Shoppers turn Walmart self-checkout into personal slot machine

a reply to: seasonal I had the same experience. I made a purchase and instead of getting 2 5's and a 1 in change( $11) I got a 5 and 2 1's( $7) . The person who loaded the machine reversed the $1 and $5 bill boxes. I was maybe the second or third person to use the machine since it was just a few minutes after 7AM when they went in service. The cash office person apologized but there was no error message, she had to open it to see the boxes were in the wrong order. I would have pointed out the error had it been in my favor, they have cameras and capitalizing on the error is stealing. Of course, I got many a free soda from glitch vending machines and many free candy bards. But I've been stiffed too so its all works out. I wonder what I'd do if an ATM spat out $20 at me, though. Again, cameras. Now a bag of money that fell off an armored car.... well....

originally posted by: crazyewok
Replace human workers with machines and this is the risk you take.

That definitely was not a "smart" machine lol

So staples has a system to reduce inventory that they no longer carry. It is automated by the computerized inventory system. If an Item is lost (say in the back room) it wont be placed out for sale. Say the item is now found a couple months later in a inventory, but the time expired allowed the system to reduce the price to rock bottom. So the laptop that originally sold for $1000 is now $9.10! Obviously the value of the laptop is much more.

Would it be morally wrong to purchase said laptop? A human error occurred twice, poor inventory control, and a system of inventory reduction that allows product pricing to fall far below cost. Or was it good karma for the nice old lady I sold it to? Was it bad karma for me to capitalize on the system to sell the customer all the products that boost my bonus that purchased a new mattress for my newborn that I couldn't afford on my minimum wage job?

In the end, I became employee of the month for sales that month, the customer got more than she could have afforded otherwise, and my baby had a bed to sleep on, and staples enjoyed great word of mouth advertising and increased sales that more than covered the initial loss of revenue. Sounds like a win win to me.

In regards to the op, the system is Walmarts and they alone are responsible for its use. The gentleman with tattoos (obvious bias generator btw) did no wrong in taking avantage of the situation. Those that say they would give the money back on the basis of good morality are merely trading the cash for the "feeling of doing right." Somehow in their mind making them superior to others. They still benefit from the situation, and from the system that made a mistake.

Often times the good feeling is worth more than cash these days. But that's another story altogether...

originally posted by: PhoenixDescending

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: seasonal


Something similar to this happened at a local gas station several years ago. There was an extremely generous pump that allowed you to fill the tank for less than $5.00. I phoned my brother, and dad with "Get over here to the Marathon station ASAP. Pump #4 has gone haywire. You can fill up for less than $5.00!!". I kept the nozzle in the tank and slooowly checked my oil and cleaned my windshield, until my dad arrived a few minutes later. My brother pulled in right behind him.

A sad story. One you seem quite proud of. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...

You did wrong and I believe you felt it, at the time. The way you say you slowly checked the oil and cleaned the windshield. The way you roped other people in to share in your guilt.

It's not worth it. Your soul, your karma, whatever you want to call it or whatever it is - it takes a hit. And it can only take so many hits. Humanity as a whole, takes a hit from these actions. This is the butterfly effect.

Finding a gas pump that was accidentally filling your tank for under $5 was like hitting the lottery. A caring soul shares his winnings with the family...so I invited them to join me, while the pump was playing golden-goose.

This was many years ago....but I would probably do the same thing today. Call it the "corporations will screw a dumb consumer every chance they get" mentality. If they occasionally make a mistake in our favor, good for us!

Why is everyone saying the machine made a mistake?
It was a human being who loaded the bills in to it.
On principle I never use self-checkout because I prefer greeting a cashier and knowing they have a job.

originally posted by: XxitsTtimexX
a reply to: seasonal

What exactly did they do to break the law?

Hint : the law is not morality.

In the Nuremberg Trials, one of the defenses used by the NAZI was that they were not breaking the law.
See a problem here?

Morality is higher than the law, but the law enforces itself with violence.

Limbo

originally posted by: Peeple
a reply to: MisterSpock

You act like a multi billion dollar company needs protection. What's wrong with you?

Would you advocate taxing the country more then? Or would you protect against them?
I mean the country makes billions right, isn't that a kind of business? The individual is different.
Limbo

Im really shocked at a few folks here!!! Honestly!

Its not law, its morality.. INTEGRITY. Id have returned the money and alerted someone. Its not about walmart deserves it cause they are dicks.. its about ME and MY OWN integrity.

Wow folks..

originally posted by: Advantage
Im really shocked at a few folks here!!! Honestly!

Its not law, its morality.. INTEGRITY. Id have returned the money and alerted someone. Its not about walmart deserves it cause they are dicks.. its about ME and MY OWN integrity.

Wow folks..

The essence of some of the arguments is that if a billion dollar company makes a mistake,
then as a little man, you should capitalize on it and fleece em for what they got.
On the flip side some of these big companies capitalize on the little folk in the same way.

I seem to remember a Rockefeller quote.

"Try to turn every disaster into an opportunity"

Little men if unchecked can grow up into being real big men.

Limbo

a reply to: Advantage

Everything in the universe is deteriorating. From planetary orbits all the way down to the Hamburger In your refrigerator. Society is included in that mix.

Focus on doing what makes you happy, and don't worry about everyone else. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us.

originally posted by: Limbo

originally posted by: Advantage
Im really shocked at a few folks here!!! Honestly!

Its not law, its morality.. INTEGRITY. Id have returned the money and alerted someone. Its not about walmart deserves it cause they are dicks.. its about ME and MY OWN integrity.

Wow folks..

The essence of some of the arguments is that if a billion dollar company makes a mistake,
then as a little man, you should capitalize on it and fleece em for what they got.
On the flip side some of these big companies capitalize on the little folk in the same way.

I seem to remember a Rockefeller quote.

"Try to turn every disaster into an opportunity"

Little men if unchecked can grow up into being real big men.

Limbo

The people who "hate" walmart for greed and etc.. they become what they hate by doing the same damned thing! I dont become things I hate.. mainly because Im not a totally immoral hypocrite.

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: Advantage

Everything in the universe is deteriorating. From planetary orbits all the way down to the Hamburger In your refrigerator. Society is included in that mix.

Focus on doing what makes you happy, and don't worry about everyone else. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us.

Amen, my friend! Some of your posts stop me from going on a wall-0-text rant. This happens to be one of those times

Exactly!
Limbo

a reply to: crazyewok

Yeah, and when a vending machine takes your money and does not give you your item(s), it is tough as nails to get money back. But when the reverse happens, it is a crime?

Hilarious ... these are opportunists surely, but not criminals hah!

originally posted by: Advantage

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: Advantage

Everything in the universe is deteriorating. From planetary orbits all the way down to the Hamburger In your refrigerator. Society is included in that mix.

Focus on doing what makes you happy, and don't worry about everyone else. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us.

Amen, my friend! Some of your posts stop me from going on a wall-0-text rant. This happens to be one of those times

Right on, Advantage. Just "go with the flow" of life, and don't sweat the small stuff...which is most everything.

originally posted by: TruMcCarthy
a reply to: Nothin

I admit I don't know what Wal-Mart does in foreign countries, I was basing my claim on the US Wal-Marts, which is really all I care about. As for California, they whine and complain over anything. A burger boy making $12 dollars an hour is a scandal to those folks. They don't want to work for anything and want everything handed to them, so the fact they sued is just another star in the night sky.

Have you ever considered becoming a manager, or business owner?

a reply to: TruMcCarthy

Here is your Walmart..a real class act.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: PhoenixDescending
I disagree, I just know 95% of people would have done the same. Somebody with a mental disorder would most definitively not notice or not care.

Rule of thumb is, most people would return the money IF they knew it came from another regular person. But the moment its coming from a big company, the instant mental process is "oh, well they make lots of money they won't miss this." People have to notice for sure it comes from another human being in order for the mental process to do right kicks in by default. Otherwise "it just our lucky day!"

Im not cynical, just realistic.
a reply to: wheresthebody
Oh nobody here is concerned for Wal-Mart. It is more like, they are concerned for our own souls, or the collective souls of humanity to do right by principal. I think they simply have chosen to forget the history of the human species is all. This would not even be up for debate 100 years ago. Thered be people fighting each other for a turn at the machine.

a reply to: carewemust>>>> Its true about gas prices. If there's any kind of a hiccup in oil production globally anywhere, they'll raise the prices at the pump almost immediately. They'll cite supply and demand and also explain that gas stations and mini marts don't make much profit on gas they make their money with other sales like food and beverages. But if there's a drop in oil prices, you won't see any measurable drop in gasoline prices for a LONG time and they'll quickly point out that the gas prices reflect that the gas they have was refined months ago when prices were higher. Its a BS double standard.