A Woolworths customer is furious after discovering a flaw in the supermarket’s security system at the checkout.
The angry customer took to Reddit to expose the flaw, writing, “I don’t like this feature. I had an empty Coles bag in the trolley.
‘Bloke next to me had the same’.
A camera at the checkout had incorrectly detected that the customer still had items in his cart that he had not paid for.
‘Have you left things in your cart or basket? Wait for assistance,” read a message on the screen.
The defect has forced customers to enlist the help of an employee before they can pay for their groceries and leave.
A Woolworths customer is furious after discovering a flaw in the supermarket’s security system while trying to check out for his items (pictured)
Other Reddit users were quick to assess the glitch, with many sharing their own experiences with the system.
‘Yes, there is a camera that scans your trolley. I once had a bag from the pharmacy in my cart and got the same message at checkout. I no longer use the self-service checkout,” one wrote.
‘I definitely prefer the simplicity of the regular cash registers. Throw your stuff on the conveyor belt, put stuff in the trolley, tap the card and you’re done,” another wrote.
“You don’t have to mess with a stupid machine that complains half the time and you have to call someone to help.”
You feel very unreliable. I suspect leaving something in the trolley is the least likely way someone would try to scam,” a third said.
Some said their young children in the trolley had sent the same message.
“I got this today… the thing left on my cart was my three-year-old son,” said one.
Another said the defect had forced them to leave Woolworths altogether.
“The mall has a Coles and an Aldi and I just shop there instead.”
A spokesperson for Woolworths told Daily Mail Australia: ‘All retailers are experiencing an increase in retail crime, and we are no exception’.
“We have a number of initiatives that we use, both covertly and overtly, to reduce retail crime and keep our team members safe in our stores.
“One is the use of cameras at the checkout to reduce miss scans, which we have been using since early 2022.
“The accuracy of the system will improve as it continues to adapt to our store network.”
The trial includes automatic gates (pictured) at the exit of the self-service checkout and will only open once a customer has paid for their goods
A sensor on the roof identifies customers in the self-service checkout with a unique digital ID and sends a signal to the exit gate when the customer has paid
It comes just days after the supermarket chain introduced new security technology that prevents a customer from leaving the store without paying to curb a rise in shoplifting.
The supermarket group is testing the technology at its Fairfield store, in western Sydney, from Wednesday, with other stores in NSW and Victoria to follow.
It is the first time Woolworths has used the technology, which includes sensors on the roof and an automatic gate at the self-service checkouts.
When customers enter the self-service checkout, sensors on the roof identify someone who has approached and receive a digital ID.
Next to the digital ID is a red marker until the customer has paid at one of the registers, after which it will turn green.
Once a customer has paid, the sensors send a signal to open the exit gate so they can leave.
However, if the sensors detect that a customer hasn’t paid — either by pretending to pay or trying to walk straight out — the gates will remain closed, blocking the exit.
Woolworths told Daily Mail Australia that shoppers will remain unidentifiable throughout the process, as the technology does not use facial recognition or CCTV.