Lawyer shares video explaining why shoppers should avoid self-checkout

Self-checkout machines may have been launched more than three decades ago, but they have become a key part of the shopping experience, especially after the social-distancing era. Many grocery stores and supermarkets are employing “self-checkout” aisles where customers can scan their products by themselves without the cashier, pay, and walk out without a hassle. While this is supposed to increase convenience, there are potential consequences one would like to stay away from. Lawyer Carrie Jernigan shared a PSA (Public Service Announcement) cautioning shoppers to be wary of using self-checkout aisles. She shared poignant reasons why it's better to avoid them as a whole and customers are agreeing.

At the beginning of her video, Jernigan mentioned that as a lawyer, she advises people to “steer clear” from self-checkout aisles. “Truly innocent people using the self-serve checkout could be charged with stealing items you rightfully purchased or never picked up,” the lawyer added. She explained that many suspects in robberies at supermarkets are primarily those who use self-checkout aisles. She explained that the easiest way to rob items out of a supermarket is by using the self-checkout aisles. However, innocent shoppers often have to face the heat amidst efforts to curb shoplifting. 

To explain further, Jernigan divided those caught at self-checkout counters for shoplifting into three categories. The first kind of people are those who arrive with the “intent to steal.” These shoplifters who deliberately wish to purchase items without paying simply move to the self-checkout system and fraudulently skip scanning their items. While these are the culprits, the people of the other two groups also get equally distressed. The second group under this category is those who accidentally forget to scan their items. Maybe by missing out on an item due to the chaos of scanning everything quickly or just out of carelessness, shoppers may miss out on scanning a product and get mistaken for shoplifters. 

Despite making an earnest mistake, the group has to face charges. “The big-box stores aren’t going to spend their time and resources trying to figure out if you did it on purpose,” Jernigan said. Lastly, the lawyer shared the third group that accounts for most of the population of self-checkout shoppers- the innocent group. However, things are even more complicated for this group. “Most of these are not getting charged the day of,” she explained. It could be days, weeks or months later when inventory is being checked and an employee finds an error in the product count. It is then that they’re deemed suspects completely out of the blue. 

What follows is running to and fro to prove that you didn’t do something while spending hundreds and thousands of dollars. Who would want the hassle of being a suspect months after they purchased a case of apples simply because they used the self-checkout aisle? To avoid this dilemma, Jernigan suggests staying away from self-checkout as an option altogether. Responding to the suggestion, @beckoreily wrote, “My mom accidentally left a $3 lemon oil drop in her cart after shopping for groceries worth $300. She was charged with theft and had to do community service.” @beads04remarked, “Wow, I will never use self-checkout again!”

You can follow Carrie Jernigan (@carriejernigan1) on TikTok for more content on lifestyle and legal advice.