Tesco self scan

Moglex

Bit of a first world problem here.

I love self scan but there's a very annoying aspect of Tesco's implementation.

When you scan a coupon, there is a pause and then it says: "Coupon accepted, please insert your coupon". So far so good. The problem occurs when the pause is longer than usual, the stupid machine then tells you to scan a coupon. If you do, it ignores this coupon but, of course, you still get the "Coupon Accepted" message from the delayed coupon. Not a problem if you are just scanning a couple of coupons but I saw some poor soul and a CS assistant having a terrible time trying to sort out what had happened with a big batch.

Nothing mind blowing, but what makes it so annoying is that it would be stupidly easy to correct.

pulliptears

The bigger issue with self serve coupons is you don't actually need to submit the coupon itself.

I'd got one for some free dog treats. Scanned the coupon, tore it off the sheet and accidentally deposited the wrong half into the till meaning I'd still got the coupon. Only realised a few days later when the coupon I thought I'd used was still in my purse.

In theory with a small piece of paper to insert you could reuse a coupon several times, and I suspect if you don't use a clubcard there would be no way to tell.

JJG

You could also walk into the store. Pick up a small item. Put it in your pocket and likely walk out without paying. Stealing is pretty easy most of the time. You don't need to submit a fake coupon to do it. The majority of the population are honest enough though.

Azari

JJG wrote: »

You could also walk into the store. Pick up a small item. Put it in your pocket and likely walk out without paying. Stealing is pretty easy most of the time. You don't need to submit a fake coupon to do it. The majority of the population are honest enough though.

That's not really the point, though, is it?

You would need to risk doing something that might result in you being caught and prosecuted.

What Pulliptears is talking about is a systemic failure that would allow scallies to defraud Tesco without any real risk.

JReacher1

A lot of the self service, self scan systems are easy to abuse if you are that way inclined. The scan as you shop stops me for a random check say one in every ten so I could easily steal if I wanted to.

I suspect they just accept that they are going to lose some business to theft or abuse of the system. It's probably cheaper to accept this loss and have ten self scan machines than it is to pay ten checkout assistants.

JJG

Azari wrote: »

That's not really the point, though, is it?

You would need to risk doing something that might result in you being caught and prosecuted.

What Pulliptears is talking about is a systemic failure that would allow scallies to defraud Tesco without any real risk.

Well the risk is when they cash up the till and check the vouchers scanned with the vouchers submitted. The see at 12:18pm a person bought dog treats using a coupon. But no coupon was inserted. So now they have the person on camera stealing the dog treats.

If you were dishonest enough to steal dog treats you may as well put it in your pocket and walk out.

That is of course assuming the same type of coupon wasn't used multiple times a day on the same checkout.

There is likely a far greater risk of people abusing a coupon in this way than just straight up stealing.

In the same way scan as you shop at TESCO technically makes it easier for people to steal as they could just not scan some small items. You just risk the random check and just say "oh sorry I forgot to scan that".

pulliptears

JJG wrote: »

Well the risk is when they cash up the till and check the vouchers scanned with the vouchers submitted. The see at 12:18pm a person bought dog treats using a coupon. But no coupon was inserted. So now they have the person on camera stealing the dog treats.

If you were dishonest enough to steal dog treats you may as well put it in your pocket and walk out.

That is of course assuming the same type of coupon wasn't used multiple times a day on the same checkout.

There is likely a far greater risk of people abusing a coupon in this way than just straight up stealing.

In the same way scan as you shop at TESCO technically makes it easier for people to steal as they could just not scan some small items. You just risk the random check and just say "oh sorry I forgot to scan that".

But they do have a coupon of sorts, they have half a piece of paper that doesn't contain the barcode.
Added to this, the cameras really won't have you popping in a random piece of paper in the slot because my tesco only really keep an eye on the DVD section etc and certainly wouldn't go back to look for someone putting something other than a coupon in for a 99p item. How do I know? My cousin works there and I confessed

Also, if a dozen people bought the treats with the coupon that day (and it was a local mailshot so very possible) how are they to know who popped in the wrong piece of paper as the system only recognises the fact that 'something' has been put into the coupon bin, not what.

It's practically impossible to police, whereas as Azari points out, shoplifting is.

JReacher1

Coupons are rarely of a value higher than £1.

If a customer wants to reuse a £1 voucher on numerous occasions when they buy that product then I doubt it's that serious an issue that Tesco need to do anything about it.

WH Smiths have a honesty pot where you put the price of the newspaper in the slot and walk out. That is another system that is easy to abuse if you are that way inclined.

As always with systems like this there is an element of trust involved. If supermarkets then start to lose money then they will withdraw the service.

Cycrow

JJG wrote: »

Well the risk is when they cash up the till and check the vouchers scanned with the vouchers submitted. The see at 12:18pm a person bought dog treats using a coupon. But no coupon was inserted. So now they have the person on camera stealing the dog treats.

thats unlikely to happen however, it would be very difficult to tell what time and even what till the wrong coupon came from.

molerat

JReacher1 wrote: »

A lot of the self service, self scan systems are easy to abuse if you are that way inclined. The scan as you shop stops me for a random check say one in every ten so I could easily steal if I wanted to.

I suspect they just accept that they are going to lose some business to theft or abuse of the system. It's probably cheaper to accept this loss and have ten self scan machines than it is to pay ten checkout assistants.

Just about sums it up. Why do all stores not have security guards and tagging - simple, the cost of preventing theft is greater than the cost of the theft and prevention measures will not completely eliminate theft.

NBLondon

pulliptears wrote: »

The bigger issue with self serve coupons is you don't actually need to submit the coupon itself.

I'd got one for some free dog treats. Scanned the coupon, tore it off the sheet and accidentally deposited the wrong half into the till meaning I'd still got the coupon. Only realised a few days later when the coupon I thought I'd used was still in my purse.

In theory with a small piece of paper to insert you could reuse a coupon several times, and I suspect if you don't use a clubcard there would be no way to tell.

I find the reverse in Sainsbury: Scan coupon, put it in slot, detector misses it so till is still demanding "Insert Coupon". So I pick up a discarded random till receipt or other coupon (plenty of these in the bin underneath) and shove that through the slot until one registers. Can take 2 or 3 goes...