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Original poster

just saw someone shoplifting in wh smith

121 replies

EducatingSweary · 14/12/2018 12:55

so expertly done that it left me questioning myself what id actually seen

she was holding a carrier bag and 2 pavkets of chocolates all in one hand, dropped just one bag of chocs into her carrier bag and then just put the others back on the shelf

it happened so quickly that i thought to myself, no tgat didnt hapoen, yet there was the unmistaken sound if something dropping into her bag

OP posts:
QueenCity · 14/12/2018 17:02

*pram not prom

FrazzyAndFrumpled · 15/12/2018 08:38

I would usually report it to staff, Queen, but would be wary of confronting them directly. I don’t want to get spat on like a PP!

Heuschrecke · 15/12/2018 08:51

I know what you mean, OP, that feeling of disbelief and "did I really just see that?"

One Summer I was in a smallish M&S which had its shoe/sandal rack right by the front door. A woman came in and stood next to me, chose a pair of sandals, tried them on, put her old flip flops into her shopping bag and just walked out. By the time the penny had dropped with me, she was long gone in the crowds out in the street.

greathat · 15/12/2018 09:42

Someone shoplifted a wide screen tv from a big Tesco by me. Just walked in, picked it up, walked away out. The alarms went off but then they always do

SinkGirl · 15/12/2018 09:45

I’ve seen a couple - guys stuffing their pants full of steaks in M&S, and a woman in a Tesco express dropping things on the floor, kicking it to the door and then someone coming in and picking it up. I’m amazed the latter weren’t spotted to be honest.

SinkGirl · 15/12/2018 09:47

Oh and I used to work in a shoe concession in a clothes shop and many days I was the only member of staff. Someone came in and tried on some boots then said they weren’t sure of the size and could they try the next size - by the time I came back out they and the boots were gone. I was only 16 at the time and clearly not very savvy - I did get bollocked though!

Burlea · 15/12/2018 09:48

I worked in a catalogue showroom many moons ago, I was doing a display which included a fire surround. I built it up when a customer came over and asked me something which meant I had my back to the display. Turned around and it was gone.

QOD · 15/12/2018 09:51

I saw a chap in Sainsbury yesterday. He was self scanning some alcohol. He scanned 4 cans then dropped them. One split. Sprayed etc .
3 staff come over to clear up and 1 to replace the 4 pack. He’s super polite and super apologetic
Pays and leaves

After he’s gone one of the staff said hey hang on. He only scanned the cans not the whiskey ...

One of them said then that actually they’d been thinking they seen him before. He’d done the same a few months ago

Distraction theft I guess

Toomanycats99 · 15/12/2018 10:16

@SinkGirl

I tried on trainers in jd sports it may have been I think and when I asked for another size they took one of the current size away with them.....

Nenic · 15/12/2018 10:38

I saw a guy steal whisky in Sainsbury’s once. Got the tag off and put it in his inside pocket. He wasn’t even hiding what he was doing. I didn’t report as it’s nothing to do with me.

Downeyhouse · 15/12/2018 10:51

Did not see this but a friend is a security guard and went to deal with a guy who fainted at a till. Turned out he had hidden frozen meat under his hat on top of his head.
Got a bad caee of Brain freeze, fainted and got caught Smile

DonaldDucksTowel · 15/12/2018 10:58

I saw some guys take an electric toothbrush out of the box and put the empty box back on the shelf in boots the other day
As I left they were suspiciously hanging around the aftershave

EastMidsGPs · 15/12/2018 11:18

My DH has recently bought a mobility scooter. We are still getting used to being out and about in shops and shopping areas.
Just last Sunday we learnt a valuable lesson. We got off the tram and DH took his phone out of his bag to check the time. Put it back and we then went to B&M. As we went through the entrance I young man deftly got in between me and DH (I was behind him). The man walked really closely behind DH and i was getting irritated that I couldn't get past him.
DH stopped and the man stopped along side him, asking if DH needed a basket or trolley. By this time I was level and said NO quite loudly as my spidy senses were turned on. He asked again and i said NO again, a shop assistant appeared and the man scuttled off. She asked if we were ok and i explained he'd homed in on DH and wouldn't leave him but his body language bothered me. She said he was well known in the store.
We discovered that the zip on the bag on the back of DH's scooter had been opened - it was definitely closed before we went into the shop. Luckily there was nothing in it..
As we returned past B&M 3 police officers were speaking with the man (one was holding him by the elbow) and a store assistant.
So, just a warning at this time of year
Kee your bags close and don't get purses/phones etc out, showing others where you keep them. We're now more streetwise.

GunpowderGelatine · 15/12/2018 11:41

When my kids were in prams I used to put food and drink in the bottom because that's where the storage was and I didn't have free hands for a basket. To pay for of course! I would not have been impressed if some loon came up to me and shouted "are you gonna pay for that!!?!" Hmm I'm a dick though so I would probably say no, why do you want me to nick anything for you then stroll off and pay for my stuff

OhFlipMama · 15/12/2018 11:43

@Lynne45 I'd also do nothing - I've been desperate enough to contemplate it before (a long time ago thank goodness) but to do it they must be extremely desperate.

JuneFromBethesda · 15/12/2018 11:56

I was in Wilkos a while back and saw a man pour a handful of sweets from the pick & mix into his coat pocket. Small fry I know compared to some of these but it was so blatant, I was so astonished I didn't think to say anything.

NineNine · 15/12/2018 11:57

Last year I was in Victoria’s Secret and noticed a bunch of lads looking totally out of place. I watched as they browsed around, then stopped at a display, swept an entire table of perfumes into a shopping bag and walked out! I stared at them open mouthed and one of them squared up to me as he walked past. I backed off and looked for an assistant but they were just standing around looking on helplessly too Shock.

RedLife · 15/12/2018 13:21

She said they sell it on in pubs Grin

just saw someone shoplifting in wh smith
Redglitter · 15/12/2018 13:25

I work for the Police and Poundland is one of our most frequent callers when it comes to shoplifters.

Mrsr8 · 15/12/2018 13:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NotScrewingUpNow · 15/12/2018 13:33

It's ok to shoplift from the tax avoided.

userofthiswebsite · 15/12/2018 13:42

This is what I hated about working in retail.
People will steal absolutely anything.
I've even witnessed stealing from a charity shop!

I was buying socks in Primark a few months back and saw a chap crouched down with a big bag sweeping clothes into the bag. He saw me watching him and fled. I told the security guard but I don't think they caught him.

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 15/12/2018 13:43

I was in Cath Kidston in Covent Garden looking at a lovely bag and deciding I couldn't afford it. There was a woman next to me doing the same thing, or so I thought. I went to pay for the other stuff I had bought and when I turned back, the staff were looking at the space where the bag had been and saying 'I said not to put it there. Too easy to steal'.

Notquiteagandt · 15/12/2018 13:53

Years ago I used to work in a shop in a shopping mall. I used to love listening to the security radios. Some of the cheekiest that come to mind are.

Mothercare someone carrying a baby in putting them in pram and just walking out. Was only when a fellow customer said something theyd realised.

Someone in halfords asking to see if a carseat would fit in their car. Got the staff to fit it. Then just drove off 😂

Someone walking into argos and running off with a tele. Took 4 of them. As it was in days of big back teles.

Someone robbing a guinea pig from pets at home

There was also a surprising ammount of men caught robbing make up and womens lingerie from the department store.

anewyear · 16/12/2018 10:42

EastMidsGPs
My mother in law one Xmas, was doing the food shop.
She put her OPEN handbag on the seat of the trolley, reached to get something from the shelf, turned back and her purse was gone!!
She always did this apparently.. she doesn't now!!

I've seen this many times since, bags left/open on the seat, owner looking at the shelves.
I have in the past told the owners my mils story..