Self Service Checkouts at Tesco

rubadub · 28-08-2005 03:57PM

Please tell me what she was yelling, and what her husband said to the manager in complaint. How could they possibly have a reasonable argument?

I thought the supervisor at the self checkoutwould come over when I swiped my card, but they didnt. Now I do not understand why they still make me sign at the normal checkout, why not just swipe and go there too? saves time...

Scraggs · 28-08-2005 04:07PM

i've used someone elses credit card on these self service checkouts and not a word was said. Admittedly it was my dads and he sent me in to get stuff but still i could have been anyone!
I've heard that when cc's go fully c&p sometime next year stores will be updating software and only allow c&p cc transactions

cee_jay · 28-08-2005 04:43PM

rubadub wrote:

Please tell me what she was yelling, and what her husband said to the manager in complaint. How could they possibly have a reasonable argument?

Basically they didn't have much of an argument - she was just yelling at me for not accepting the card (apparently it was all my fault!). She just created a scene and was not being one bit rational about it (it was a few years ago so can't remember her exact words!). Stuff along the lines of "this is a disgrace, she uses it everywhere else, etc. etc." Oh and the fact could I not see that she had two young kids with her and it was the last thing she needed! (She had the 2 young kids in shopping while the husband sat outside in the car! If she was that stressed with them leave them outside!)

The husband complained to the manager because I embarassed his wife and it was "obvious" that it was her husband's card, and that I was just trying to create a scene for them!
The manager just politely informed him that if he wasn't happy that we were being vigilant about security, and the fact that his card could have been stolen, to write to head office.
And if he did want his wife to be able to use his card, get her a card in her own name.

Everyone on the checkouts were just laughing at them!

DrIndy · 28-08-2005 05:30PM

You should have cut it in half on her, then kept the pieces!

You would have been in your rights to do so!

angeldelight · 29-08-2005 01:49AM

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

those NCR checkouts are very sophisticated - the packing side is a weight scale and the weight of each scanned item is read to make sure you are scanning and not swapping the items around.
they could do with more of them.

They can be really irritating though! If you're buying something like a card or a plastic bag even it can take ages to get it to recognise that.

My mum and I use the self service all the time now (I'm a big child and love putting the stuff through). If we're only buying a few small things she just has to swipe. If we're doing a full shop and its a lot of money a slip for her to sign does get printed off and person keeping an eye on the tills comes over to check

rob1891 · 29-08-2005 02:08AM

What happens when you fill up the two spaces for bags? Can you take a bag off and put another on? I've never had the pleasure of doing so much shopping!

angeldelight · 29-08-2005 12:50PM

rob1891 wrote:

What happens when you fill up the two spaces for bags? Can you take a bag off and put another on? I've never had the pleasure of doing so much shopping!

At the tesco in Maynooth anyway, there's 2 express tills where you put the bags on and one for people with trollies with a conveyor belt that you put everything on after you scan it, someone at the end packs!

JackieChan · 29-08-2005 12:51PM

I decided to use the self service checkout for a big shop I had done a few weeks ago....It was a bit of a nightmare. It took about 10 seconds for the scanner to interpret the barcodes and the whole experience took about 5 times longer than if I was using a cashier!!
They are great for some amounts of shopping but I personally wouldn't use them for a big shop again.

rubadub · 29-08-2005 01:25PM

cAr0l wrote:

The husband complained to the manager because I embarassed his wife

Everyone on the checkouts were just laughing at them!

Good, I would have loved to have seen it. Sounds like she was embarrassing herself yelling at you about a non-existant argument.

Malorkus · 29-08-2005 01:51PM

seamus wrote:

That's not the reality of the situation though. CC companies are well known for being difficult about it, especially when the amounts are small (thieves tend to pay for small things like petrol so suspicion isn't aroused when they try to buy a 35k car on a credit card), and the purchases are made in your locale.

Well I';ve doen it 4 times now with AIB Credit Card Centre and they haven't even questioned me - and all 4 times I have been correct and the merchant wasn't able to prove otherwise.
E.G. Once was for an item that wasn't 'as described' when it arrived (which is against the 'Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act'). I sent back the item to the retailer in the UK. They never refunded me, so I disputed the transaction with AIB CC, saying that I only authorised them to charge my card for "Item X" - and because "Item X" was different than it's website description, technically it isn't "Item X" anymore - it's "Item Y" - which I never asked for and never authorised a transaction for. AIB refunded me immediately, and then chased the merchant.
The merchant then claimed they never received the returned item, but me being the shrewd kina guy I am, I had returned it by registered mail, and was able to tell them the date, time and name of who signed for it - and the case was closed. The merchant was lying, and I proved it to AIB.

I've yet to have a problem with my CC company being awkward or slow.

Tiffany · 29-08-2005 08:01PM

Speaking of those self-service checkouts, it's so easy to steal... if I buy a few items I usually don't scan one or two of them through. Sometimes there are security guards there monitoring though.
And that automated voice is f***ing irritating... "Please insert cash or swip credit card, Please insert cash or swip credit card, Please insert cash or swip credit card..." I will if you give me two f***ing seconds! :mad: *rant over*

Jonny Arson · 29-08-2005 10:05PM

I used one of these self-service checkouts tonight and they are so cool but I had to wait nearly 5 minutes to use one becuase people were so slow at using them (mostly older people...... them and technology is never a good combination) and people had way over the clearly stated 10 item limit. One person even had a half-trolly full of items! They are a great idea but the security at them needs to be dramatically improved.

Guy:Incognito · 29-08-2005 10:21PM

daymobrew wrote:

BTW, in California, back in 2000, you could use your ATM card for purchases - just enter your PIN. No signature required. No Chip-n-PIN fanfare.

"just enter your pin"????? is that not exactly what chip and pin is??????

Our man in Havana · 29-08-2005 11:39PM

The stupid thing is that your card can still be skimmed as it needs to be swiped first anyways.

Tescos still swipe your card and don't use the chip feature.

markpb · 30-08-2005 08:38AM

Stekelly wrote:

"just enter your pin"????? is that not exactly what chip and pin is??????

I think daymobrew means they had PIN + Magstrip instead of signature + Magstrip.

daymobrew · 31-08-2005 08:02AM

markpb wrote:

I think daymobrew means they had PIN + Magstrip instead of signature + Magstrip.

Correct, there was no 'chip' in the card.

daymobrew wrote:

No Chip-n-PIN fanfare.

I meant that the banks weren't patting themselves on the back telling us how wonderful they were, the system simply used the existing features of the ATM card (PIN presumably is on Magstrip).

Bank of America has an excellent feature where it puts your photo on the credit card!!

markpb · 31-08-2005 08:46AM

Bond-007 wrote:

The stupid thing is that your card can still be skimmed as it needs to be swiped first anyways.

Tescos still swipe your card and don't use the chip feature.

I think I read somewhere that the transaction is done on the chip (if present) but they still swipe it because their software hasn't been updated yet

bullrunner · 31-08-2005 12:04PM

Blisterman wrote:

Also, the chip and pin cards don't work online, which is where most credit card fraud takes place.

how do you figure that chip and pin cards don't work online? i have one...i buy stuff with it online...

Self Service Checkouts at Tesco

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