Busted a guy at work...

[JeffreyLebowski]

Your manager is a pussy. IF they don't have a reciept they are up sh!t creek. REally how hard is it for Management these days to stand up to someone. When I worked CrapUSA I told people this all the time. No receipt to return. Hell I had people try getting all pissed and yelling at me but in the end they would leave their stuff on the counter. Cause they didn't want to actually steal it. They just wanted to scam and get cash.

Though We did have one guy pull a knife on our security guy once. The security gaurd however was a 7th degree black belt in tae kwon do and proceeded to whip the theifs ass all over the front of the store infront of everyone and the cop that had just walked in.

 

[dderidex]

Originally posted by: rubix
that's an interesting policy your staples has about not calling the police.

say, can you tell me where yours is located because i have some very important shopping to do.

You don't work retail much, do you?

My wife has NEVER worked for a store where they allowed her to call the police on a theft.

Indeed, if it's not store policy, it's typically mall policy, since if someone is arrested for suspected theft, they will usually sue the store, the mall, and the employee who reported them (if they can find out the name). And they do usually win.

(And before someone goes off on lawyers, keep in mind this IS trying to protect "us". I mean, if your neighbor called the cops and lied to them saying he saw you cutting up drugs in your house and got you busted and your house boarded up because he wanted to devalue it....well, you'd want to sue him for that, wouldn't you?

It's the same situation, cops need probable cause to make an arrest, and 'the system' needs to be designed to make sure you can't just take any person's word as that 'probably cause' without it ACTUALLY BEING TRUE. So, some retailers will allow you to call the police or something if the employee ACTUALLY SAW the person put something in their bag - not suspected, or are really sure, they had to ACTUALLY SEE IT. And the employee must be willing to testify in court if necessarily to that effect before they call the police.)

 

[CPA]

My wife has worked retail for 20 years, boy the stories she's come home with. You would think that the people who come up with these plans to steal a couple hundred bucks worth of merchandise could put the same effort into legal activities they would have very productive and rewarding lives.

 

[mchammer187]

Originally posted by: AmericasTeam

Originally posted by: CheapArse
most of retail theft is internal btw

Yeah right. I catch people stealing 3 or 4 times a week at least. Sometimes they get off with a ban from the store, sometimes their parents are called to come pick them up, and other times they walk out in cuffs. I'm not saying employees aren't stealing, I'm saying it is way more customers than you think.

2000 Stats

Employee Theft 46%
Shoplifting 30.6%
Administrative Error 17.6%
Vendor Fraud 5.8%

2002 Stats

Employee Theft 48.5%
Shoplifting 31.7%
Administrative Error 15.3%
Vendor Fraud 5.4%

both of those employee theft accounts for the largest share

and if exclue administrative error which is not considered malicious than employee theft would be a majority (51%+) of the total losses


either way employee theft ranks higher than shoplifting

 

[halik]

There was an excess of REALLY REALLY HOT GIRLS getting charged for shoplifting. The girl that went before the judge just before me got misdemeanor theft with probation and sentacing in june...

I don't see how it's worth it - having Theft on your record is really really bad. Big red flag for any comapny that does a background check...

 

[gshock888]

if it was a really really hot girl and i was working at the store i'd follow my favorite porn movies

"you know there's something you can do to make me think about NOT calling the cops"


:beer:

 

[WT]

I purchased a Panasonic 60 disc bookshelf changer from CC along with a Sony powered 8" sub. Even bought extended warranties on both as they were both floor models and they cut me a nice price break. I returned the changer for a design defect repair and took the sub along just because I paid for the ext. warranty .. sooo, blow the dust out of it .. it works fine, but I had it 'along for the ride' anyhow.

A month later, CC calls to report my changer is available for pickup. I go in withj my receipt and pick it up ... no sub. Ohh, that must still be out on repair (me: umm it wasn't broken!). Long story short, I waited 2.5 months until they determined that they had lost the sub and I could come in and pick one up from the shelf as a replacement. I got an Aiwa instead, as they no longer carried the color matching sub for the bookshelf.

Funny thing was, when I dropped everything off that night, the guy in line behind me was putting his grubby hands on the sub as I walked out the door, and I'd bet $100 that when the cashier walked my changer back to the returns room, this POS ran out the front doors with my sub under his jacket. Had I stayed by my car another 30 seconds, I would have blindsided him with a flying elbow to his forehead, or given the right attack angle, a clothesline from Hell and laughed as his head hit the pavement with a sickly *CrAcK - SmaCK* ....

me: Ummm, CC cashier, please call the police and an ambulance, in that order, for the guy that just stole my sub from your counter as you went into the backroom. Yea, I'm fine, and my subs safe and sound, but that guy fell as he was running and he's bleeding at a fairly rapid pace. Kthxbye !

 

[Anonemous]

Originally posted by: dderidex

Originally posted by: rubix
that's an interesting policy your staples has about not calling the police.

say, can you tell me where yours is located because i have some very important shopping to do.

You don't work retail much, do you?

My wife has NEVER worked for a store where they allowed her to call the police on a theft.

Indeed, if it's not store policy, it's typically mall policy, since if someone is arrested for suspected theft, they will usually sue the store, the mall, and the employee who reported them (if they can find out the name). And they do usually win.

(And before someone goes off on lawyers, keep in mind this IS trying to protect "us". I mean, if your neighbor called the cops and lied to them saying he saw you cutting up drugs in your house and got you busted and your house boarded up because he wanted to devalue it....well, you'd want to sue him for that, wouldn't you?

It's the same situation, cops need probable cause to make an arrest, and 'the system' needs to be designed to make sure you can't just take any person's word as that 'probably cause' without it ACTUALLY BEING TRUE. So, some retailers will allow you to call the police or something if the employee ACTUALLY SAW the person put something in their bag - not suspected, or are really sure, they had to ACTUALLY SEE IT. And the employee must be willing to testify in court if necessarily to that effect before they call the police.)

you mean these stores don't have CAMERAS? and they can't call cops?

whoa... :Q

 

[hevnsnt]

2 Things..

First: bubbadu :thumbsup: for being a decent person. The world would be a lot better place if more people cared like you do.

Secondly: Corps need to forget about the receipt rule. Do it like Microcenter does. Come in without a receipt? No problem, what is your last name, let me look it up on the computer. That is honestly the best way. All transactions are computerized anyway, they should be able to bring up past transactions. If it is cash.. well you should have held onto your reciept

 

[bubbadu]

Originally posted by: hevnsnt
2 Things..

First: bubbadu :thumbsup: for being a decent person. The world would be a lot better place if more people cared like you do.

Secondly: Corps need to forget about the receipt rule. Do it like Microcenter does. Come in without a receipt? No problem, what is your last name, let me look it up on the computer. That is honestly the best way. All transactions are computerized anyway, they should be able to bring up past transactions. If it is cash.. well you should have held onto your reciept

hevnsnt: Thank you. All Staples requires is name, adress, phone number, all of which can be bogus. We dont even have access to that info at a store level.

dderidex: DING DING DING, thats exactly sums up Staples policy.

BriGy86: I am 21 next week. The problem with our store is that they will hire ANYONE and you get these 16 year old kids who care less. I cant even count the amount of these kids the store has gone through. The only one that seems to care is myself and a couple of managers.

 

[jbaggins]

wow didn't know staples had such a great return policy. I'll return things to you in future.

Originally posted by: bubbadu
I am so fvcking sick of retail theft. Whether it be internal (which I know some of it is) or not, I just cant stand it. So today at Staples, we were really busy, and I happened to see this middle aged, balding guy come in with a plastic grocery bag. Inside he had a webcam, telephone, and a "mini-box" verison of Norton Systemworks (didnt come from us). I asked if he needed help and he explained how the webcam didnt work. I spoke to my manager and he said it was fine because he still sold the item. $100 credit. Then he whips out some old Vtech junk phone. Again no box, no reciept, no nothing. I looked it up and gave him 12.50 in credit. He then swaps the camera for a different model and starts to walk around the store, with the webcam in our new Staples bag.
He then asked to for some cdr's and I showed him a Sony 50 pack for 8.94 and walked away. The guy then proceddes to PUT THE CDS IN HIS BAG. I was like WTF you arent going to steal right in front of me. I told the manager that the alarm was going to go off on his way out and to stop him. Of course it did and he was beyond busted. He was like " UH uhh yeah, my reciept is right here" and felt every body part to make sure. It was very fun to see him dance from behind a two way mirror. He was like ok heres the money (which was really free money) and left very quickly. We bent over backwards for this guy and he stole 3 seconds later, what an ass. I doubt he will be back

-BTW, I caught a lady using a baby carriage and changing bag stealing expensive labels, exacto blades, but only after she got $480 for free. This guy was more fun though.

-BUMP AND UPDATE
- So I was stopping by work today with a friend of mine and my manager comes outside for a smoke break and mentions to me that the baby lady is INSIDE the store as we speak. I waited a couple of minutes and went inside. She somehow MANAGED TO RETURN $380 in the same junk AGAIN. My main manager was on a confence call and this lady was the friend of the first lady and was under the radar. Once they realized we were scammed AGAIN, my manager stuck to her like glue and she bought a digital camera and phone with the store credit. At this point, I walked in and was handed a digital camera and told to take a picture of her car and if possible her, since I wasnt in uniform or on the clock. The lady then walked out, and my manager owned her big time. He told her the following, outside of the store to avoid any other customers.

Manager: "Mam, THE POLICE HAVE BEEN INFORMED."
Her: "FOR WHAT?!!"
Manager: "FOR WHATEVER." and he walked away.

I then walked really fast to her car, and was going to snap a picture but she and her dirtbag kids were all looking my way. I gave her a dirty look, like the gig is up and she sped away in her Saturn. I got the plate number and walked back into the store. These people are working as a team, I would solve the problem but I am not a stupid cashier (honestly our cashiers are just plain DUMB) so its really out of my control.

 

[toant103]

this one dude would wait outside my store and ask people for receipt, or just pick it out of the trash can. He would then go back to the store and look for the same item on the receipt and try to return it for cash. He asked me where the item is and i told him let me go look for it in the security office. He left after that, i think he went to another store. I informed all the store in the area since we have a listsrv.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: AmericasTeam

Originally posted by: CheapArse
most of retail theft is internal btw

Yeah right. I catch people stealing 3 or 4 times a week at least. Sometimes they get off with a ban from the store, sometimes their parents are called to come pick them up, and other times they walk out in cuffs. I'm not saying employees aren't stealing, I'm saying it is way more customers than you think.

2000 Stats

Employee Theft 46%
Shoplifting 30.6%
Administrative Error 17.6%
Vendor Fraud 5.8%

2002 Stats

Employee Theft 48.5%
Shoplifting 31.7%
Administrative Error 15.3%
Vendor Fraud 5.4%

The stats you just cited disagree with what you're saying and prove the other guy to be right. Most theft IS internal.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: mchammer187

Originally posted by: AmericasTeam

Originally posted by: CheapArse
most of retail theft is internal btw

Yeah right. I catch people stealing 3 or 4 times a week at least. Sometimes they get off with a ban from the store, sometimes their parents are called to come pick them up, and other times they walk out in cuffs. I'm not saying employees aren't stealing, I'm saying it is way more customers than you think.

2000 Stats

Employee Theft 46%
Shoplifting 30.6%
Administrative Error 17.6%
Vendor Fraud 5.8%

2002 Stats

Employee Theft 48.5%
Shoplifting 31.7%
Administrative Error 15.3%
Vendor Fraud 5.4%

both of those employee theft accounts for the largest share

and if exclue administrative error which is not considered malicious than employee theft would be a majority (51%+) of the total losses


either way employee theft ranks higher than shoplifting

Why would you exclude administrative error...thats an aka for employee theft. Not all of it, but some of it. Though I agree...even with out it, the majority of theft is internal(which is what I originally said anyways). Thanks for posting the stats to back up my point AmericasTeam.

 

[BooGiMaN]

beign poor is no excuse for beign a theif...if your that poor an starving go steal some fruit at the store, why steal cd-rs and crap from a staples.

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: RobCur

Originally posted by: RobCur
Honesty in this world does not pay well because low wages encourage stealing while high wages does not.

Fixed.
:thumbsup:

It sucks to be poor man, you just don't understand it's something that most of poor do this to offset their lack of wealth.

Let's get serious here. If you're poor and on welfare, you don't need high dollar electronics and office supplies, you need a second job. There's no justification for high-dollar theft here.