Formula Thief

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Our baby formula is not locked up. Nor do we put EAS tags on the cans like we used to.

Instead, there are big plastic shields on the shelves where the baby formula is, plus little sliding flaps that hang down from the shelves above. So if you want to grab a can of baby formula, you have to slide the sliding flaps over and reach in and hope your forearm isn't so big that it gets caught.

Supposedly, this is a theft deterrent but to me it doesn't work. It just makes the thieves work a little harder and the baby sundries area is kind of secluded anyway. Unless there's a camera in that general area; I haven't really looked for one though.

[Enjis]

Half the time I wish we could lock up everything in the store. We get the stupiest stuff stolen. Yesterday I found a package for one of the Energizer 'Engeri to go' for Ipods, with just the batteries stolen out of it. Just steal the whole damn thing, instead of making my head hurt!

I KNOW. That drives me buggy! I used to see three-packs of socks with just one pair missing in the middle...! Just steal the whole thing, darn it! Now I have to do paperwork to damage out the partially used package!

[Naaman]

I KNOW. That drives me buggy! I used to see three-packs of socks with just one pair missing in the middle...! Just steal the whole thing, darn it! Now I have to do paperwork to damage out the partially used package!

Didn't like the other colours?

[yizuman]

baby forumla is a hot item for multi-buyers in the store where I used to work. They limit a number of cans they can purchase. Any over that we have to tell the SCs that they can't buy them because they're over the limit, then pull them to have them reshelfed.

So many of the multi-buyers comes back and tries to buy more by attempting to go to different registers other the one they already went to. LPs always watch for them everyday. They stop them and tell them to leave.

One tried to buy more thru the self-scan register, LPs came and stopped him. He ignored them and tried to scan them as they were grabbing for the cans. The jerk grabbed the can and beaned an LP on the head, blood gushed out of his head. The other LP grabbed the guy and they struggled all over the floor. Customers came to assist the LP and slammed him on the floor while the LP cuffed him.

Cops came in within 5 minutes and hauled his ass out of there. At the same time, paramedics came in and took the LP to the hospital.

The lengths of these assholes can go for, makes me sick.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Baby formula is a hot item for multi-buyers in the store where I used to work. They limit a number of cans they can purchase. Any over that we have to tell the SCs that they can't buy them because they're over the limit, then pull them to have them reshelfed.

Baby formula is a limited purchase item? Why is that? Potential drug uses? Or insufficient supplies for all the babies?

[anyanka2]

One customer using WIC came through a co-worker's lane with about 10 cans of baby formula plus milk and eggs. His card wasn't recognized by the machine, so a supervisor was called. His explanation was that his wife had lost their previous one and he didn't know the PIN on the new card. He called about a half hour after he left to find the paperwork with the correct PIN to say that he wouldn't be coming back.

While we were waiting for him to come back, I told her that I had suspicions of fraud on his part because of the massive amounts of formula and the problem with the card. She wasn't sure if she believed me, but considering the fact that meth labs get busted in our area several times a month it wouldn't shock her that this was happening. Also, milk and egg prices have risen rapidly over the past year, so he might have sold the WIC benefits to someone else for cash instead so they could get "free" milk and eggs. When he didn't come back, she said I might have been right.

According to my supervisor, we legally cannot ask for a photo ID to verify that the person using the WIC/EBT card is the one actually using it. A former employee got in trouble for doing that because it is a violation of their privacy. I can see that point of view but if you are accepting those benefits from your state, you are just cheating the working tax payers if you chose to sell them for cash and forfeit some rights including not having to show ID for non-alcohol/tobacco purchases.

[yizuman]

Baby formula is a limited purchase item? Why is that? Potential drug uses? Or insufficient supplies for all the babies?

Well, it has a number of reasons, often times they run out of stock and leaves nothing for real mothers who needs them.

And the other is what you said, drug uses and also black market sales.

[Muses_nightmare]

Formula was one of the biggest things for theft when I worked at Zellers, I'm sure it still is. The one I used to work at had someone try to steal 8 cans, in gift bags. They didn't get away with it though.

At the gas station I worked at we had a couple just weird thefts, I don't know how they managed it, I'm thinking my coworker probably wasn't paying close enough attention to that area of the store, but someone stole all of the condoms and batteries from basically right in front of the cashier, since the shelf they were on is 10 feet directly in front of the till. Another one was just weird, someone stole 15 or 20 tubs of hagen daz. they must have had a huge duffle bag or something with them because it would be pretty difficult not to notice someone walking out with that, considering the store is tiny.