Weird Walmart situation

[Mrs. Bradbury]

My husband and I had something happen yesterday at Walmart and I thought I would post here and see if you guys understand what could have happened better than we did.

We went to check out using an open self-checkout register. The store was not very busy so we did not go right behind someone; there were lots of self-checkout registers open with no waiting. I scanned something and then it said that the weight was off and I would need to get an employee to help. That set my grumpy husband to grumbling about how these things never worked (it's worked fine for me plenty of times!) but I do mean just grumbling under his breath. The employee manning the self check out area came over, didn't say anything, then started scanning the rest of our items, which I thought was weird but also wondered if maybe she thought I had an abusive husband because of his grumbling - or perhaps she did it because we've reached OLD PEOPLE status and she thought we didn't know how to operate a scanner LOL. A couple more times the register said the weight was off but she just kept overriding it. Then she basically walked me through finishing the transaction. I briefly thought, "Wow, there goes $50 for almost nothing!" but didn't think much about it because everything costs so much these days. My husband picked up our bags and I grabbed our receipt and we left.

As I was getting in the car, I realized that there was an item for almost $6 (dishwasher detergent) on the receipt that we did not buy. Then I realized that THAT was why it kept saying the weight was off - it was expecting an item to be there that was not.

So I went back into the store with our bags and the employee who was at the self checkout was now in the customer service area, and said she would help us. I explained about the item that we did not buy being on our receipt, and she wordlessly gave me a refund, and marked through the item on my original receipt. I asked if I would get a receipt for the refund and she said no.

The whole thing just feels odd. When she did talk she spoke in halting English so maybe there was a language barrier, but I was just bewildered as to how the dishwasher detergent could have gotten on our tab in the first place, and I wasn't getting any explanation from her. I'm pretty attentive and did not see anything already scanned when I scanned our first item.

I'm hoping some of you savvier-than-me folks may be able to fill in the blanks as to what might have been going on.

 

[NYCDiane]

There is always the possibility that the barcode on your item was entered incorrectly as dishwashing detergent at the main office and that's why it scanned as such. It happens sometimes.

Did you compare everything on your receipt to everything you purchased?

The only other reasonable answer would be that someone before you scanned something and then decided they didn't want it OR they scanned it trying to find out a price (instead of going to a price checker)

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

It could have been that someone use the machine before you and rang up that item and for whatever reason did not complete their transaction. And when you used it the item was still in the system but you scanned your first item put it in the bag and that is why the weight was off.

I have had this happen before. I have stepped up to a machine where someone had already started a transaction and the items were on the screen but no one was around.

I would not worry

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

There is always the possibility that the barcode on your item was entered incorrectly as dishwashing detergent at the main office and that's why it scanned as such. It happens sometimes.

Did you compare everything on your receipt to everything you purchased?

The only other reasonable answer would be that someone before you scanned something and then decided they didn't want it OR they scanned it trying to find out a price (instead of going to a price checker)

Yes, I compared what we bought to what was on the receipt - we bought 11 items and the receipt was for 12. If it had been a dollar or so I wouldn't have gone back, but $6 was worth it to me!

 

[tina.tina]

Maybe everyone else is smarter than me, but....

I don't recommend using the self-checkout if you're paying cash. I put in a $20 and it said I put in a $5. I'm positive it was a $20 because I had gotten it out of my purse and locked my purse in the car. I looked at it a couple of times to be sure I had enough to buy the $12 of stuff I got and looked at it again right when I put it in the machine.

They closed down that machine to count it and gave me my correct change without comment but the same thing happened to the people at another self-checkout just as we were walking past them.

 

[NYCDiane]

Maybe everyone else is smarter than me, but....

I don't recommend using the self-checkout if you're paying cash. I put in a $20 and it said I put in a $5. I'm positive it was a $20 because I had gotten it out of my purse and locked my purse in the car. I looked at it a couple of times to be sure I had enough to buy the $12 of stuff I got and looked at it again right when I put it in the machine.

They closed down that machine to count it and gave me my correct change without comment but the same thing happened to the people at another self-checkout just as we were walking past them.

I absolutely LOVE the self-checkout!!! I like to scan my own items and coupons so I know it all scanned correctly. I also like to bag my own items so they are bagged the way I want them to be bagged.

Thankfully, I've never had an issue where it read my money incorrectly and I've always gotten the correct change.

The only time I get annoyed at the Self Checkout is when someone ahead of me has no clue what they're doing and it takes them forever just to scan one item. ANNOYING!!!!!

 

[pixiewings71]

It most likely someone used the checkout and it didn't get cleared before you started your transaction. If that is the case it will tell you your weight is off. That being said I really cannot stand those self checkouts, every single time I use them I have issues. Every.single.time.

 

[clh2]

I just HATE self checkouts. I have a problem just about every time I use one. Mostly because I do something stupid like set my purse down because it is in my way. I will only use them if I have 1 or 2 items. That is it. I hate shopping, so I rarely only have one or 2 items.

If you want me to "check myself out" - please give me a discount on my groceries!!!

 

[squirrel]

I just HATE self checkouts. I have a problem just about every time I use one. Mostly because I do something stupid like set my purse down because it is in my way. I will only use them if I have 1 or 2 items. That is it. I hate shopping, so I rarely only have one or 2 items.

If you want me to "check myself out" - please give me a discount on my groceries!!!

I also hate using the self checkout. I always need the attendant for an over ride as I either have a coupon or I'm purchasing an item at 50% off. Ends up taking just as long or longer than the other lanes.

 

[scrapquitler]

There is always the possibility that the barcode on your item was entered incorrectly as dishwashing detergent at the main office and that's why it scanned as such. It happens sometimes.

Did you compare everything on your receipt to everything you purchased?

The only other reasonable answer would be that someone before you scanned something and then decided they didn't want it OR they scanned it trying to find out a price (instead of going to a price checker)

Yes, I would guess that it is one of these two things.

 

[danygirl]

not a fan of self check out If a store wants me to bag and scan my order they can pay me $9 per hour. you pay the same price for self check as for cashier check - they should offer a discount if you do all the work.

 

[taymaesmom]

I HATE Walmarts self checkout, I honestly don't think I have ever used it without having to get an employee to help. Twice I have had to take all of my items to a normal checkout and recheckout because of some issue or another. I use Sam's and Krogers self checkouts all the time with no issues ever but Walmarts are bad. Why are Sam's fantastic and Walmarts horrible when they are owned by the same company! Crazy!

 

[MillauFr]

I prefer shopping on Amazon.com. No need even to drive to the store. I really don't like to waste time driving to the store, searching the store for your items, waiting in line at checkout, loading your car, and then driving home. I would rather spend time at home relaxing and letting someone else do all of the dirty work.

 

[kymom99]

I try my best to ONLY use the self checkout. As said in previous posts, I like to be in control of scanning my items correctly and bagging my groceries the right way. I bring my own bags, and when I have a cashier ring me up, the baggers stuff everything into 2 or 3 bags and leave one empty! Why would anyone do that, stuffing bread and lettuce into a bag with heavy things? It makes no sense, but that is what they do. Then the bags weigh a ton and everything gets smashed. When I do my own, I can even bag things by where they go in the house so I can take the bags to those areas to unload. I rarely use the regular checkout lanes anymore.

 

[tina.tina]

Even though I had the problem with the cash (see above), I do like the self-checkout. Whenever I have problems, it's because DH is with me. I've trained DD(almost 13) and she is a whiz, though!

The ones at our local store seem very sensitive. I think the trick to them is to just scan 1 thing at a time and set it in the bagging area. I bag my stuff after I've paid and I don't have any problems at all. DH gets anxious to bag our stuff and whenever he picks stuff up is when it goes a little haywire.

 

[shepd]

Self-checkouts have to be one of the dumbest designs I've seen yet. Best are the ones that shoot the bills out at your crotch.

Last one I used missed a $2 coin in the change (Canadian). I know this because I was bored and emptied my entire pocket of change into the thing, and it said my change due was $3.15 on the receipt, but it only gave me $1.15. Yergh.

As for the OP's situation, yeah, probably someone scanned something, changed their mind, and put it back. The attendant probably stayed because they figured they'd just have to keep coming back to push the override button anyways.

Personally, I generally avoid the self-checkouts because they're just slow and frustrating. Except at Canadian Tire, where they also dispense Canadian Tire "money" that people almost always completely forget about. If I see the person leaving without it, I'm always nice and give it to them. Otherwise, finders keepers!

 

[JB2K]

Why are Sam's fantastic and Walmarts horrible when they are owned by the same company! Crazy!

Easy - when WM brought-back the self-checkout (after a history of abuses on the customers' part - namely, putting different barcodes on HDTVs), they made it into a "corral-style" area, where the self-checkout supervisor could keep a close eye for that sort of riff-raff.

As for Sam's Club - it's a club store, which requires you pay for membership to shop there (if someone is going to "game" the self-checkout system, they are not likely to do it at a store that holds membership data on them).

 

[njmom47]

I worked in a grocery store for almost 20 years, and even though I was rarely on register, I will NOT use a self-checkout lane. I like someone to ring my groceries for me.

 

[Lewisc]

It most likely someone used the checkout and it didn't get cleared before you started your transaction. If that is the case it will tell you your weight is off. That being said I really cannot stand those self checkouts, every single time I use them I have issues. Every.single.time.

Probably true. No excuse for a WM employee not understanding the problem. I can understand a customer making the mistake. The Walmart employee should have cleared the register before scanning the items.

 

[rock_doctor]

Easy. The guy before you pretended to check out his dishwasher soap but didn't... You walked up not realizing that the purchase was still open from the previous person. She gave you the money back because she checked you out and likely remembers not seeing dish soap in your bag. I assume walmart lost a ton of money on the self checkout. They removed all of them from the stores in my area.