Have you been scammed at the checkout? tell us your story

greenpixie_2

I used to know someone that did this in the exact same way as mentioned above

He worked in a woolworths and never took more than two pounds from a person, but he could leave work theiving a hundred.a day sometimes.

I never agreed with this and soon stopped being friends with this guy after he told me.

Think about all those mums that went into woolworths, lots of them hard up on their last twenty or so pounds and he goes and steals some of it

saver_gem

Someone i know had a job behind the bar of a nightclub and said she would keep a couple of pounds of drunk peoples change as her 'tip!' i couldnt do it, what comes around goes around!

geordie_joe

smj43 wrote: »

I know it's usually small amounts (no more than £1), any more and there is too much of a risk of getting caught out. So all of the people who have said about being given change for a £10 when they gave a £20, it's most likely a geniune error, or the person carrying it out is insane.

Why is this? If someone doesn't count their change they could be short 50p or 10 quid, they are not going to know. And as you say below, if the customer does come back then an apology gets the thief out of trouble.

People may start out thieving 50p, but when that works they get tempted to try it with bigger amounts.

After all, why pull the same trick 20 times (and risk being caught 20 times) just to earn a tenner, when you can get a tenner in one trick. And if you can pull it off 20 times you gain £200.

You will get sacked for stealing 50p just the same as you will for stealing £10. Or, as my gran used to say, might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

EDIT: Forgot to add, it's believable to say you thought someone gave you a tenner when they gave you a twenty. But when you short change them by 50p what do you say "Sorry, I can't add up, even when the till tells me how much change to give you" or "You gave me a £10 note? Sorry, I thought you gave me £9.50".

smj43 wrote: »

There is very little risk of getting caught and if the person does come back, they will simply appologise and hand back your change.

jmd4eva

try actually being a barman!!

serving drunks and people who aren't very nice, who complain all the time when they think they gave a 20 but really gave a 10! we have to shut down tills, get it counted, and then still prove them wrong and they don't buy it.

dizziblonde

It's one reason my ex always used to be scrupulous about getting rid of any £20 notes he took out on the town when he was still sober and present of mind - so he'd spot if anyone tried to short change him. I'll admit I've picked up the habit from him as well - and have had a couple of barmen try it in the past with the old "change from a tenner" routine when I've known full well I paid with a £20 - good job I pay with the £20s prior to being sozzled really!

puss14

At my local newsagency/post office i have had 3 seperate occassions where the guy has given me less change from a tenner rather then the twenty I gave him and everytime he hasn't remotely questioned me when ive pulled him up on it, but has apologised as if he is having an off day and given me the correct amount. I should actually report him to Australia post:mad:
As an ex cashier and bar attendant I was extremely careful with change and would announce the note taken as often people would say they had given you a different note to what they actually had. It goes both ways people who are dishonest don't miss a trick to try and get money out of people.

uniteddw

I used to run a pub... There are many, many scams that both customers and staff try to pull. An experienced manager will have seen them all.

If you're convinced that you've been short changed by a member of staff, insist that the till is cashed up there and then. Don't accept "we're too busy" as an excuse. I always asked the customer to come and watch me count the cash too - saves accusations later. It takes 5 mins to count a till (depending on the amount of cash in there obv).

Bar staff - watch out for customers waving a £20/£50 and ordering a single drink at a time. They wave it at you when they order each drink, convincing you that they're going to pay you with that note. When they hand it over to you, they tell you the amount "There you go, £20". Staff gives change for £20, but if you look in the till the customer will have given a £10.

Unfortunately, most people are dishonest when they are given the chance of getting away with it. I'm not a cynic, just a realist!

smj43

geordie_joe wrote: »

Why is this? If someone doesn't count their change they could be short 50p or 10 quid, they are not going to know. And as you say below, if the customer does come back then an apology gets the thief out of trouble.

People may start out thieving 50p, but when that works they get tempted to try it with bigger amounts.

After all, why pull the same trick 20 times (and risk being caught 20 times) just to earn a tenner, when you can get a tenner in one trick. And if you can pull it off 20 times you gain £200.

You will get sacked for stealing 50p just the same as you will for stealing £10. Or, as my gran used to say, might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

EDIT: Forgot to add, it's believable to say you thought someone gave you a tenner when they gave you a twenty. But when you short change them by 50p what do you say "Sorry, I can't add up, even when the till tells me how much change to give you" or "You gave me a £10 note? Sorry, I thought you gave me £9.50".

Well, techincally what you're saying is true. But I would most likely realise if I was £10 short even if not straight away, I would definately work it out eventually and go back. If we are talking about a supermarket, you will have a receipt and it will have a cashier number and time on it. Every till is covered by many cameras. It would be too easy to get caught.

And as for an explanation about the lack of change, most customers would just be happy to get it rectified and wouldn't question it. But if an explanation was needed it's easy really... 50p must have been in the £1 compartment.

geordie_joe

smj43 wrote: »

But if an explanation was needed it's easy really... 50p must have been in the £1 compartment.

I would find it difficult to believe someone took a 50p piece from the £1 compartment and didn't notice. They would know they were after a £1 coin, so surely they would notice if they picked out a 50p piece. They are very different, in fact they are completely different in every way. Different shape, different size, different weight, different colour!

smj43

geordie_joe wrote: »

I would find it difficult to believe someone took a 50p piece from the £1 compartment and didn't notice. They would know they were after a £1 coin, so surely they would notice if they picked out a 50p piece. They are very different, in fact they are completely different in every way. Different shape, different size, different weight, different colour!

True, but would you stop and argue with a cashier about that if they had returned your money? And even if you do, and they are investigated for it, how could anybody prove otherwise?