Apple's Retail Self-Checkout Doing Well, Strong Promotion Coming at Grand Central

[pheenix11]

They are real pricks at Best Buy when it comes to checking receipts. We bought a iPad there in May and we had a bag and my receipt in hand. We left to go into the attached mall and the jackass at the door not only stopped us and checked our receipt but actually got on the phone to confirm the serial number or some crap. We were actually standing there waiting for him to do this for a minute. The iPads are locked up to begin with, how the hell did he think I got one and a fake receipt too. When he was done I asked him if he wanted to strip search me too. Absolutely ridiculous.

I like this system Apple is using, it's always a pain to flag down an employee for a small purchase. I like the freedom and the trust.

 

[iRobby]

I used this for the first time on Monday at Fifth Avenue NYC. I bought two sets of the Pixar Car Appmates for the iPad for my 3 year old nephews.

After seeing the long line at checkout I was so happy to have avoided it. I did go to the front of the line to ask for a bag not for security reasons but just for easier transport. I mentioned I used Easy Pay. The associate asked me were the any problems with Easy Pay and was I satisfied. He never asked for a receipt took me at my word.

LOVE THE shopping experience!

 

[gatearray]

very interesting that they admitted that they cannot tell if you paid for it.

Yeah, it's just too bad that the Apple Store employee was incorrect, and had no idea what he's talking about.

 

[peterh988]

Is there an upper limit on what you can buy, cash wise?

I'm more interested in this concept from the point of being able to pay with your iTunes account balance, (even if you have to do it through an employee) and the savings I could make by stocking up on iTunes gift cards when they're on sale, thus saving myself 20% on any purchases I make.

I'd love to get my next MBP via my iTunes balance.

 

[TallManNY]

but as I was about to purchase some "cute" case for my wife's 4S I had the opportunity during "checkout" to read reviews of the product. I discovered it was mostly a POS and not worth my $35. So we actually left the store without a case. I thought it was pretty ironic that the self-checkout experience actually led to a lost sale. I'm happy about it, but thought it was ironic.

Ironic, yes, but as you say you are happy about it. The sale might have lead to you being an unhappy customer. This experience probably lead to you being a more loyal Apple customer, so long term win for Apple.

Making shoplifter get to skip the part about putting the item under their shirt seems like a very dangerous move by Apple. This becomes particularly an issue in a crowded place with many exit points like Grand Central Station. I predict there are going to be a few people making weekly stops to "pick up" a time capsule or something. The probably is that if that shoplifter comes more often than that, security might get to the point of recognizing them and then eventually keep tabs on them.

 

[nightcap965]

The Apple stores are always full of kids that dont look like model citizens so to speak. I can see this working or being contained in a small suburban town but a big city is a different story.

Once upon a time when I was young and stupid, I was working setting up security systems in a building rented by MIT (my firm was engaged by the building's management company, not the university). I was concerned at how wide open their computer labs were, and pointed to an example of the sort of undesirable they had loitering on the premises. He was a vague looking dude with long hair, unkempt beard, an army surplus coat with a penny whistle in one pocket and an "Impeach God!" sticker on his lapel.

I later found out his name. Richard M. Stallman. Google it if you don't know him.

The worst thieves on the planet look exactly like model citizens.

 

[Bossworld]

Is there an upper limit on what you can buy, cash wise?

I'm more interested in this concept from the point of being able to pay with your iTunes account balance, (even if you have to do it through an employee) and the savings I could make by stocking up on iTunes gift cards when they're on sale, thus saving myself 20% on any purchases I make.

I'd love to get my next MBP via my iTunes balance.

Does it use your iTunes account balance though, or just the credit card attached to it?

 

[tmroper]

I have visions of a "Five Fingers" app here.

 

[peterh988]

Does it use your iTunes account balance though, or just the credit card attached to it?

I don't know, the article says "and pay for them using their iTunes Store accounts" so in theory it should work like the app store, but then there's no reason why it should.

Just wondered if there was an upper spend limit to self serve, and if my iTunes card trick would be possible.

 

[kingtj]

Interesting social experiment, really ....

As I think about it, I'd have to agree that it's doable without dramatically increasing the theft rate. What I think Apple is going to find (and they may well know this, but not want to go public with it) is that a certain subset of people will spread the word that it's easy to steal from their stores with this self-checkout arrangement, and those individuals will quickly become repeat offenders. (It's well known that a criminal can't resist the temptation to go back and steal again, if their plan succeeded the first time around.)

That's when Apple will be able to zero in on them and make arrests, because they've got one of the most sophisticated surveillance systems in their stores of anyone in retail. (Actually, Home Depot is another with a really advanced security system.) Apple records everyone's movement through their stores and uploads the data to corporate so foot traffic patterns can be analyzed. I wouldn't be surprised if they're even experimenting with facial recognition software, so the system can key in on certain people as soon as they're recognized, upon entering a store location.

They definitely have the capability of security cameras zooming in enough to see what someone was really doing on their iPhone when they were pretending to scan in an item, should that become necessary.

I remember watching a TV show several years ago about a murder case that was solved simply because of a portion of a wooden handle found at the crime scene. It had enough of a bar code label still affixed to it to determine it came from a Home Depot store, and they were able to scan in the code at the store and bring up the exact date, time and register used to check it out when it was purchased, and bring up security footage of who was buying it at that register at that time. Things have advanced since then and Apple has more than anyone else installed -- so it's worth thinking about!

The other thing about theft, is that reality is, anyone that would actually steal would do it one way or another. So a system that appears as though it is super lax isn't likely to change the theft rate.

Before this I've left the store with an emailed receipt and no bag many times. Really no difference. Paid at the back of the store. Waded through the people to get out. Either way, could look like I was just walking out without paying.

 

[kingtj]

Yep...

By law, you could have refused and just walked right on out the door, ignoring him. That's been done before, actually and if you search the net for it, you can find blogs of people telling stories of just such situations.

Of course, the problem is, it WILL create a big scene and cause the store to call the police. Likely, you'll be detained while they sort everything out before they finally realize you're in the legal right and they let you go.

Most of the time, the typical cop responding to this sort of call isn't very educated on the law either, so likely as not, he/she will arrest you in handcuffs and take you in for booking before someone realizes they weren't supposed to do it.

Frankly, I'd love to see a bunch of people get upset enough with this store policy of "receipt/bag checking" so they'd refuse on purpose to protest, and bring it to the news media's attention. But unless/until that day comes, most stores will keep getting away with it because let's face it; most of us just don't want to go through all the trouble to fight them on it when it's not that tough to just show some idiot at the door your receipt or stand there for a minute while they do whatever they want to do to verify your purchase.

They are real pricks at Best Buy when it comes to checking receipts. We bought a iPad there in May and we had a bag and my receipt in hand. We left to go into the attached mall and the jackass at the door not only stopped us and checked our receipt but actually got on the phone to confirm the serial number or some crap. We were actually standing there waiting for him to do this for a minute. The iPads are locked up to begin with, how the hell did he think I got one and a fake receipt too. When he was done I asked him if he wanted to strip search me too. Absolutely ridiculous.

I like this system Apple is using, it's always a pain to flag down an employee for a small purchase. I like the freedom and the trust.

 

[GREEN4U]

This is great! I want a Bose SoundDock for christmas. Looks like I'll be getting one free. I never shopped at the Apple store because things were always overpriced. This is a very generous way for Apple to give back to all of us after so many years of reeming us up the *** with high prices. I think I like this Job-less Apple. Thanks !!

 

[Mal]

This is great! I want a Bose SoundDock for christmas. Looks like I'll be getting one free. I never shopped at the Apple store because things were always overpriced. This is a very generous way for Apple to give back to all of us after so many years of reeming us up the *** with high prices. I think I like this Job-less Apple. Thanks !!

How does this give you anything free? It lets you use your iTunes Store credit, but it doesn't give you anything free. Now, perhaps if someone gave you a card you haven't been using, then you'll finally have a use for it.

jW

 

[Sackvillenb]

wow, as much as I'm surprised that this works, it does make sense, especially for people who have a hard time finding and apple employee who is free... It just seems like a theft magnet to me though... But I guess people who buy things the normal way walk out the door without showing their receipt or anything...