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- Walmart uses automated missed-scan detection to reduce theft at its self-checkout kiosks.
- Workers told Insider the tech has led to confrontations with customers who trigger the alert.
- But shoppers say they've felt "treated like thieves" due to honest mistakes and technical glitches.
Charles Bisbee was scanning and bagging groceries recently in the self-checkout lane of his local Walmart in Alamogordo, New Mexico, when he says an employee approached him, reached into his bag, and pulled out a container of energy drink mix.
"Are you going to pay for that?" he recalled the employee asking in what he said was a "confrontational" tone and manner.
As other shoppers waited in line, the former US Marine told Insider he stifled a surge of embarrassment and pointed to the screen to show that the item in question had indeed been scanned, and his transaction was still in progress.
"It's a small military community," Bisbee said. "People remember people, so if they think you're stealing, it just gives a bad impression, even when you're not."
Bisbee's father — a retired colonel — had also recently been stopped over a missed-scan alert for one of the three gallons of milk he was trying to buy.
Bisbee said his father was outraged by the interaction, and was so distracted he didn't realize he ended up paying for four gallons until he had left the store.
The alert that brought the Walmart worker over to Bisbee's kiosk is part of a missed-scan detection feature that the retailer began rolling out to self-checkout lanes starting in 2019 in an attempt to reduce shoplifting.
The tech sends a message to workers monitoring the area when it detects behaviors it interprets as suspicious, which multiple current and former employees told Insider has led to uncomfortable interactions and even hostile confrontations with customers who trigger the system.
Even in cases where theft is suspected, the employees told Insider they are not allowed to accuse customers of stealing.
But many shoppers shared experiences in which honest mistakes or technical glitches resulted in them feeling branded as a criminal, whether by store workers, local law enforcement, or even the technology itself.
"We're continuously working on our security processes, and we encourage customers with concerns to let us know," Walmart spokesperson Joe Pennington told Insider. "Our associates are trained to handle these situations professionally and respectfully, ensuring our customers have the best shopping experience possible."
Karen Baker was pregnant and hurriedly shopping with her 4-year-old in tow when her kiosk kept intermittently freezing up over a missed scan.
A former retail worker herself, she tried slowing down the pace to see if that helped.
With the help of a manager, she eventually discovered the system was noticing her wallet, which was tucked in her armpit, and flagging it as unscanned merchandise.
Walmart doesn't even sell the same wallet, she added.
Shopper Daniel Jones told Insider he was "appalled" when his kiosk lit up and began playing security video footage of an alleged missed scan.
"Not only did I feel like I was being accused of a crime, I felt confused and upset because I was in my work uniform and other people may see the video playback and think that I'm stealing," Jones said.
Waiting for an employee to come over, question him, and reactivate his system made Jones feel like he was being "punished" for using the available hand scanner to ring up his order.
(Bisbee's missed-scan alert was also related to his use of the handheld scanner.)
Since the episode two weeks ago, Jones said he has seen two other shoppers apparently caught off-guard and become defensive over the missed-scan alert.
"It does make the honest shopper feel unwelcome, and feel like they are being treated like thieves," he said.
If you are a Walmart worker or shopper who would like to share your perspective, please get in touch with Dominick via email. Insider strongly recommends using a personal email and a non-work device when reaching out.