In the age of self-checkout, it’s easier than ever to forget to pay for an item before leaving the store. But are you accidentally committing a crime when this happens? Or can you just bring the item back to fix the situation?
That’s exactly what one woman did after she left Target without paying for an item in a video that has amassed 4.2 million views.
TikTok user Lauren Hall (@laurizzlem1) films her friend holding a duvet. “Yesterday, my friend walked out of Target without paying for this duvet,” the content creator writes in the text overlay.
A Target shopper accidentally commits a crime
Then, she follows her friend as they walk to the Target entrance. “She forgot she had it on her shoulder and the cashier didn’t realize she hadn’t [paid] for it,” she elaborates. When they entered the store, the duo headed to self-checkout. “So, today, we came back to pay for it!”
Needless to say, Hall is a proud friend. “Proud of my friend for doing the right thing!” she concludes.
In the caption, Hall explained, “It was a hectic day at target! The lights had gone out in the whole store just before we checked out! What an adventure.”
Viewers would not have done the same
“There is NO way this would be me,” one viewer wrote.
“Well, you’re better than me. Christmas would have came early for me,” another remarked.
Moreover, some recalled what they did in similar situations.
“Six years ago the cashier accidentally rang up my Christmas tree as a single Christmas ornament. I think of her every year when I put my tree up,” one user recalled.
“One time my cashier forgot to scan my Keurig. I considered it a gift,” a second commented.
“I once forgot to pay for a case of Dr Pepper. The next time I bought a case I scanned it twice,” a third revealed.
Is it a crime to forget to pay at Target?
Normally, you wouldn’t get in trouble for accidentally forgetting to pay at Target. After fearing going to jail, a Reddit user posted to r/Target asking when he forgot to purchase a shirt.
An alleged Target employee reassured the user. They wrote, “It’s fine. Target has petty theft like this worked into their budget. You definitely won’t get arrested and if it makes your conscience feel better, come back and pay for it. We’ll be like, ‘Oh haha how sweet of you.’” But it’s important to note that every location is different.
What should you do in this situation?
Pennsylvania attorney William Wallshein explains what to do if you’re in this situation. “If you discover, after you exit the checkout lane, or even after you leave the store, that you have not paid for some of your items, the best thing to do is to bring your items and your receipt back to the customer service desk and explain what happened,” he writes in a blog.
“The cashier should let you pay for the items or leave them at the store without any further trouble,” the article states. “Again, every store is not the same and consequences will vary.”
In some cases, you might be threatened with law enforcement action. If you are arrested, Wallshein writes, “Assume that the store employees’ and (police) officers’ efforts to provoke your anger and fear are intentional. You should say as little as possible and remember that a criminal defense lawyer can help you get the charges dropped.”
@laurizzlem1 @target it was a hectic day at target! The lights had gone out in the whole store just before we checked out! What an adventure ❤️😇👍 #target #shopping #friend #fyp ♬ original sound – sped up 2000’s audios
The Daily Dot reached out to Hall via TikTok comment and direct message as well as Target via press email.
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