Despite Amazon Go only being open since Monday, some major problems have already arisen as journalists report cases of accidental shoplifting.
Amazon’s new concept store in Seattle uses thousands of cameras to track what shoppers have placed in their baskets, allowing them to leave without visiting a cashier and charging their Amazon accounts automatically.
However, it seems the system is not fool proof.
CNBC tech reporter Dierdre Bosa tweeted her experience, revealing that Amazon’s system failed to pick up a yoghurt she put in her bag.
I think I just shoplifted?? #AmazonGo didn’t charge me for my Siggi’s yogurt 😬 #nolinesnocheckout #freestuff pic.twitter.com/RDPhC5ryXD
— Deirdre Bosa (@dee_bosa) January 22, 2018
Bosa tweeted “I think I just shoplifted?” after receiving her receipt and recognising the error, before Siggi’s yoghurt responded via Twitter saying “oh no! It’s ok, that one’s on us.”
oh no! It's ok, that one's on us 😉
— siggi's (@siggisdairy) January 22, 2018
When Bosa attempted to alert Amazon to the error, she discovered there was no system in place for reporting incidents of accidental shoplifting.
According to Amazon Go vice president Gianna Puerini, this “happens so rarely that we didn’t even bother building in a feature for customers to tell us it happened”.
In March last year, reports emerged that the Amazon Go store, then only to Amazon staff, was struggling to work if there were more than 20 people inside.
Later in May Amazon took out a patent for the technology in the UK, sparking speculation it Amazon Go could be on its way here soon.
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