Stealing From Walmart Self Checkout is So Easy
Millions of People visit Walmart stores every year to purchase items at the cheapest rates possible. Consumer psychology is simple when it comes to shopping. The more discounts a retailer provides, the more consumers will purchase from there. Nobody understood this theory better than Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart. This is why the company is the largest retail chain corporation in the whole world today. The company has even made it easier for people to shop at its stores by offering the self check-out option. The self-checkout option will allow you to bill the items yourself without the need for a clerk. But there are people who'll try to escape without paying for the items on the self check-out section at Walmart stores. So, how does Walmart deal with this issue? What is Walmart's self-checkout theft policy? Read the article to find out.
Walmart has been catering to selling products at low prices for nearly six decades. The company has evolved to occupy the number one spot on the Fortune 500 list. You can attribute this megalomaniac success of Walmart to its ingenious pricing strategies and rapid expansion. With more than 4,700 of its stores in the United States, the multinational conglomerate is the largest retailer by sales. But no matter how big a retailer is, it will still be a victim of theft. In fact, it is estimated that Walmart loses nearly $3 billion in theft every year.
There are various ways people steal from Walmart stores, one of which is stealing by not paying for a product at the Self-checkout kiosk. This kind of theft is not only a problem for Walmart, but also for other places that have self-checkout feature. Read on to find out what is Walmart's self-checkout theft policy.
What Is the Self Check-out Theft Policy of Walmart?
Contents
- 1 What Is the Self Check-out Theft Policy of Walmart?
- 1.1 How Does Walmart Prevent Self-checkout Thefts?
- 1.2 What Is Walmart's Missed Scan Detection Program?
- 1.3 Does Walmart Use Facial Recognition Technology at Its Stores?
- 1.4 Are There Fake Cameras at Walmart Stores?
- 1.5 What Are Some Self-checkout Hacks People Are Using at Walmart Stores?
- 1.5.1 Scanning Low-weight Items
- 1.5.2 Cheating With the Scan Gun
- 1.5.3 Entering Fake PLU (Price Look-up) Code.
- 1.6 Conclusion
- 2 FAQs – What Is Walmart's Self-checkout Theft Policy?
As I've mentioned before, Walmart loses more than $3 billion to theft. This is why the company's management takes theft cases very seriously. When you get caught stealing at a Walmart store's self-checkout kiosk, then the retailer will have you on a permanent record. There are dedicated loss prevention officers at Walmart supercenters and other stores. People who get caught shoplifting or stealing, then they'll be detained until the police arrive. In some cases, the retailer company may even try to press charges against these people.
The thing to take note of is that as the value of the item increases, the penalties will also increase if someone gets caught stealing. Walmart uses cameras to identify people who steal at self-checkout kiosks. As there is no staff at the self-checkout kiosks, security guards and loss prevention officers use cameras to find any suspicious activity taking place. If you get caught, then it will surely end up on your permanent record. Once that happens, you'll find it very difficult to secure mortgages from banks. Even potential employers in the future can see this record and decide not to employ you. It is stupid to jeopardize your reputation and career in a simple case of petty theft.
How Does Walmart Prevent Self-checkout Thefts?
Walmart uses various strategies to prevent such thefts from taking place at its stores. The retailer uses various new technologies that identify thefts taking place. The multinational conglomerate has invested billions of dollars to develop new ways to prevent these thefts. These technologies include Missed scan detection through A.I.-powered cameras, video detection programs that monitor activities taking place in its stores, etc.
Every retailer, including Walmart, has something called "shrinkage". This is nothing but inventory loss. All retailers calculate the number of sales that took place and the number of items still in inventory. If the sales are less than items missing in inventory, then this loss of items from inventory is called shrinkage. It is the aim of retailers like Walmart to reduce this shrinkage as much as possible.
What Is Walmart's Missed Scan Detection Program?
More than 1000 Walmart stores in the United States have computer vision technology that identifies any error that takes place in self check-out kiosks. This technology uses high-powered A.I. cameras to monitor people at these kiosks and look out for irregular activities. Walmart implemented this program in 2017, and since then this system appears to be working properly. Most of this technology is being provided by an Ireland-based company called Evergreen. This missed scan detection program enables Walmart store staff to check if the customer has missed scanning any product at the kiosk. This made it nearly impossible for people to steal products during the self check-out process.
Does Walmart Use Facial Recognition Technology at Its Stores?
Facial recognition is one of the cutting-edge technologies of the 21st century. By identifying the faces of customers and employees alike, Retailers like Walmart can monitor these people to prevent fraud and shoplifting. But Walmart claims to not use this technology at any of its stores. There are many NGO groups in America that oppose facial recognition technology in retail stores. These groups state that it is an invasion of privacy. This technology is also highly expensive to operate and maintain. All these reasons prompted Walmart to not use this technology at present.
Are There Fake Cameras at Walmart Stores?
There is no definitive answer to whether some cameras at Walmart stores are fake or not. But the cameras at the self-checkout kiosks are very real. Don't think that the store staff won't notice any irregularities taking place while scanning the items. Generally, people hesitate to do shady things when in front of cameras. So, as long as people can see cameras facing in their direction, even if they are not real, no one will risk being caught on camera. This psychological trick is used in many places, including retailers. Most retailers keep such things a secret, and Walmart is no different from them.
What Are Some Self-checkout Hacks People Are Using at Walmart Stores?
There are some crafty ways people try to evade some products they buy through the self-checkout sections at Walmart stores. Here are some of those hacks that people use.
Scanning Low-weight Items
This is one of the most common methods that people use to steal items in the self-checkout sections of Walmart. All you have to do is to scan a low-wight item and then switch it as quickly as possible. The trick is to carry two similar items to the self-checkout section and scan one of them. After scanning it, drop both those items into your bag. By doing this, you may be able to cheat the scanner. You'll face problems if you get caught doing this.
Cheating With the Scan Gun
This method is a fairly simple one. When you use the scan gun, all you need to do is scan the less expensive items by placing them at the top and putting the more expensive ones at the bottom. Take note that you should scan the smaller and cheaper items at the top. Sometimes Walmart employees may do a random scan, but most of the time, they just re-scan items at the top of the bags.
Entering Fake PLU (Price Look-up) Code.
This is another common method that many people use to steal from Walmart stores. All you need to do is enter the wrong PLU code for the item you are purchasing. For example, if you have some nuts in your bag that cost $15 then you can enter a PLU code for a less expensive item like sesame seeds, which may cost up to $3 per pound. By doing this, you'll only have to pay for the sesame seeds and not for the nuts that you actually put in your bag.
Conclusion
In case you are thinking of stealing from Walmart during the self-checkout, then I suggest you don't. Not only for lack of morality of such actions, but also because if you get caught, then Walmart will take strict actions against you. Walmart has invested billions in implementing various technologies like A.I. powered cameras, and missed scan detection programs to identify and prevent thefts. If you get caught for stealing, Walmart may even put charges against you. The multinational conglomerate loses more than $3 billion every year to theft, now that is a lot of money. To prevent and reduce such losses from happening, Walmart has implemented many strategies. There are even loss prevention officers, who are in charge of preventing thefts from happening. If these officers catch someone stealing, then they'll detain those people and later hand them over to the police.
Even though Walmart doesn't use facial recognition technology at its stores at the moment, there are other ways the retailer uses to identify people who steal. There are plenty of hacks that people use to cheat the scanners at the self-checkout areas. But if you get caught, which has a high probability, you'll have it on your permanent record. Once that happens, all your potential employers and mortgage lenders will be able to see that. All this makes stealing a bag of premium select nuts not worth it.
FAQs – What Is Walmart's Self-checkout Theft Policy?
What is the self check-out theft policy of Walmart?
Walmart takes its self-checkout thefts and shoplifting at its stores very seriously. In some cases, the company even files charges against the people who steal.
How many Walmart stores in America have A.I.-powered cameras?
As of 2022, there are more than 1000 stores that have, A.I.-powered cameras monitoring the self-checkout areas.
What are the penalties for stealing from Walmart?
If you get caught stealing from Walmart stores, then you may go to jail or even have charges filed against you by the company. If you get caught stealing expensive items, then you may face jail time up to to five years.
Source: https://www.thesuperficial.com/walmarts-self-checkout-theft-policy-explained/
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