Self-checkout lanes have become commonplace in grocery stores and retail stores, offering shoppers the convenience of a faster checkout process for smaller purchases. However, these machines have sparked debates about their impact on both the shopping experience and the potential legal implications for users.
Self-service checkout technology has undoubtedly simplified the shopping process for many consumers. By being able to scan items and pay for them independently, shoppers can avoid long lines at traditional checkout lanes. This convenience is especially attractive when purchasing only a few items.
Despite the fact that self-service checkouts shift the work of the cashier onto the consumer, the right customer may find these machines useful. But should you always use one of these devices to shop in-store? Recently, a criminal lawyer used TikTok to expose the significant risk customers take when they choose to use self-service checkouts to make purchases in a store.
Carrie Jernigan, a criminal defense attorney, wants to protect as many of her TikTok fans as possible from prosecution. They argue that people who use self-checkouts are putting themselves at risk for a serious crime they probably don’t even want to commit — theft — like someone who spends time defending innocent people facing criminal charges.
Self-checkout customers are now being arrested and jailed for not scanning an item. The police treat the suspects as criminals and accuse the offender of deliberately attempting to steal goods from the store. Where is the proverb today that says, “Treat everyone innocent until proven guilty”?
When self-checkout devices first appeared, retailers would warn customers if they forgot to scan an item. After letting the customer go back to the cash register to pay for the missed item, they let them go about their day. Even though the “shoplifting” was completely unintentional, they are now severely punishing these “perpetrators” and taking legal action against them.
These are people, in Jernigan’s opinion, who simply neglected to scan the item. In most cases, asset protection prevents them from trying to leave with something that was on the bottom rack of the cart. Almost all of these individuals were either allowed to scan and pay for the item or were simply allowed to walk away with the item they did not pay for.
By 2023, stores will be less inclined to give self-checkout customers the benefit of the doubt and more likely to label anyone who takes goods home without paying for them as a shoplifter.
They simply adopted the “Tell the judge” strategy because they had lost any empathy, Jernigan argued.
Jernigan doesn’t want customers to end up in jail because they forgot to scan an item to complete a purchase. She therefore expects her TikTok video to be seen by millions of potential self-checkout customers.
“It happens when asset protection does a quality check or an inventory that shows up weeks, days or months later,” she said. This makes them start watching hours of video.
Jernigan’s message serves as a reminder to consumers that while self-service checkouts offer convenience, they also come with potential legal risks. Shoppers should take extra care when using these machines to avoid inadvertent mistakes that could lead to legal complications.
In conclusion, the use of self-service checkouts has become a common practice in retail, offering shoppers a faster and more convenient payment process. However, there are growing concerns about potential legal ramifications for individuals who accidentally fail to scan items during checkout. Criminal defense attorney Carrie Jernigan has raised awareness of the issue, stressing the importance of remaining vigilant when using self-checkout technology to avoid unintended legal problems. As self-service payments continue to evolve, it is essential for both retailers and shoppers to strike a balance between convenience and legal liability.