‘Imagine Walmart ruining your life over $10’: Attorney warns against self-checkout, says stores prosecute false accusations and accidental theft

[Wyatt]

A lawyer on TikTok is advising viewers to avoid self-checkout, saying that some retailers are targeting them for loss prevention even in cases where nothing has been stolen.

Carrie Jernigan, an Arkansas-based criminal defense attorney, shares in her video that large retailers had previously been lenient on shoplifters and those who accidentally take something without paying for it. However, as shoplifters have gotten better at stealing more expensive items, Jernigan says stores are cracking down.

Her warning video received over 1.7 million views on the platform as of Saturday.

Jernigan broke the people she has seen get charged with shoplifting into three categories. The first two are those who intend to shoplift and those who do so unintentionally.

"The first group of people getting charged with shoplifting using the self-checkout are people going into the stores with the intent to steal," Jernigan says. "The second group of people catching this charge, I will call the theft-by-mistake. These are the people that I genuinely think just forgot to scan an item. It is usually something that was on the bottom rack of the cart or say a DVD that has slid under the purse, and when they are walking out, asset protection stops them."

The third group of people, Jernigan said, are targeted by a retailer long after they have gone to the store, often when inventory comes up short.

"It is something that, say, asset protection is doing a quality control check or inventory weeks, days, months later comes up short, so they will begin watching hours of video to see the last person who checked out with the Mario Lego set because they're too short, or an Xbox game, and for some reason, they pinpoint that they think you did it," she claims.

Jernigan then says corporations will prosecute with little evidence, so accused customers then have to spend time and money to prove themselves innocent.

"Because of who these big box stores are, they usually have to present very little evidence to get an affidavit or warrant signed," Jernigan claims. "The charges that could land you up to a year in jail get filed, and then you are fighting for your life trying to determine what day you were at Walmart, what all you bought. You have to spend thousands of dollars hiring a lawyer and we have to go through grainy video footage to try to determine what all you bought that day."

These types of cases, Jernigan said, can be lengthy and difficult to prove innocence, especially if someone accused had paid with cash, or doesn't have a receipt and can't prove that they paid that amount, or if the price they paid is correct. She said that once an attorney can prove their client has not stolen anything, the charges are often dropped, but "so much damage" has already been done by that point.

 

[Cascadian]

Hell will freeze over before I use self checkout. I saw my wife do it once. She was surprisingly good at it.

 

[Wyatt]

Hell will freeze over before I use self checkout. I saw my wife do it once. She was surprisingly good at it.

What? Freeze Hell over or use self-checkout?

 

[rice paddy daddy]

I go to Wally World once every 5 years or so.
Last time I was there, I used the regular lanes.

 

[Cascadian]

What? Freeze Hell over or use self-checkout?

Well since I only have the power to do one that would be no self checkout.

 

[Bacpacker]

I refuse to do self checkout. And have more than once left buggies full of stuff sitting due to lack of tellers. I make it a point to let management know about it when I'm walking out

 

[Amish Heart]

I refuse self checkout. Home Depot is the worst about it, that's all that is open. With a lady sitting in a chair watching 4 self checkouts. I just say I don't know how and stand there. Then they do it for me.

 

[goshengirl]

I use self-checkouts all the time. This sort of potential issue never occurred to me! I’ll be paying more attention in the future.

 

[Acdoctor]

I refuse self checkout. Home Depot is the worst about it, that's all that is open. With a lady sitting in a chair watching 4 self checkouts. I just say I don't know how and stand there. Then they do it for me.

I thought I was the only one that played dumb, I don’t like self checkout either. I do not work for them and if I’m going to spend my money with them they will check me out.

 

[Amish Heart]

Yep. I stand there and say I don't know how. I insist I don't know how. They get off their chair. I won't even bag it. I will put my card in and that's it.
And I only go to self checkout if that's the only thing that's open.

 

[Cascadian]

For me it's all about keeping humans employed, such as it is.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Our store has tried to usher us to self checkout, I always ask how much of a discount I get for doing their job. That usually ends their push, lol.

 

[Cascadian]

OMG, our little small town Ace Hardware just added an online pick up parking spot. Get this it is the closest spot not Handicap or Veterans. I parked there and walked in. I am not one for swearing in public but I was yesterday. Our little town does not need a spot for the lazy or scared. Also it pisses me off when they let me stand in line while they do a price check on the phone for someone to lazy to come in. I am literally standing in front of them trying to give them money.

 

[angie_nrs]

It seems most of the self checkout llines are at least accepting cash now. After 'Covid', I would never use one b/c they wouldn't accept cash. If I only have a few items, it's worth it to me to do it myself, but I usually have a cart full b/c I don't go shopping often. I'll stand in line as long as I have to then.

It seems that WM might have a difficult time with their case in the OP if someone uses cash. Heck, they can't usually find people who just walk out the door with TV's, so how are they going to track down someone who may (or may not have) walked out with a lego set? Here's just another reason to use cash IMHO. Privacy is always a good thing.

 

[Zuma]

It seems that WM might have a difficult time with their case in the OP if someone uses cash. Heck, they can't usually find people who just walk out the door with TV's, so how are they going to track down someone who may (or may not have) walked out with a lego set? Here's just another reason to use cash IMHO. Privacy is always a good thing.

Have you forgotten? The TV joggers are a protected class!

 

[DodgesMamMaw]

Stand strong folks resist the self check out. That is someone’s job they are trying to cut out.

 

[angie_nrs]

Stand strong folks resist the self check out. That is someone’s job they are trying to cut out.

I doubt it.........nobody wants to work anymore anyways.