Dumb Shoplifter

[smfrazier]

I've been visiting this sight for about a year. This is my first post. I am currently a "maintenance worker"(glorified janitor) for I well known department store chain. Most of my stories will probably be from when I was a convenience store worker since I don't deal with too many customers now. But I observed this a couple of days ago at my current job.

A couple of managers were talking to a lady who had a wide-screen TV in her cart. She had apparently been trying to take it out without a receipt. She tried to say she just got it out of Layaway and had just paid it off. But she couldn't produce the receipt for it. We haven't had Layaway since before Christmas so they knew she wasn't telling the truth. By this time she was crying and kept insisting she was telling the truth.They tried to detain her until the police arrived but she ended up running off.

They couldn't figure out where the TV came from because they didn't have any on the shelf. Also, all the TVs were suppose to be wrapped in what they call "spider wrap" which makes a very loud noise when it is cut, so people would have been sure to hear it. Upon closer inspection they discovered that it was just an empty display box that she was trying to steal.

If they catch her she can still be charged with trying to steal the TV because that's what she thought she was getting.

[Pixilated]

And she didn't notice that the box was just a little light to contain a wide-screen TV??

I'm almost sorry she didn't get it home. She'd have been so proud of her "steal" -- at least until she opened the box.

[csquared]

And she didn't notice that the box was just a little light to contain a wide-screen TV??

I'm almost sorry she didn't get it home. She'd have been so proud of her "steal" -- at least until she opened the box.

When she got home she would have called to complain that the box was empty. "I WAS RIPPED OFF!"

[DGoddessChardonnay]

When she got home she would have called to complain that the box was empty. "I WAS RIPPED OFF!"

Now that would have been PRICELESS.

[Mel]

When she got home she would have called to complain that the box was empty. "I WAS RIPPED OFF!"

Maybe she knew full well that the box was empty and that was her plan.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Maybe she knew full well that the box was empty and that was her plan.

My thought as well.

For this reason we've had to go as far as securing our empty Nintendo DS, Wii, PS3, etc game console display boxes to the shelves, or putting spider wraps on them.

[downforit2008]

"I got it on layaway!" That's a stupid excuse. 2 years ago, I saw two security guards grab a shoplifting woman right in front of me who had been trying to run away with $35 in stolen merchandise. Get this...PHOTO ALBUMS!!! You want to risk going to JAIL for a bunch of stupid photo albums??? The stupid woman didn't even try to have an excuse. She just started to bawl and cry like a baby because she was ASHAMED at being caught! Well, I was working at the time and the security guards gave me the stolen crap and told me to take it to one of the managers while the police was being called. The lady had dropped her purse in the commotion and had the guts to DEMAND to me that I give her the purse she dropped, while still in tears, of course. I don't feel the right to be giving out "good customer service" to those who steal from us, so I gave her a nasty look and threw her purse at her feet instead. Let the stealing tramp pick it up herself!

She got a week of jail and a $500 fine, plus banned from the store I work at. They didn't throw the book at her enough in my opinion.

[Redbeard]

If they catch her she can still be charged with trying to steal the TV because that's what she thought she was getting.

"So...what are you in for?"
"....trying to steal an empty box..."

[dalesys]

"So...what are you in for?"
"....trying to steal an empty box..."

...and they all moved away from me on the bench...

[emax4]

"...She got a week of jail and a $500 fine, plus banned from the store I work at. They didn't throw the book at her enough in my opinion.

Of course they didn't throw the book at her. They were too busy picking out which photo album to throw at her.

G'night folks, drive safely...

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

I remember the time I went to court to testify against a person who barged in, grabbed the empty box that a computer case (the empty case and not a working PC) I was putting on display had come in and ran out.

We called the police, had them look at the security camera (nice high-resolution image of his face) and let them do their job.

Turns out that he's done this before.

In court the judge actually looked at me and asked if I was really pressing charges for the theft of an empty box. I said that had it been 5 minutes earlier it would have been theft of product, that I was informed by the Dover TWP Police that he was wanted on other similar charges, and that regardless of what he took he barged in and took something without asking and if he needed a box we have a sign on the counter saying that we always have a large number of boxes that we are willing to give away for the simple act of asking.

The judge nodded and handed out a guilty verdict. One of many I later learned.

[Mystic]

It's people like this person that is making shopping more difficult for honest folks. I shop more and more online just so I don't have to deal with stupidity, both from other customers and employees alike.

[PepperElf]

so people would have been sure to hear it

You'd be surprised.

at my store people stole* shit daily during christmas. they found spider wraps hiding in all sorts of places including places where the sound would be muffled




Edit: fixed my spelling error. Was suppose to be "stole" not 'store'

[PatchO'Black]

Heck, if we are telling "stupid things to steal" stories, I'll pull one from my fast-food days! I had a fellow come in, grab a small stack of plastic food trays from atop one of the trash bins, and run out to a waiting truck with them. I shouted at them, but I have to admit, the only thing I can think of is that they intended to try and sell them at a flea market or something.

[Geek King]

Heck, if we are telling "stupid things to steal" stories, I'll pull one from my fast-food days! I had a fellow come in, grab a small stack of plastic food trays from atop one of the trash bins, and run out to a waiting truck with them. I shouted at them, but I have to admit, the only thing I can think of is that they intended to try and sell them at a flea market or something.

Nope, snow sleds.

Not that I'd know from experience.