you leave without showing your receipt.
  - Terr_ 2y ago
    > in order to be allowed to leave That seems like a straw-man argument. I've never seen anyone actually detained by private employees who suspect theft, and I'll bet many companies' policies quite explicitly prohibit those employees from trying.
    - fragmede 2y ago
      How much stuff have you stolen from stores in order to ascertain that private security doesn't stop thieves? Of course they actually do. Just be glad you're lucky enough not to have had to deal with that.
      - Terr_ 2y ago
        You're saying private employees at grocery stores regularly and illegally detain shoppers? C'mon man, citation needed. I'm going to pre-buttal a bunch of "that's not actually the same claim" items here: * If it's a couple notable incidents before the company gets a bloody nose in an expensive lawsuit and changes things, then that's not regular behavior. * If the employee detains someone in accordance with local laws (e.g. the seldom-usable "citizen's arrest"), then it's not illegally acting like police. * If the person is detained by actual police because the employee called them over, then that's not the private company doing the detention.

denimnerd42 2y ago

I refuse to let them check my receipt other than Costco/Sam's where apparently you can lose your membership. Even there if the line is too long I walk out with my stuff. I'm not a thief and won't be treated like one.

pooooplaaa 2y ago
big +
cperciva 2y ago
FWIW, Costco's receipt checkers aren't looking for shoplifting so much as checking to make sure people collected everything they paid for. In particular stuff like gift cards where you pick up a cardboard token in the store and then get the actual item after paying.
- TechNeat 2y ago
  [dead]
- hfe 2y ago
  https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/714/~/why-do-i-have-to-show-my-receipt-at-the-door%3F https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/answer_view/a... Its also loss prevention.
- nneonneo 2y ago
  There was some news story a while back which claimed that the receipt checking was for the benefit of the consumer, but no: it’s mainly loss prevention. See https://www.businessinsider.com/why-costco-workers-check-receipt-2019-4 https://www.businessinsider.com/why-costco-workers-check-rec... for example.
  - denimnerd42 2y ago
    I mean technically loss prevention is to the benefit of the customer.
2y ago