‘I’ll leave my cart walk out,’ vow Home Depot shoppers after being ‘forced’ to use self-checkout ‘against will’

THE Home Depot disappointed shoppers when they asked for a traditional register and instead got taken through self-checkout.

Self-checkout has caused problems at many retailers, including Home Depot.

A customer claimed he was forced to use self-checkout at the store as all the traditional registers were closed.

An employee offered to help Raymond George by scanning his things at a self-checkout register.

Much to his dismay, he still had to bag his items.

He claimed that transactions like this make it look like self-checkout is more favorable than it actually is.

"A manager once told me years ago that they close regular registers and force customers to use self-checkout to justify the high costs," he wrote in a Facebook post.

Since the employee checked him out on a self-checkout register, he felt "forced" to use the register.

"Next time, I will leave my carriage full of stuff and walk out," he wrote.

George noted that the issue wasn't only at The Home Depot but at every store with self-checkout registers.

While he was at Costco, he saw a couple trying to scan about 20 items at self-checkout.

He finished his hot dog and drink before the shoppers rang up all their items.

"A regular checkout at Costco is about two minutes or less...and they put everything in my cart," he said.

DOESN'T REGISTER

Home Depot's rival, Lowe's, is facing similar complaints from shoppers.

A customer who visited an Arizona location was told they had to use self-checkout as no other registers were open.

"You've just lost my business," he said in a Facebook post.

Latest self-checkout changes

Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.

Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.

Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.

While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.

One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.

However, that test run has been phased out.

At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.

Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.

As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.

Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines.

Another shopper voiced the same complaint in a rant on X.

"They literally have ZERO options for human interaction in their checkout aisle," the customer wrote on X.

"Except for the poor soul who has to watch all the disgruntled shoppers being forced to go through the self-checkout lines."

One customer suggested that everyone boycott self-checkout until retailers open traditional lines again.

Even giant retailers like Walmart are facing complaints about self-checkout. The store implemented a 15 items or fewer limit on the registers.

Target faced similar backlash after imposing a 10 items or fewer limit.