Man Claims Tesco Self-Checkout Kept His Cash and Demanded Another 20 Bucks. Then Staff Said Their Machine Does It All The Time: ‘Absolute Ridiculous’
What's wrong with Tesco now?
A man went through the Tesco self-checkout line and ended up steaming after the machine kept his money. On TikTok, @leeseekstruthuk was looking for a routine trip to the shops. Then, the Tesco machine decided it could use another $20 after he already inserted his payment. When Lee approached the workers, they merely told him that “their machine does it all the time.” Which only set Lee off more. He called the exchange “absolutely ridiculous” in his video and the comments agree.
To start off Lee’s video, the screen reads, “Tesco almost robbed me,” and things get more interesting from there. This man had a quick trip to the shops planned and his bill came to £40. Lee noticed the the machine asking for more after paying by cash. He says that he paid in a relatively normal way. “I put £20 in and £210 notes, but then I looked at the screen, and it said, ‘£20 still due,’ and I’m sure I pulled the right money,” Lee recalled.
The shopper checked his wallet, confirmed his suspicions and flagged a Tesco worker for assistance. When the associate rocked up, Lee explained the conundrum and the worker took a look at the machine. The lady mentions that the machine does it all the time after they confirm that Lee had paid for his items on the security cameras. It made the man question just how many people had given Tesco extra money because of a faulty machine. He wonders, “Forgetful people, vulnerable people, old people? How much money is this taken? In excess?”
Tesco’s self-checkout issues over the years
Tesco shoppers have seen a number of different innovations in self-checkout through the years. From the first decade of the technology, there have been mixed opinions about the implementation of these checkouts. On the one hand, there’s the feeling that self-checkout is more convenient. Especially, when people who have very few items get through the line like Lee. However, there are some people who run into the kinds of glitches he finds in the video and that makes the benefits of having to do your own scanning less apparent.
Interestingly enough, Tesco’s business is doing well enough that they’re moving some of their stores into a “checkout-free” configuration. Amazon has been testing out that model of retail in Seattle with cashierless stores. Basically, the building scans your phone when you walk in, and then automatically credits the items you pick up to your account. Tesco’s locations without a till function in the same way according to the BBC. It’s a brave new world out there.
All that progress sounds amazing on the surface. But, remember Lee’s account that he had to have workers check the cameras to determine if he really paid for his items. As with any new implementation of technology, there are always kinks to iron out. It’s just not as often that these glitches could cost prospective shoppers $20 in one trip. Lee’s experience also reflects being able to flag down a worker when something is amiss. Who knows what happens if that option were to become obsolete. All things to ponder as we head into the future of retail. All Lee wants is for Tesco to “sort it out,” and the comments are right there behind him.
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