Share and Follow
WALMART has been slammed once again for its self-checkout policies, with some saying customers are being treated like criminals.
Charles Bisbee, a Walmart shopper shared his experience of scanning groceries at the self-checkout lane in his local store.
He claimed an employee approached him and pulled into his bag to grab a container of energy drink mix.
“Are you going to pay for that?” the worker supposedly asked, with Bisbee claiming he had a “confrontational” tone.
Other shoppers waited in line as Bisbee, a former Marine, pointed to the screen to show that the item had actually been scanned.
“It’s a small military community,” said Bisbee, who lives in Alamogordo, New Mexico.
“People remember people, so if they think you’re stealing, it just gives a bad impression, even when you’re not.”
Bisbee said his father, a retired colonel, had also been stopped by a worker over a missed-scan alert for one of the three gallons of milk he was attempting to buy.
Bisbee’s father claimed he was distracted by the interaction and ended up buying four gallons instead of three.
The alert is part of a missed-scan detection feature that Walmart began to use at self-checkout lanes in 2019 to curb theft.
Read Related Also: I can’t let my kids out to play as trash overflows on our curbs – it’s been weeks of no pick-ups with no end in sight
It sends a message to workers in the area of possible suspicious behavior.
This has led to several uncomfortable interactions with customers with some turning hostile, according to statements employees told Insider.
Even in cases where stealing might be suspected, employees told the outlet that they’re not allowed to accuse customers of theft.
However, many shoppers said that honest mistakes or technical glitches leave them feeling branded as a thief by either store workers, law enforcement, or even the technology itself.
“We’re continuously working on our security processes, and we encourage customers with concerns to let us know,” a Walmart spokesperson told the outlet.
“Our associates are trained to handle these situations professionally and respectfully, ensuring our customers have the best shopping experience possible.”
Daniel Jones told the outlet that he was “appalled” when the kiosk he was using played security footage of an alleged missed scanned item.
“Not only did I feel like I was being accused of a crime, I felt confused and upset because I was in my work uniform and other people may see the video playback and think that I’m stealing,” he said.
An employee approached and questioned him before reactivating the system but Jones said he felt like he was being “punished” for using the hand scanner to ring up his items.
“It does make the honest shopper feel unwelcome, and feel like they are being treated like thieves.”