I worked at Walmart – what it means if you get ‘call for help’ message at self-checkout & it’s not just age restrictions | The Sun

FEW experiences are more mortifying than the all-too-common interruption by a "call for help" message during self-checkout.

When you visit Walmart and the self-checkout screen flashes a distress call, don't panic: one ex-employee revealed why you're seeing the obnoxious message.

Ex-Walmart employee Athenia Camacho gave viewers the nitty-gritty details on the store's self-checkout machines in a TikTok video that has since received 57k views.

There are a few age-restricted items that you may expect the self-checkout's warning on, but Camacho added an unexpected category to the list.

"This will happen when you're buying alcohol, if you're buying tobacco, or if by a happy chance you've found an item at Walmart that's recalled," she explained.

When you try to purchase an item that's been recalled, a Walmart employee will be called over to intervene.

In most cases, items are pulled from shelves as soon as a recall is issued, so if you do find a product that's been left behind, you probably won't be able to scan and purchase it.

Camacho also revealed that there are items many customers don't realize are subject to an age check.

Certain chemicals, like spray paint or acetone-based nail polish, require an age check. Depending on your locality, you might need to be 18 to purchase them.

Take your ID to Walmart when you're making those purchases, or you might be denied the chance to check out.

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Even Camacho herself has encountered this restriction – when she was 17, she tried to buy Gorilla Glue for a craft project at Walmart and was denied, she said.

Medications often require an age check, too, even if you're grabbing them off the shelf instead of requesting them at the pharmacy counter.

Camacho said some stores will also run age checks for a category that many find bizarre: home media.

She said that during her time at Walmart, there were specific DVDs that had an age restriction at check out.

Certain TV shows and movies required customers to be over the age of 16 or 18 to purchase. Even if the restriction seems silly, employees are required to come check ID when the message pops up on your screen.

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"Managers will see if we don't check an ID, and we can really get in trouble for that," Camacho said.

She said that regulations around what requires an associate's approval vary from state to state, so check your local laws before shopping if you think your purchase may be restricted, or just make sure you always have your ID when shopping.

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