Prioritizing Profits Over Customers

We’ve all felt frustrated and overwhelmed when using a self-checkout machine at the store. These machines were meant to make things easier, but they often create more problems instead. Now, there’s even more reason to avoid them.

According to Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, stores introduced self-checkout machines mainly to save on labor costs, not to benefit customers. In fact, customers have disliked these machines from the start.

Companies like Walmart and Target have put a lot of money into self-checkout machines because they can save up to 66% on labor costs by replacing cashiers. However, studies show that these machines often break down, and customers still need help from a worker to complete their checkout.

But there’s a more troubling issue with self-checkout machines. Some stores have been accused of falsely blaming innocent customers for stealing in order to make more money. They use mistakes made by the machines as an excuse to accuse customers of theft and force them to pay for “crimes” they didn’t commit.

Recently, criminal defense attorney Carrie Jernigan posted a warning on TikTok about the risks of using self-checkout machines. In her video, she explains that big stores like Walmart will go after customers who accidentally forget to pay for an item or leave it in their cart. These companies are even willing to send in a team of lawyers to make you pay for what they consider an “offense,” even if it was just a mistake.

The reality is that using self-checkout machines can be risky. Retailers are quick to assume you’re guilty and will closely review surveillance footage to find “offenders” based on who last used the machine. They don’t need much proof to press charges, which could lead to a year in jail. Suddenly, you could be fighting to clear your name and prove you didn’t do anything wrong.