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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:

Biber · 16/12/2018 16:41

I saw a most impressive tackle on a shoplifter in Boots once. The woman serving me at the pharmacy counter said 'excuse me' and ran off, jumped a bloke just outside the door and got a bag full of stuff back off him. Then came back and continued serving me just a little out of breath.

DrCoconut · 16/12/2018 17:41

I was falsely accused of shoplifting and banned from our corner shop. Obviously no evidence as I hadn't done it. The owners dad saw me coming in and told me to get out, he was banning me for stealing from them . I was tempted to leave it and let them lose my custom but that shop is handy so I made a complaint to the owner who investigated and found out I'd been confused with someone else.

LittleLlamaontheduskyroad · 16/12/2018 17:53

I see people in supermarkets at xmas / easter just blatantly opening the little santas / kinder etc and eating them off the shelves! Sometimes the staff are there too. Just in broad daylight, they don't care. I'm like

hmmwhatatodo · 16/12/2018 18:44

Did they apologise Dr. Coconut?

Brickswithstones · 16/12/2018 19:17

"I often seem to get followed or watched by security people in shops which not only makes it really hard to act natural it’s also quite upsetting to wonder what it is about the look of me that makes them think I’m going to take something. It’s even more disappointing when I wouldn’t dream of taking anything."
^
This is how many many many certain people feel in society. It starts from young, about 12 years old. And continues for all if not most of your life in all, if not most western countries. You are watched and followed as you browse. The security guards let you know that you are being watched. The shop assistants let you know that they too are watching you, as you check your phone it sends the store staff into a furry of panic. You always have to have your wits about you.

^^This with bells on.
@TeaAddict235 is spot on.
This, unfortunately is the sad reality for a number of people.

It doesn't matter how well dressed or spoken you are , as long as you fall within a biased profiling, you can almost be certain you'll be treated with suspicion as you wander around shops.

Lurkeycakewoman · 16/12/2018 19:18

I was the manager in a new restaurant a few years ago and we needed a mat to fit outside the sloped doorway customers kept slipping there. I gave two swedish lads cash to go buy one from a big department store.
They came back with a perfect fit mat rolled up and all the cash!!! They couldn't find one to buy so rolled one of the mats up that was on the floor of the store and walked out with it

formerbabe · 16/12/2018 19:31

A security guard once followed me round a supermarket. I had a full basket of food. I had really had enough so I went up to him, put the basket down by his feet, told him he could put it all back on the shelves and walked out.

CallMeRachel · 16/12/2018 19:53

Someone in my family (an in-law) had a nasty, greedy little shoplifting habit.

She used to work in a travel agent in a city centre and would go out on her lunch hour and steal whatever she fancied by dropping items into her open shopping bag.

She was pulled aside for it once but waffled her way out of it by saying some bloke put them there and ran away 🤨

They believed her and let her go. 15 years on she's still going into big department stores and switching labels, adding extra items onto hangers and generally being a thieving dishonest twat. She's also a devout member of a church!!

OhMyGodTheyKilledKenny · 16/12/2018 20:16

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

I'm always amazed at how often I see a police car parked outside Poundland.

The expression "You may as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb" always springs to mind (although personally I would never shoplift!)

DaysOfCurlySpencer · 18/12/2018 18:51

Many years ago I did Jury Service. I was called for one where a man had put on an overall coat thing, loaded a fridge freezer on to a trolley and walked out of a store with it.

Worked in a department store for a while and got used to ladies coming to the counter (cosmetics and toiletries) and going to serve them to be told that they were security and following a shoplifter. Had to call them a few times but the counter was high and sloped down with stuff layered on it so couldn't always see things being pinched. It was an old fashioned store (think Grace Brothers).

One had someone pinch a bar of soap. It was one of the more interesting days.

cosysock · 18/12/2018 19:20

There was a security man in Matalan a few years ago that knew my dh slightly. No idea why he thought my dh needed to know this, but he told him, “anything under a tenner, the alarm won’t go off, anything else will alarm, i’ll just pretend to chase you”

Pinkgrapefruit167 · 18/12/2018 21:04

I was looking at sandwiches in Greggs when a scrote stood next to me casually picked up a baguette, pretended to queue, but then stuck it in his back pocket and walked out

I reported it and he was still stood outside chatting to someone so they could easily confront him, but the staff let it slide

stressedtiredbuthappy · 18/12/2018 21:15

Oh god how do you know the "scrote" wasn't hungry?? And you took the time out to report it??? God, get a life!

AgathaF · 18/12/2018 21:22

I didn’t report as it’s nothing to do with me - of course it is. Shops hike their prices to accommodate theft, which affects us all. Plus, anti-social behaviour is a problem that we all need to act on.

RedLife · 18/12/2018 21:35

Oh god how do you know the "scrote" wasn't hungry?? And you took the time out to report it??? God, get a life!

I agree!

cosysock · 18/12/2018 22:32

No way would i report someone who looked down on their luck for stealing something to eat.

HHLimboo · 18/12/2018 22:56

I lived in a deprived area, and worked in a shop. We had very few shoplifters, just the gypsies. My manager would stand by the door and relieve them of all the stolen goods before letting them leave the shop .

Then I lived in a more middle class area. A lot of the landlords were thieves although in the past it was a way of money laundering the proceeds of crime so I guess thats why

EastMidsGPs · 19/12/2018 18:52

In our local paper today, Iceland in Ilkeston (Derbyshire) have their lamb joints and legs of lamb in plastic security boxes to deter shoplifters.

KittenEsque · 19/12/2018 18:58

You should have asked the shoplifter if she wanted a large bar of Cadbury’s with Oreo bits for only £1 EducatingSweary

HopeClearwater · 19/12/2018 19:06

once saw a man walk out of Morrisons with a handbasket full of bottles of spirits with the security tags on

Richard Madeley?

KittenEsque · 19/12/2018 19:27

Used to work at a pizza place next to a frozen food store- it was up a wee set off steps from us.

Once saw a bunch of the local youths attempt to shoplift from there. Manager chased them out as they scattered in all directions. Except, one, let’s call him Jackie, who didn’t manage to get down the steps in time. As he was on crutches with one leg in plaster. His loot? Ice-cream cones. Not even Cornettos, just the watery things.

His little brother, Lewis, was more of a criminal mastermind. He and his pal would knock off the Spar round the corner on rollerblades. One would hold open the door, the other would dash in and grab stuff and dash out, then they’d skate off in opposite directions to confound the security guard chasing them.

That was when they were young and innocent. They soon graduated to twocking and burning out cars.

HexagonalBattenburg · 19/12/2018 19:30

I get followed every bloody time I go into the local little Sainsburys and the security guard who does it is really bloody intimidating too! I'm not a shoplifter I'm just fucking indecisive and don't know the layout of the store well enough to be in and out fast! (Quite possibly because of intimidating security guy meaning I don't go in there very much)

Family member used to run a pub in one of the more "lively" areas of the city. Windows got smashed in one night and the police caught a guy, pub TV in arms, one leg in and one leg out of the broken window. Claimed he was "just holding it for his mate"

BeakyPlinder · 19/12/2018 19:32

I saw a man open the drawers under the glasses display in vision express and just fill a bag full of glasses. I just stood staring at him not quite sure what was happening at first until he walked out and I realised he was stealing them

BumDisease · 19/12/2018 19:36

"I reported it and he was still stood outside chatting to someone so they could easily confront him, but the staff let it slide confused"

I love this idea that staff are supposed to "confront" shoplifters. I'm not getting potentially stabbed or something for the sake of a fucking baguette. Any shop I've ever worked in we've been told NOT to confront shoplifters for our own safety!

Why didn't you say something to him yourself?

cushioncuddle · 19/12/2018 19:44

Years ago I saw a lady hide a pack of toddler vests in her buggy. I was in Primark. She caught my eye. I smiled and walked on.
I know stealing is wrong but to need to steal baby vests means she was desperate for them for whatever reason. Who am I to judge.

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