These self service check out machines are getting sillier.

Oh my goodness, what do they think, that people go there, buy a knife and then start to kill all the other customers in the store? This is ridiculous.

Invariably, using a staffed till, where available, is far quicker - that is what checkout operators get trained to do... Next you'll be expected to hop in the driving seat on the bus!

I HATE HATE HATE the self checkout and refuse to use them unless someone is with me who doesn't mind, in which case "they" use it, I just pay. It is also slower because of the scan and place item in the bag method is not as fast as when checking out with a real person.

We have similar situations here with products that are sold and need to be approved by a manager. One of them is cans of spray paint. Gang members love to use spray paint to spray graffiti everywhere, so there are restrictions on buying cans of spray paint in many stores. A manager has to check to make sure you are over 18 (and presumably not a gang member, although how does one confirm that someone is or isn't a gang member?)

Now that's interesting. I use self service at our grocery store every week and I've never run into anything like that. But then again, I haven't bought any knives in a while.

I've used them when I have no alternative but never without needing authorization from the clerk watching all the checkouts. It's outrageous you need authorization to buy a paring knife.

I have almost got used to the blessed things. The only things I really hate about them are the bland messages: "All of your clubcard points will be added" (Should I expect them to be subtracted, divided or multiplied?) and "Thank you for shopping at Tesco" when I'm nearly out of the door. One gets used to the rest of the stupidity, I find. Of course any teenager who wanted a paring knife for nefarious purposes would probably pocket the thing and pay for the rest of the stuff (so as not to look suspicious) ... maybe!

I prefer a human around me when dealing with any situation and that includes using a lift (lol)

I hate these self check out machined with a vengance and refuse to use them even if it means waiting longer. I know they will go wrong on me and it will take me four times as long to get out of the shop. Poundland ones are annoying. It also gets silly as you say, when they check items anyway.

A paring knife is a restricted item? That is rather overkill so to speak!! I hate self-serve, especially when fruits or vegetables are involved, you have to figure out which apple it is and then enter a number, crazy and way too much work

That is absolutely ridiculous, I agree. I loathe those self-service checkouts - I've yet to use one that hasn't required the intervention of a member of staff.

So far, Pretty and I have avoided the self-checkouts when we have been shopping. Right after they were opened in the Walmart we shop at (which is not the Walmart where I work) we had gone in to buy our month of groceries. When we went to pay, the self-checkouts were all that were open. (It was also 2 am.) We walked to the entrance to the self-checkout area and I ask which register was open. The clerk pointed into the self-checkout area and replied that they all were available. I pushed my cart past the self-checkout area to the first register that had to have a person running it. And unloaded my cart onto the belt. The whole time I was unloading my cart the person supervising the self-checkouts kept watching me. When I was done, I looked up, acted surprised no one was ringing up my items and pointed at the person. I told them the checkout clerk must not have heard them, so they needed to call them again. The young lady looked at me and stated there was no one available to run that register. I pointed at her and told her SHE was available since there was no one using the self-checkouts! She stood there a minute and then proceeded to ring up my purchases. They do keep a person available for the regular registers now.

I have never seen a self-service Poundland.

It is the most ridiculous thing ...why do you need staff approval to buy stuff that is available in the store

These are not for me, so we would have to avoid such stores if we could @Koalemos

I hear what your saying there.Ours say did you bring your own bag.Not sure what they mean by this .Your own bag who your wife or boyfriend.Never had any problem with this

that has not yet found its way to SA yet - but I did experience it in Belgium. It was weird

That is annoying. So far I have never encountered a store with Only self serve. And there is always a staff at the self serve anyway. I always line up to pay a person.

I'm guessing Poundland is using them as a "cost saving measure" since they don't have to pay anyone to run the register. Unfortunately it's one of the reasons why I try not to use them very much, because a self-checkout means that a person doesn't have a job.

Wow seriously? I used to like the self checkers , but because of those little hiccups I don't like them so well any more