Do You Think That Was An Attempt To Scam Other Customers?

I went to Braum’s store to get some milk. There was a couple with a cart full of groceries getting them scanned by the cashier. Most people don’t buy everything at a little store like that, maybe get milk, ice cream, fruit or some item they need for dinner so they don’t have to go to a larger store and wait in line. The prices on dairy is good but everything is marked more than Walmart or Aldi (nearest grocery stores) have them marked. Their purchases added up to over $90. The man took his card and swiped it a couple of times and it wouldn’t register. Then he asked for a piece of cash register paper and put it over the card and swiped it a few more times. It didn’t register. Then he asked for a plastic bag and put it over the paper and swiped it a few more times. This took a few more minutes while we were waiting in line. They ended up having to remove the purchases from the cash register so I had to go to the other line. I thought it odd to begin with that they were buying so much at a little store plus the time the man took to keep swiping his card. I was thinking maybe he wanted someone to offer some cash to pay for it for them.

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Oster1 · M

I don't understand the use of register paper or plastic bag. 🤷‍♂️

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@Oster1 me neither, seems like it would make it harder to read the strip on the card.

Dacrowman · 70-79, M

I had that with my card at my local supermarket but only with 2 tills out of the 10 ,the first couple of times it happened i went to customer services put card through scanner bingo

CheekyBadger · M

over here we haven't had swipe cards for many years - it went chip & pin in the 2000s.

TexChik · F

Yep

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@TexChik And the fact that its end of the month and food stamps don’t get added to their cards till the 1st-5th or 10th of the month. There are people who would come to Walmart (when it stayed open 24 hours a day) at about 10-10:30 p.m. the evening before their food stamps got loaded on their card at the stroke of midnight and fill up to their carts and buy a bunch of groceries with EBT cards, a lot of them in fact. Some nights I worked till 11 and they’d be piling in. At the stroke of midnight they’d be at the cash register, get there a few minutes before to unload their full carts.

SW-User

Tips on a site for cashiers. lol
https://krogerforum.activeboard.com/t59379328/ring-tender-tipsadvice/

At the beginning of the order, put all multiples of items on the other side of the scanner except for one. Then, when you are ready to start scanning, scan the one item (x) number of times. This gives the customer more time to unload their cart and the bagger more time to bag the items without being penalized.

If a customer accidentally asks for "cash back" on the machine when they didn't mean to, tell them not to hit "no" (which would cancel the transaction, making them re-slide their card), tell them instead to hit "other" for the cash-back amount and to enter "0" in the box. (I've not yet tried any other options. When I do, I'll write back.)

A piece of paper or a plastic bag wrapped around cards that won't read works wonders. Also, try sliding the card up instead of down.

Make sure to tear off the backs of any gift cards before starting the order. (The ones that require you to remove them before scanning

SW-User

The strips on the card can wear out, contact if the card with keys etc can ruin it, I never heard of covering it with plastic etc

Perhaps an attempt to seem like he needs money??

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@SW-User they didn’t ask but I saw something right before Christmas making me think it could have also been a scam.

SW-User

Nope. I have seen that same thing at grocery stores.
Some cards need to be replaced due to the strip being worn.

And some people do not like Walmart or Aldi.

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SW-User

@cherokeepatti First time I saw a cashier do that with a receipt and then a bag, I thought the guy was nuts! lol But... he got it working and the person was quite happy!

It's a scam if they somehow get your card, but otherwise...it's your choice to offer or not. If it is a scam, people need to be watchful. I'd offer to pay maybe for a gallon of milk and a few items, but not that amount.

stratosranger · M

Could be. Or it could be he left his card up against his cell phone or other magnetized item. It’s always good to keep your eyes open and exercise a healthy small dose of cynicism. @cherokeepatti

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@stratosranger Yeah if you have a magnetic closure on a purse it can temporarily deactivate a card with a magnetic strip. I had a friend come to Walmart saying her card wasn’t working. I think she had one of those magnetic closures on her purse and the card got too close.

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