Warning over viral Woolies trolley trick

A video began circulating on the social media platform sharing a “life hack” that told viewers to insert a key into coin-operated trolleys when they didn’t have any money to hand.

It was quickly labelled “brilliant” and a “clever solution” to an all too familiar problem – but Woolworths told news.com.au the trick could cause serious problems.

“While trolley locks are not commonly used in Woolworths stores, we strongly encourage customers to only use coins in the trolley lock mechanism,” a spokesperson said.

“There have been previous instances where customers’ goods or keys have become stuck in the lock, and they may also damage the lock.”

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A Ballarat man had suggested on TikTok you can use a key when you had no money to hand, with the tip being widely well received.

“Insert your key, pull it out, pull your key out, and you have a trolley,” he said in the video that has been watched more than 25,000 times.

“That’s cheeky, love it,” one user commented.

“Thanks for the tip,” another said.

However, one said they had tried it recently and it didn’t work.

Others were confused over why the man’s local Woolies required a coin to use the trolleys, as most supermarkets in Australia provide trolleys for customer use free-of-charge.

A small percentage of stores have trolley locks in place due to local government by-laws.

Aldi is the exception and requires a gold coin to operate trolleys nationwide with the supermarket having stated in the past, it was one of the ways it keeps its costs down to sell groceries at lower prices.

Last year, an Aldi shopper shared the same key trick on Facebook, prompting the German retailer to issue a warning.

“We recommend that our shoppers continue using gold coins or an Aldi trolley token to unlock their trolleys. Other objects may become stuck or damaged,” a spokesperson said in June.

“Our trolley tokens can be purchased for 99c at the register. Even better, they double as key rings so you can be sure to never forget it.”

Aldi has used trolley tokens since the company arrived in Australia in 2001.

“Our coin deposit trolley system helps prevent dumped trolleys and keeps our prices low,” Aldi said in 2018.

“On your first trip, be sure to bring along a $1 or $2 coin, which you can retrieve at the end of your shop.

“Many of our customers love our reusable $0.99 Trolley Token that you can pick up at the checkout and attach to your key ring, meaning you’ll never be caught without a trolley if you’re out of gold coins.”

Continue the conversation @RebekahScanlan | rebekah.scanlan@news.com.au