If after using the self checkout at a store you arrive home and discover that you did not pay for a very expensive item, would you feel guilty? Would you contact the store? What would you do?

I did not feel guilty, I felt foolish.

I did contact the store and discovered it’s apparently easier to steal something than it is to give it back!

Many years ago when self-checkout was less common in Walmart stores, I purchased a large cart full of food and products, including a large mixer which was a few hundred dollars. I was happily scanning my products while chatting with my friend. I put the mixer on the machine and I think I heard it beep. When I put my card in, I never even looked at the total, so I did not realize my bill was about $300 light!

I finished scanning and filling my cart, left the store and put my groceries away. A few days later when I was setting up the mixer I went online to register it. I looked on the receipt for the date of purchase and store number and then realized I had essentially stolen the mixer! I was now, for the first time in my life…. a shoplifter.

I first called the store and started to speak with someone I assume was a manager. I said “if someone scans something, but it doesn’t get scanned and they take it home, is that shoplifting? He explained to me that’s not possible, they have safeguards, they have a beep sound, magnetic alarm stickers, etc.

So, my friend and I brought it back to Walmart, the greeter put a sticker on it to show I brought it into the store and I went right away to the service department. I set it down and explained what happened to which the lady asked for my receipt. I handed the receipt from that day to her and explained the mixer would not be on that receipt. She then asked “was there anything wrong with the mixer?” I said no, or at least I assume not, but that I got it accidently and wanted to return it GIVE it back to Walmart. She got her manager, who got another manager, who made a call to someone. Then I was brought to a room where a security guard began looking at video of me, at that checkout stand, happily scanning my items.

He said that since it was such an expensive item and I did not have the receipt they wanted to double check. He then said he thought they would only give me a store credit!

TMALSS, I explained it for the 6th time to the 5th person and finally I was finally able to give them their blender back.

UPDATE: It’s been mentioned to me that I should have just paid for it and kept it, I would have loved to, unfortunately this was not an option as the manager said she could not do that, I had to return it. She told me that since it was still in the box and wrapped in the plastic and had never been used they would put it back on the shelf and sell it. I ended up purchasing a different mixer, similar price, from a different Walmart a few days later and I did not go through the self checkout this time. : )

This commentary about inadvertently shoplifting is by Rachel M Johanson: “I shop a lot! Most of it ends up at the charity shop“

ORIGINAL QUESTION:
If after using the self checkout at a store you arrive home and discover that you did not pay for a very expensive item, would you feel guilty? Would you contact the store? What would you do?