Joking shoppers say they feel like criminals because they become 'cord as cattle' by Tesco's new gigantic trolleys scales aimed at clamping on shoplifters.
The British Retail Consortium says that theft of stores 'is out of hand' and stores costs £ 2 billion a year and that Tesco now uses a new approach to fight back.
But their new initiative has fallen badly in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, in the first British store where the scales are tested.
One shopper came close to tears after the weight of her trolley did not match her self-scan reception and she suffered from the 'humiliation' to have her bags scan again.
She said to MailOnline: 'I felt like a criminal. It was completely humiliating and I will no longer use that service. '
Tesco ClubCard members have the option to use the 'Scan' option if you shop 'from the store by scanning any item that goes into their trolley and paying for it before the end.
The method was largely dependent on trust – until the scales to the Tesco extra were moved on Trinity Square, close to the Tyne Bridge.
Now 'scanning when you shop', customers are led by the scales and they can be pulled aside if there is a discrepancy between the weight and what is on their self -scan reception.
New 'Anti-Shoplifter' Trolley scales are being tested on a Tesco in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
Customers have complained that the new additions make them feel 'as criminals'
There is then a short 'walk of shame' to an area where bags are unpacked and scanned again until villain points are discovered.
In the case of Sara Graham, 42, a mother from Gateeshead, the discrepancy was caused by a reserve shopping bag she had taken and had not used.
She said: 'It was actually terrible and it held me up enormously. I had done my groceries and went to the scan while you shop, as I would usually do and I didn't want to go over the scales.
'But it turns out that it is mandatory – the assistant told me that I had to go through it, so that shoppers are being given as cattle.
'I knew that I had scanned everything the way I had to, but when I put the trolley on the scales, it indicated that there was a problem.
'So I was taken to an unpacking area by two assistants who unpacked my bag and saved everything.
'It actually felt terrible, you feel that you have done something wrong and as if people keep an eye on you.
'After they had experienced all my groceries, they could not find anything extra in my trolley that was not on my scanned items.
The test comes when stores try to burst at shoplifting – with the British retail consortium that theft is 'out of hand' and stores £ 2 billion a year
'So the only conclusion they could come to was that it must have been the weight of my reserve bag that had activated the scales.
'It would have been faster to have just gone through the cash registers and this would scare me with the help of the scan if you were back shopping tervice – I think people will really fail.
“I wanted to continue quickly because I am in a hurry to pick up my daughter and this took much longer than it should.”
Another shopper came from a similar experience and appeared on the edge of tears.
The customer, who felt too shaken to be called, said: 'I felt like a criminal, it was a humiliating experience to be pulled aside as if I had been caught on shoplifting.
'They went through my bags and scanned everything and being on a piece of cheese that was not scanned.
'I know I scanned it – I would never put anything in my trolley that was not scanned, but for some reason it could not register and it was identified on the scale as an extra item.
'After all these years I will hardly give myself a criminal record because of a piece of cheese.
The new scales were introduced on the Tesco Extra on Trinity Square, close to the Tyne Bridge
'It was a terrible process and the result is that I will think twice before I use scan while you shop again – people will just turn their back on that service.
“With the best will in the world you sometimes make a mistake, but Tesco has decided to punish errors or technical problems with their own equipment by treating shoppers such as criminals.”
Dionna Simpkin, 55, from Gateeshead, said: 'This time I passed the scales, but last week it stopped people for what did not seem like good reason.
“The Tesco staff seemed to accept that there were some teething problems with it, but it delayed the store trip for many people.”
For Pauline Phillips, 76, from Consett, County Durham, it strengthened her decision to do what she called 'an old -fashioned store'.
She said: 'I don't use a scan while you shop because I am the age where you think:' I have used a till for my whole life, what is the point of changing now? '
'So I am not more complicated and do not use all new technology because I think it can go wrong and it seems that it happens here.
'People were pulled aside while the rest of us just went through the cash registers without any problems.
'I can understand that Tesco wants to stop shoplifters, but if they do it, they will not stop them. It's a shame, because it treats everyone the same and most people would not dream to squeeze the supermarket. '
Lorraine McNally, from Gateeshead, said: 'I think it is terrible, it has completely removed the confidence from shopping in Tesco.
'Everyone who is able to shop his own shopping is received by these things and it seems that people are being pulled for no reason.
Customers have told how some Tesco employees have recognized 'teething problems'
“I will not use that service if that is the way they want to treat their customers and I bet that many people will go the same.”
Irene Hall, 82, and husband Terence, 84, viewed the three trolleys scales at the counter with suspicion.
Irene said: 'I think it is terrible that Tesco believes that ordinary shoppers can just be trusted from getting their weekly groceries.
'What a terrible company it is to be questioned about your shopping, while most people would not dream of placing an extra thing in their shopping trolley.
'It is easier for us to use a packaging service because of our age and the assistant absolutely break into this store.
'But I think Tesco was wrong to force people to walk through the scales – it treats everyone like a shoplifter and that is not a way to treat loyal customers week after week.
“I don't think Tesco has so little money that it has to resort to things like this.”
Retail analysts say that the new move is about saving on personnel costs.
Business retail advisor Gedter said that the BBC Self-Scan had increased the speed of shoplifting, but supermarkets invested in more technology instead of extra staff on cash registers to combat it
He said: “These are supermarkets that say:” We know that there are thefts, so what we are going to do is treat every customer in exactly the same way to reduce theft. “
'They forget that trust is the most important thing for all retailers and it works both sides.
“If customers don't feel familiar or think they are being treated like thieves, they go somewhere else.”
The British Retail Consortium has said that shoplifting is 'out of control' after the annual crime investigation was established that the incidents of customer theft in the UK increased by 3.7 million to 20.4 million and the retailers cost £ 2 billion.
Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics revealed shoplifting offices reported by the police in England and Wales rose by 23 percent to more than 492,000 in the same period, the highest figure since the current recording practices started in 2003.
Tesco did not comment directly on the Gateeshead test, but the company said that it was always looking for ways to improve the shopping experience of customers.
MailOnline has contacted the company for comment.
