2018-02-18

@walmart tax cut? buy a better checkout system like @sproutsfm

2017: mis.aq/walmart/@walmart tax cut? buy a better checkout system:
. I frequent the Walmart located at
Kolb & Speedway, Tucson, AZ;
in 2017 I started storing a lot of canned food;
often I would bring 12 or more of the same item;
double charged by cashier?
I'll try my luck at self-checkout;
I double charged me too?!
. the display has only 10 lines
and displays each item on a new line,
instead of using just one line
to show you how many times
you entered the same type of item;
so, it's not obvious from looking at the display
whether or not an item scanned
when you have more than 10 of the same item type.
. it would be easier if the new system would tell you
how many times you entered that item
rather than listing each entry separately
(like occurs when using the cashier
and their one-line display
tells you what just got scanned).
. doing that would also save a lot on receipt paper:
instead of 12 lines of canned greens,
there would be one line saying:
12 x canned greens.
-- @sproutsfm has a system like that,
and it is very easy to check for charging errors;
whereas, on the Walmart receipt,
it lists each item on a separate line,
making the receipt difficult to check
for cashier or machine errors.

. my problem with self-checkout was that
after I scanned an item and set it down
in a bagging area that is on a scale
so the machine can weigh what was added,
it claimed there was an
"unexpected item in bagging area";
did the scan work? scan it again:
no that caused a double charge;
so, it could have been saying
the item had an unexpected weight;
ok, try ignoring the message
"unexpected item in bagging area":
that or some other problem caused
failure to charge for the item,
so you can't just ignore that:
once it gives you any message,
you have to check the display for mistakes.

. notice I did not confuse the message
"unexpected item in bagging area";
with another error message that clearly tells you
the item that you set in the bagging area
was never scanned
(I have not tried ignoring that message;
I got that message after conversing with staff
and forgetting whether the item in my hand
was scanned or not, then assumed it was).

. if you have more than 10 items of the same type,
divide them into groups of 9 or less
and scan a different type of item between the groups
so you can tell from the 10-line display
if a group has been properly scanned.
. sometimes it says unexpected item in bagging area
but it lets you continue scanning more items,
so when a group is done being scanned
if it didn't count one, rescan it.

. sometimes when it says
"unexpected item in bagging area"
trying to scan doesn't work,
it then says you need to rescan the item;
not just a similar item,
but one from the bagging area;
fortunately when it demands a rescan
it has never had a problem with overcharging.

2018.1.31:
. another spurious message it gave
during my 8th sardine entry
was suggesting I should weigh the item;
but I ignored that and it let me continue;
I checked my receipt and it was correct.

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