Aldi shoppers issue warning against using self-checkouts

Aldi shoppers have issued a warning to others about using self-checkout machines, having noticed there’s one thing to look out for before you pay.

Aldi is known for its incredible bargains, whether it’s daily groceries or goodies from that iconic middle aisle.

After filling up the basket, some people often head straight to the self-checkouts, purely to avoid the absolute chaos that is paying through a cashier – who always scan your shopping through the till faster than it takes to even get your purse out.

A few years back, the topic went viral on the Aldi Mums Facebook group, where people started sharing tricks to slow the process down – with one saying they often scrunched up the labels on food packaging so it would take them longer to scan, while another said they simply asked the cashier to not work so fast.

But many people still feel the most obvious solution is opting for the self-scan machines instead.

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

However, some shoppers think there’s a bit of a downside to the DIY approach – one that could leave you paying more than you should.

In a Facebook group for Aldi fans, one user explained: "Any discounts don’t automatically apply on the self-checkouts. You have to ask a human employee to take the discounts off manually.

"This applies for % off stickers and any multibuys etc. I don’t know if this is common knowledge."

If you spot a product with a red reduced sticker, then you may notice that there’s no separate reduced barcode that some supermarkets use, usually stuck over the top of the old barcode.

Instead, staff have to manually reduce the item on the till – fine if you’re at the conveyer belt, but not so much if you’re paying via self service.

Tyla

Another person commented: "Staff have to apply the discount on a normal till so def will have to on a self-service till.

"I’ve had a few missed then realised!"

To get the reduction, you have to call over the staff member to apply it on the self service machine.

When approached for comment, Aldi confirmed to The Mirror that employees do need to manually input discounts at the self-checkout tills.

However, they said that feedback on the self-checkouts had been 'overwhelmingly positive'.

The spokesperson also urged anyone who believed that they'd been wrongly charged to get in touch with customer services.

Topics: Food and Drink, Aldi, Shopping

Jess Hardiman

Jess is Entertainment Desk Lead at LADbible Group. She graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman