Shoplifting?

[lingerieLiz]

A while back I was in the lingerie section of an upscale department store. As I walked toward the area where the SA was arranging things she looked at me. At the same time a very large man with a heavy coat grabbed a bra and began to shove it in his jacket. The shoplifter saw me about the same time looking at what he was doing. As he opened his jacket I could easily see the bra inside his coat.

I didn't yell as he took off, but as soon as the SA was near me I told her that the guy had stolen an expensive bra. She called security, but they decided not to pursue him.
Have you ever observed a shoplifter while shopping and what happened?

[donnatracey]

That took stones for that idiot to do that with you observing! Esp annoying when stores decide NOT to go after folks like that. Sorry, I use to work in retail.....gotten so bad they should have someone at the doors checking receipts/bags. If all stores did that, once word got around that garbage would stop real fast.....:Angry3:

[DeeMNCD]

Once - I was walking through the mens section of Marshall Field's (Now Macy's) right near the doors - two women pushing strollers came toward me - I smiled and said good morning - only thing was there weren't kids in the strollers - there were full size dolls! They hit the exit gates and like 50 alarms went off... they tried to run, but a couple of "shoppers" weren't - they were undercover store staff... In about 30 seconds, the police were there and they had the two down and cuffed - One of the cops looked at me - asked the store guys if I was with them - the store guy looked at me and said - "No - he just walked in on the middle of this" - whew...

Turns out the 2 were part of a ring that would go around and steal stuff - not only from macy's but other mall stores as well and then resell it on E-bay.

Dee

[tamarav]

Back in the days when I trained Ross Stores managers, I was standing in the store talking with a manager when a guy in sweats ran between us and told us he was heading for the south entrance chasing a pregnant woman.

He grabbed her outside the store where she fell to the ground screaming that we were killing her baby. Her accomplices jumped in and the loss prevention agents from three other stores got involved. Big melee. Outcome? 86 ellskin purses in her belly booster bag, She was 85 pounds skinny when all the purses were taken out by the medics.

Or the time a tribe of gypsies hit the store, all 25 of them at the same time. Grabbed armfuls of merchandise and hit the doors. Vans just outside whisked them away before you could blink.

[Karren H]

Wow... I've never seen anyone shoplift before..

[Amy Hepker]

You want to see shopplifters go into any conveinience store and just watch people, it is scary to see how many steal from these stores.

The other day a Lady walked into Wal-Mart to the Customer Service counter and wanted to return Girls tops, the thing was she had about 10 all different colors but all the same design and size with tags and NO receipt. I was in line with other women and we all seen what was going on and I said to her peobably stolen and she agreed with me. Needles to say they did not give her any money, but what was surprising is they let her leave the store with the clothes.

[Niya W]

You want to see shopplifters go into any conveinience store and just watch people, it is scary to see how many steal from these stores.

The other day a Lady walked into Wal-Mart to the Customer Service counter and wanted to return Girls tops, the thing was she had about 10 all different colors but all the same design and size with tags and NO receipt. I was in line with other women and we all seen what was going on and I said to her peobably stolen and she agreed with me. Needles to say they did not give her any money, but what was surprising is they let her leave the store with the clothes.
Um unless they have proof that they are stolen from that store litle they can do.

[abigailf]

Rest assured. All these thefts are figured into the price we pay for these items.

[giuseppina]

It's disconcerting that security decided not to pursue the shoplifter, both for you and the SA. She likely felt let down because security didn't do their duty.

[5150 Girl]

As i was waiting for somone i was with to finish in the dressing room, I noticed somone else coming out with store tags hanging out over her waist band in the back, and I could also see over her waist band in the back, she was wearing 2 pir of pants.
I alearted the changing room attendant who gave chase, but was stoped by anothrer customer who had a question.

[Vieja]

Hi Liz. If there were no shop lifters prices would certainly be a lot cheaper.


Vieja

[StaceyJane]

Once back around 1990 I was working at Radio Shack when a man came in the store and asked a question I had to look up. When I went behind the counter to find his answer he grabbed a CD player on dislay and took off. He was gone in a flash and I couldn't do anything to stop him.
At least that was better than the time someone pointed a gun at me and robbed the store.

[Sally2005]

Gosh... maybe that's why when a man walks in the lengerie section they watch you... better not wear a trench coat. Too bad these criminals didn't put the same effort in to working for a living...

[Jean Ann S]

What is really sad about all this is that it makes the stores suspicious of us Crossdressers who just come in to shop
It is esp bad for us when a CD takes something with out paying
Makes stores unfriendly to us all,,,,,even though we are doing nothing wrong
:eek:


That is why I make it a point to talk with the sales assistants and tell them I CD and if possible ask fortheir help
The plus side of it all is Ihave made many good friends doing this !

Jean Ann

[Leslie Langford]

Back in the days when I trained Ross Stores managers, I was standing in the store talking with a manager when a guy in sweats ran between us and told us he was heading for the south entrance chasing a pregnant woman.

He grabbed her outside the store where she fell to the ground screaming that we were killing her baby. Her accomplices jumped in and the loss prevention agents from three other stores got involved. Big melee. Outcome? 86 ellskin purses in her belly booster bag, She was 85 pounds skinny when all the purses were taken out by the medics.

Or the time a tribe of gypsies hit the store, all 25 of them at the same time. Grabbed armfuls of merchandise and hit the doors. Vans just outside whisked them away before you could blink.

...of a story my father told me many years ago when he worked at the downtown flagship location of a major department store...

Seems a guy tired to steal a canoe (yeah, I know, how Canadian, eh?) one day and made it all the way through the store using the escalators to get down to the main floor from the 6th floor Sporting Goods department. He was so brazen about it that most people probably just thought he was a store employee.

But Security did catch him - when he came back for the paddles :eek::heehee:!

[sherri52]

Retail stores expect approx 3% loss due to thieft. If there was no thieft the clothes may be cheaper.

[aggi123]

I'm an undercover loss prevention agent for a chain of grocery stores in maryland an pennsylvania. We have to follow a strict set of rules before we can even think about approaching a suspected shoplifter. If I didn't see them conceal it, I don't stop them. Not worth losing your job over for a bad stop especially when a shopper (keep in mind, stranger at that) tells you they saw someone do something. One bad stop could result in a fairly serious lawsuit. Not worth stopping for anything.

Things I keep in mind when stopping a shoplifter: Did I see them select the item? Did I see them conceal? Did I watch them from start to finish? Did they pass all points of purchase and exit the store? If I answer no to any of these questions, they're getting away.

[RADER]

I worked in construction for over 40 years. As a carpenter formen, i built
many retail stores. They spend a lot of money with theff protection. Have
you ever noticed the have circle divices standing next to the exit door?
These are detection divices for detecting stolen idems.
When you pay for an item, they scan the bar code of the item, and at the same time the anti theff divice is de activated. An other thing they use
is a plastic clip pinned to clothing witch is removed from the item before
you leave the store. This all helps to hold down shoplifting.
Some stand alone stores have a button behind the counter to keep you from
exiting the store, in a sence, you are locked in. Some building ordances
will not allow that however. It pays to be honest. Rader

[Stephanie-L]

Way back when I was a manager of a self serve gas station I was a little surprised at the amount of theft. I was young and naive then, and it was back in the early days of self serve, so you didn't need to pay in advance. There was at least one drive off a week, and I can't count the number of sob stories I got about why they couldn't pay for the gas they had already pumped into their tank. Then there was the night of the armed robbery, coincidentally the last night I was working there, with the cops sitting in the restaurant next door, two guys robbed me as I was closing, taught me not to be as nice, unfortunately.....Stephanie

[Laura_Stephens]

I have never witnessed anyone shoplifting, but you did the right thing in telling the SA.

[5150 Girl]

Outcome? 86 ellskin purses in her belly booster bag, She was 85 pounds skinny when all the purses were taken out by the medics.
Medics? how do they fit in? Woudn't a normal strip search do the trick, or have I missed somthing?
I've heard of the "stuff and grab" in which they grab somthing, and stuff it in a false pregnentcy belly that just kind of straps on. There was a pop band got in a little stink over featuring it in one of their videos.

I must admit though, I have thougt of pulling the reverse of this... You see, movie theater snacks are expenive! I've thought about using this method to smuggle snacks in to the theater.

[johnboy23]

Um.... I would mind my own business

[BarbraAnne]

Shoplifting is a misdemeanor in most places. Some store chains will track known shoplifters until they have stolen enough to be considered a felony. Then they get them good!!
TTFN, Barb

[EveMarie]

Many years ago I heard this story (it was true) that a woman stole a frozen turkey and eluded police by running away with it between her legs and hopped over a fence. :eek:


strange but true :doh:

The only person I've seen shoplifting :o is me :eek: Yup back in my young punk youth (13 or so) I swiped a pack of smokes from our local Grocery. Got caught the owner called my mom, they took me to the police station and put me in lockup for a few hours then said "is this the kind of life you want to lead?" for what ever reason, I have never taken anything from anyone since:D

[Molly Wells]

Last year, just before Christmas, I went into a WalMart in a nearby town. The aisles with the decorations and such were near the front. As I turned down one of the aisle I saw a teenager boy stuffing his mouth full of chocolate covered cherries. When he saw me he stuffed a couple of more in, looked like a chipmunk with his cheeks full. He then turned and hurried away. I would have reported him but I was dressed in femme and did not want to draw any undo attention!
Molly

[lingerieLiz]

Funny part was later in the Mall of America I saw him walking. I started to go up to him and ask for the bra that he had stolen. He was big but fat.

First job I had was in a high end clothing store years ago. My job was to handle cash from the registers and resolve returns etc. One night we got hit for 3 mink coats in 10 minutes. One guy our detective caught a couple with a car full of clothes from 3 top end stores. That was back in the early 60s so all this has been going on for a long time.

[Sherry-Stephanie]

Just another day in paradise....brings back memories....

How about some shoplifter taking stuff and standing at the exit door is a cop and they still try and blaze past the door!!!!

Can't out run a walkie talkie!!!! Fool!!!!

[Barbara Dugan]

I used to work retail for a many years ... many stories of shoplifters came to my mind once I caught a band of gypsies another time a very elderly lady the thing is many people do it just for the thrill I just fund ridiculous the stuff they used to take.

[jenna_woods]

wow I shop all the time and never saw someone shop lift, that's amasing that them let him go, its hard to understrand