After a video of him placing items into his bag without scanning them at a self-checkout line went viral, a Walmart shopper was accused of theft. However, he has since defended himself against these allegations.
Bill Astle received negative criticism following a customer’s recording of him loading his shopping cart with groceries at the Green Mount Commons Walmart in Belleville, Illinois, which appeared to show him not paying for them.
In a brief video, a woman filming from behind the camera exclaimed, “This man is blatantly stealing everything! He’s not even bothering to scan anything. It’s unbelievable how open he is about it, just looking at the screen with nothing ringing up.”
The 14-second clip was uploaded on multiple social media networks, quickly gaining popularity with over 15.6 million views on Twitter/X. Numerous users strongly criticized the man and alleged him of stealing.
According to one individual, Walmart’s decision to eliminate self-checkout is a direct result of the negative consequences they faced. “Theft has significantly increased,”they explained. Another person pointed out the impact this has on consumers, stating, “It’s frustrating that the rest of us end up paying more for basic items.”
Man doesn’t scan a single item at Walmart self checkout pic.twitter.com/s7O2suG2Cr
— Crime Net (@TRIGGERHAPPYV1) June 4, 2024
However, Astle, who disclosed that he is employed by Spark, Walmart’s delivery service, maintains his innocence and claims he was simply fulfilling his duties. “I am not a thief. The internet is portraying me as one,”he expressed to First Alert 4.
According to Astle, as a Walmart employee, he has the ability to use his phone to scan products while picking them up. This means that when he reaches the register, there is no need to physically scan each item. Astle shared this information with the outlet.
When a Spark shopper reaches the register, they are instructed to scan their phone using the self-checkout machine and then bag the items. By scanning the products on their phones, they can avoid having to scan them again at the register.
Astle is currently attempting to restore his reputation as he is being approached by more individuals while he is shopping. They inquire if he is the thief they saw on the internet. Astle has to clarify his actions to these customers and explain his intentions.
If they had kept watching the video for 30 more seconds, they would have seen me scanning two dozen roses after completing the Spark delivery order.
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