I am wondering what people would do in following scenario.
You are shopping with your family. You buy 2 full trolley load from Coles or Woolworths and then walk into Aldi for some additional stuff. When it's your turn at checkout, the staff asked whether this stuff is from another shop. You say 'Yes' but they insist on looking into the bag though you have shown them receipt(proof of purchase.
3 to 5 bags are ok but if someone has 15 to 20 bags full to top, I don't think it's pleasant experience for the customer.
In this situation, happy for them to unpack if they are keen to check and pack all the stuff again in same nice way.
For bodycam thing, new privacy legislation is coming into play soon which will trigger fines up to $50m for data breaches and require full disclosure requirements.
It will be interesting to see how these retailers respond particularly around disclosure of the retention period and what they do with the bodycam footage.
I don't think it's pleasant experience for the customer.
Nor is it for the staff. But it’s their job and it needs to be done.
This would be signed as a condition-of-entry right at the entrance anyway so you shouldn’t act all surprised.
Next time consider unloading your 20-bags-full trolley into the car first before shopping there to improve your, and the staff’s, experience.
so what is all this crap for?
100s of cameras…
undercover loss prevention officers…
visible security guards…
elec security tags
camera / weight monitoring at self checkout…
@franco cozzo: Security is only as strong as its weakest link.
Unless you can confidently tell me that every inch of the floor is under active surveillance 24/7 (a human is actively checking the cam), checkout staff will still need to do their checks.
But honestly, it doesn’t matter what you or I think, it’s their store, so it’s their rules. Don’t like it? Don’t shop there.
OP can absolutely refuse to be checked, but they would just make it more embarrassing for themselves and would be banned from entry next time.
needs to be done.
I don't see how you come to that conclusion when its rarely done hehe :)
I'd happily show receipt/let them look through the bags then move on with my life….
What if they don't accept receipt and insist on unpacking 20 bags?
You say no thank-you and move on with your life.
ok but what if they insist you open up your banking app and show them the money deducted from your account for the shop at Coles? What then?
@Spamazon: ok but what if they make you go back to the store and request the CCTV footage of you shopping
recently happened to me at iga with a full to the brim shopping trolley from aldi..
went up to pay with a small basket of items that aldi doesnt stock and the checkout lady serving me was more worried about inspecting my trolley full of aldi shopping rather than serving me professionally & courteously…she was rude abrupt and accusatory without any reason. so much so she rushed out from behind her checkout position grabbed my trolley and pulled it away from where i was standing so she could 'inspect' my trolley full of shopping bags
i just watched what she was doing so dramatically & then laughed & waved my $220 aldi receipt at her and her manager who had also joined in & said go ahead inspect away…..she and her manager were so frustrated that i hadnt stolen anything and that they didnt have any authority to inspect & open my shopping bags other than glancing over them, without my approval to do so.
i told them how absolutely appalling their customer service was & left. ..shopping is becoming increasingly nasty and unnappealing these days i find. too much security surveillance and suspicion when you are just trying to go about your business
..shopping is becoming increasingly nasty and unnappealing these days i find. too much security surveillance and suspicion
That is because of the high level of theft from supermarkets. People are known to load a trolley with goods and attempt to walk out without paying. Given the current financial pressure many consumers are experiencing, I would expect that this has become more of a problem recently. Stores are being vigilant to ensure that customers are paying for goods leaving their stores.
Simple solution is to put your trolley of shopping in your car, or leave it outside the store with a family member, or ask to the service desk to hold it while you enter the second store to make your purchases.
Staff are doing their job trying to reduce loss. Comply with the store's entry requirements or shop elsewhere.
Getting angry about this is either just being a Karen, or suspicious behaviour that a thief would exhibit in an attempt conceal their stealing of goods.
I just don't shop there. Not worth the hassles
Could one of you wait outside while the other goes in for what's needed from Aldi?
Yes definitely a good idea!
Wait, this didn't occur to you?
And miss out on all the potential goodies inside? I think not
It's a condition of entry. Read the sign before you walk in next time
Everyone is aware of the condition of entry but there needs to be a balance.
Next time you take 20 bags full of grocery when only 1 checkout is open and there is a long queue behind you. When staff ask you to unpack each bag to shown them contents and when you had showed them $300+ receipt, I will ask you how frustrating and embarrassing it is!!
Happy to authorise staff to check bags and the.y are responsible for re-packing all things.
It's all drama that can be easily avoided.
Elaborate here - why the customer is required to unpack 20 bags when some old lady is on power trip. If they are so much worried, they can unpack and re-pack bags.
It's not different to gift card promo where some old staff makes their own rules and impose 5 cards per household limit.
@Ash-Say: Thanks for the opportunity in allowing me to elaborate.
Imagine yourself at work. Just doing your job (whatever it may be). Some random comes along and delays you unnecessarily from performing your task efficiently. Unfortunately you're obliged to help this painful person because your task also requires you to follow the workplaces rules. If you don't, management will come down hard on you after they review video of your work performance and not following the correct procedures. Meanwhile, you are now behind on your core tasks and possibly going to miss KPI's for the day.
In conclusion this highlights to me:
It's not different to gift card promo where some old staff makes their own rules and impose 5 cards per household limit.
No it's not, in any possible way.
@Ash-Say: I would agree with you, you can inspect if you want to rummage through and unpack, pack yourself. I'm not doing it for you if you want to check
Load your groceries into the car then head back into Aldi problem solved.
waste of time and inconvenient
@franco cozzo: Probably a lot quicker and less inconvenient than unpacking 20 bags in this scenario you have created.
waste of time
I would have thought having all of your shopping rechecked would have been much more of a waste of time.
@DashCam AKA Rolts: only has happened once and when they tried i just laughed at them waved my receipt in their faces and left :)
i just laughed at them waved my receipt in their faces and left :)
You do realise a business can decide to ban you from entry, for not complying with Conditions of Entry.
@Crow K: yeah this bad ass went back to buy more mango yoplait and bulla vanilla ice-cream…im a frickin menace to retailers and society as a whole.
I rarely get checked when I walk into grocery stores with items from other stores . Maybe 2-3% . Kmart is a different story though .
Don’t get me started on Kmart! One person checking receipts at the exit, I just walk out with my receipt held high if they’re busy. Why should I line up to exit the store??
Subject to Bag inspections … Username checks out
I tell them its none of their business where i buy stuff and if they want to look then look. It really is none of their business. Same as "show me your receipt from the other shop" If anyone asks me that they get a massive lesson in what they cant do legally and a refusal to comply.
Im also not one of the sheep that blindly wave receipts at kmart whilst slowing down to show people what i buy. I walk straight out ingnoring such crapola
like your style bro
Im also not one of the sheep that blindly wave receipts at kmart whilst slowing down to show people what i buy. I walk straight out ingnoring such crapola
Excellent. 100% Karen response.
no…its a 100% not taking BS response.
So despite the store's conditions of entry, which you accept by entering the store, it doesn't apply to you? Okay Karen.
@DashCam AKA Rolts: Where does it say they can ask for my dockets or where i have previously shopped you complient Sheep?
@Motek Benzona: Here is their Bag Check Policy:
What is ALDI's bag check policy?
29/12/2020
It is a condition of entry that all bags, parcels, prams and containers are presented for inspection.
https://help.aldi.com.au/s/article/What-is-ALDI-s-bag-check-…
@DashCam AKA Rolts: Consumers have accepted the conditions of entry into a store if a notice asking them to display the contents of their bag is:
clearly displayed
visible before they enter the store.
Consumers can say ‘no’ to a bag search. In this situation, a store employee may:
ask them to leave. A store is private property, not a public place, so if a store employee instructs a consumer to leave, they must go
refuse to sell the consumer any products
call the police, if they believe the consumer has committed an offence such as theft.
Bag search policies are not expressly regulated by the Australian Consumer Law or other Victorian legislation.
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) advises its members that when it is a condition of entry to a store, shopkeepers may check bags, cartons, parcels and containers that could reasonably be expected to conceal goods. However, it recommends that shopkeepers only check small, personal bags (the size of A4 paper or smaller) when they are certain the bag conceals unpaid-for goods from the store.
The ARA's advice is subject to the consumer’s right to say ‘no’ to a bag search. If consumers want to dispute a store’s claim, they should seek independent legal advice.
It's their policy to check bags - it's not their fault if you walk in with numerous bags full to the brim. Proof of receipt from another store doesn't in any way mean you haven't put any of the ALDI products in your bag with intention to steal them.
Just because you've put yourself under duress or elevated stress levels with managing your family and two trolleys etc doesn't mean you get a free pass at potentially shop stealing. I suspect that if you had one empty bag, no kids/family and no trolley full of goods that you might abide by the request to view the bag, and do so without needing to post on OZB
shop stealing
Wow that escalated quickly. Here I am thinking you're suggesting OP may be sneaking a few choccy bars out.
Wow that escalated quickly. Here I am thinking you're suggesting OP may be sneaking a few choccy bars out.
No, just explaining the store's policy, reasoning behind the policy and the staffs' subsequent response.
@Dashcam - Think @djsweet was just taking the piss at trying to steal the shop, ie. shop stealing term.
I always thought that term was weird… I suspect OP wouldn't be able to fit the shop in their bag/trolley!
Aldi stores are bit different. If you have bags, they will ask to look into your bags. They ask everyone. I actually see regulars volunteering to show even without being asked.
I drop off my Coles shopping to the car and then go in Aldi. It keeps it hassle free. Remember, it is a hassle even for the staff too. I am guessing that most staff wouldn't enjoy this part of their job.
Regarding the general experience, well a number of people have not done the right thing, so now those that do have to put up with the additional security. I know if I am in your shoes, I would feel the same too. But it is not much different than the security checks at the airports. If you are in certain parts of Asia, you are required to walk through metal detectors and frisk searched before you enter shopping centres.
I would say the smart thing to do is avoid being in that situation. As an Ozbargain certified legal advice giver, I don't think they can really inspect your bags even if they have it as a condition of entry. So if it really bothers you, just refuse and walk out.
this might surprise you , and even shock you, but people bring in bags of crap from another store in to a new store and then hide stuff from that new store in those bags.
and then they don't pay for stuff, and the new store loses money.
it's called stealing, and it's a concern for retailers
and if you treat all your customers like thieves you will lose those customers
That would be some insane level degoratory actions though, to just hide things in bags and then not pay for stuff.
the world is a crazy and twisted place
Store theft is way more common than you think.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/record-retail-theft-put…
were constantly surveilled from when we walk into the store
100s of cameras…
undercover loss prevention officers…
visible security guards…
elec security tags
camera / weight monitoring at self checkout…
facial recognition and mobile tracking tech
….and they STILL NEED TO CHECK OUR BAGS, FFS????
it's like border security need to check the cushions of imported furniture for hidden cocaine…..
….and they STILL NEED TO CHECK OUR BAGS, FFS????
Yes, because despite all of that people still steal.
Awww poor possum
…are you standing up for mass invasive survillance? lol!
No, I'm standing up for each and every time you are inconvenienced by something most of the population couldn't really give a sh.t about.
You could just go to Aldi first.
(I'm glad we had this talk). lol
Who would buy 20 bags of groceries from Coles or Woolies and then go to Aldi.
Should be the other way around ;)
I usually do Aldi first then off to Wollies for the bits that Aldi were sold out of and a few other things… But now Woolies have that dodgy self checkout camera that even flags your little one sitting in the trolley seat as an unpaid item.
It is getting real frustrating to shop these days.
according to the Simpsons , that little one is valued at $847.63.
though that was 1989 valuation.
these days just kidneys sell for 5 times that.
what they want is to make the physical shopping experience so bad that were driven to online sales to just avoid the whole sh1tshow…
Nonsense, it's called loss prevention.
Tell me you've never worked retail without saying you've never worked retail.
what they want is minimum staff and maximum hassle for the customer….and all in the name of maximum profits!
Put yourself in the customer service rep's shoes. Would you want to be accused by your manager for not doing your job by allowing people to slip unpaid goods out of the store.
You gotta apply some logic here. If you dont want to be subjected to a search, then dont shop there with your trolley full. Read the conditions of entry.
I've had this experience a few times - I just show them the invoice and say sure if you want to make all the people behind me in the queue wait while we reconcile everything in the bag with whats on the invoice.
I avoid going to Aldi now if I have a trolley of stuff (take it back to the car and then go back)
I suspect they get it a fair bit as one of the theft techniques.
OP has requested this thread to be closed.
As regular customer, they are doing their job. Wouldn’t be worried either as I don’t have anything to hide.
Would be interesting to know their perspective if they had a bodycam.