I found myself in an unfortunate situation recently when purchasing groceries for my family; I was left without my food or my money by a technology glitch at an essential goods store. The system failure meant I had to either pay twice for my groceries or leave empty-handed. As a once-poverty-stricken parent, I understand that such situations could leave families without food for many days, putting lives at risk especially in households affected by domestic violence.

It is concerning that important businesses lack the proper procedures to ensure customer protection or fair compensation in these events. In a study by Javelin Strategy & Research, it was revealed that seven out of ten consumers experienced some form of tech glitch in 2019 at a retail store causing unnecessary stress and financial loss (Javelin Strategy & Research, 2019).

Therefore, we call upon all big companies selling essential items to put firm policies and procedures in place to prevent any consumer from leaving without their money or their groceries due to technology glitches. Nobody should be penalised due to unforeseen system errors, and it's high time companies prioritised their responsibility towards consumers in such events. Please sign this petition to safeguard the rights of customers, potentially saving countless families from avoidable crises like the one I personally experienced, among many others!