Do your hearing aids set off security in stores?

Aussie_Dog

Aussie_Dog

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You know those "doors" or beams you walk through to enter or exit a store, and if you're carrying something that wasn't paid for, the beams will go off and announce the horrible thing you've done to the entire store? Okay, well, around Christmastime when doing Christmas shopping, I couldn't help but notice that the beams in various store go off a little more often than usual whenever I pass through. Sometimes nothing happens. Sometimes they go off when I enter a store, but they stay quiet when I leave. Sometimes they go off both times, somethings they stay silent both times. Embarrassing. Usually the store employees will just wave me through (I know they go off sometimes for other random people). But I was in a music store looking for a game my mom wanted me to look for (a present for my brother, but she had only so much time to do shopping, so I was enlisted to help out). Well, this music store didn't have this game anywhere in sight, so I left. Except when I left, the alarms went off, and the store employees waved me back in. They searched my bags (clearly expecting that I was shoplifting; after all, I walked in, didn't buy anything, and walked out, and after all, a music store caters to the teenage crowd). They asked if I had a cell phone (I guess sometimes they set off the detectors), but I don't. They began to look a bit baffled, and when I told them that I wear hearing aids, they didn't know if those will set off the detectors but I think they assumed that that was, indeed, the problem. So I was free to go, but they mentioned that the alarms would probably go off again (in order words, "ignore it and just keep going"). Wouldn't you know it, when I passed through, nothing went off. Granted, the store has two sets of doors and two sets of security alarms, and I had walked through the other set when I tried to leave the first time. Makes me feel like the employees decided I ditched the "shoplifted" item on my way back to them or right before I left the store the second time.

I'm too shy and good a person to just let this go, so now I stress whenever I'm about to walk into a store. Will the alarms go off and draw attention to me? Will I be able to leave quietly or will I be called back like a common thief. So I wonder if it's actually my hearing aids that set them off (oh, how inconvenient) or if the cause is what I originally thought it was, which is the interac chip in my debit card (they're new issue, and once when shopping with mom and sister, my mom noted that the alarms might go off because of the interac chip in her card (first time I'd heard of them setting off the alarms)). I've considered playing around with the hearing aids, turning them off before passing through the doors, but then I won't know if they've gone off or not (and answered my experiment). So how about you knowledgeable folks?
 
No, I've never had this happen to me. That's a new one to me.
 
I've never had that type of experience. Mind you, I don't go shopping very often.
 
Mine did all the time and that is yet another reason I no longer have to wear them.
 
I have been stopped a few times. Mostly at the fault of the cashier not erasing the magnetic strip. Receipts shows I paid for the item.


One time I left wal mart and did not purchase anything.

Walked out the alarm went off! I told them I have nothing! The security came. Emptied my purse. And walked through again.

Then I told them it may be my hearing aids. Took them off walked through again. The alarm still went off.

Finally!! A security saw something stuck on the bottom of my shoe. It was a magnetic strip.


Peeled it off my shoe and went through. All was good.

Never has my hearing aid make one go off at a dept store.

Had my hearing aid trigger a metal detector more than once. LOL.
 
Yes. It happened to me about 2 years ago with my old small HA. I was leaving the grocery store and my husband held me back. The security people were coming to get me! The alarm had gone off when I walked through and the security folks had called to me. I had not heard any of it. Ha. So, since the shopping cart being pushed by my husband had not been pushed through yet.... they scanned my purse items, all over me, my shoes, still beeping. Oooh, I took off my has and sure enough - pah! My husband was so patient. The security fellas did look a bit abashed and apologized profusely. I understood. No problem. The onlookers were the most embarrassing bit for me. Pointing and such. Gee.
 
Never had that happen, but my cell phone did set off an alarm at Walmart once. I got called back, they checked my bags and my receipt. They asked if I had a cell phone on me and I did. The manager walked through with the cell phone and sure enough the phone set it off. They waved me on through and suggested that I turn it off before passing through the detectors, it may be the signal reacting with the radio frequency of the detectors causing the alarms to go off.
 
If it's happened, I wouldn't know. I can't hear those beeps and I would just ignore them even if I did. Let them try and stop me! :D
 
I've never seen this happen to me.

Perhaps, the store you went to had a history of problems with their detectors or you stepped on a security sticker while walking through the store?
 
Thanks for the responses, everyone. This is a recent thing and I've had these particular hearing aids for 5 years. It might be the interac chip in the debit card, since that's pretty new (got mine in May, I think). I don't think I step on security strips because not only have I not once looked at my shoe and found one stuck there, but if I step on security strips THAT often, then the fates clearly hate me, lol

Walmart and CD Plus are the main stores I worry about when I make my way through the doors. Other stores, there's a fair chance of the alarms not going off, but Walmart and CD Plus, they're consistent. CD Plus is mildly overpriced anyway, so it's not like it hurts to avoid the place, lol
 
Aussie_Dog said:
Thanks for the responses, everyone. This is a recent thing and I've had these particular hearing aids for 5 years. It might be the interac chip in the debit card, since that's pretty new (got mine in May, I think). I don't think I step on security strips because not only have I not once looked at my shoe and found one stuck there, but if I step on security strips THAT often, then the fates clearly hate me, lol

Walmart and CD Plus are the main stores I worry about when I make my way through the doors. Other stores, there's a fair chance of the alarms not going off, but Walmart and CD Plus, they're consistent. CD Plus is mildly overpriced anyway, so it's not like it hurts to avoid the place, lol
Click to expand...
Well, if it's your hearing aids... leave them in the car and then go to the same stores that set off the detectors. See if anything happens.

If nothing happens, go back to the car like you forgot something and then put them on before going back in the store.

It helps to look at all possibilities. We can't just wear our hearing aids all the time and then say, "Oh, it goes off cuz of my hearing aids." What if it's something else on you?

If you think it's the chip in your credit card, then experiment with that. Leave it in the car and go in the store. If nothing happens, go back and get it (you need it to buy stuff, right?) and try again.

Think of all the possibilities that could be the cause... hearing aids... credit card... purse... wallet... belt... whatever you usually wear.

I have a friend who used to set off the detector every time he went through one specific store. Turns out that it was coming from his belt. His belt had a little flap that he never tore off. Hidden under that flap was a security strip. It was disabled by the clerk at the store he bought it from, but it still worked at one other place... I think it was a Blockbuster Video or Best Buy (don't remember). Each store usually has their own security settings.
 
I have only set them off once or twice but I do sometimes hear a ringing as I pass thro them just in the hearing aid it's weird
 
I used to work at a computer store and had bought new shoes from K-Mart across the street one day. I walked into the store and the alarm went off. My co-workers just laughed it off and I continued working.

Later that night when I was leaving, the alarm went off again. Since the store was closed, we decided to play "figure out what's causing the alarm to go off" so I put my hearing aid on the alarm. It didn't go off. Tried my Sidekick. Didn't go off either! Then my co-worker, a cashier, suggested that I put my shoes on the deactivation pad next to the register. Viola! It beeped! Problem solved. :)

I guess the morale of the story is, some stores may have different settings for the security systems. While the tag may be deactivated for one store, it may not be for the other.
 
That's new to me and I've been practically everywhere and for longer than most of you.....:lol:
 
Bottesini said:
:hmm: Do you still wear analog? :lol:
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I sure do, and by choice, too. With the analog, I get everything thrown at me, soundwise, and figure out most things vs what digitals do. I don't like em! :lol:
 
Tousi said:
I sure do, and by choice, too. With the analog, I get everything thrown at me, soundwise, and figure out most things vs what digitals do. I don't like em! :lol:
Click to expand...

I may be wrong, as I am no spring chicken either, but I think only digital would set them off?:hmm:
 
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