Warning: The self-checkout at the Greenville Kroger changed my mind about a small lie

I was there last Tuesday getting stuff for dinner, about $35 worth of groceries. At the self-checkout, I scanned a bag of apples but the scale didn't register the weight right. It charged me for one apple instead of the whole bag, saving me almost $4. My first thought was 'score, a win.' But then I looked at the screen and the prompt asking if I needed help. I thought about the cashier who would have to explain the weight discrepancy at the end of her shift, and how that small loss adds up for the store. I ended up calling the attendant over to fix it. It felt silly for such a small thing, but it made me realize I was okay with stealing as long as a machine made the mistake, not me. That's a pretty weak excuse. Has anyone else had a moment like that where a machine 'gave' you something and you had to decide to give it back?

3 comments

3 Comments

white.seth2mo ago

Know that feeling. Had a vending machine give me two sodas once and I stood there for a full minute debating it.

alex_hall911mo ago

My local grocery store had a self-checkout give me an extra $20 last month. I actually went to the customer service desk to give it back because it just felt like stealing from the store itself, not a machine. The manager looked shocked, like no one ever does that.

the_sam2mo ago

I read a study last year where 70% of people admitted they'd keep extra change from a self-checkout error. The researchers called it "digital shoplifting" and said people feel less guilty because a machine is involved. Your story is basically that study in real life.