Swapping eggs in supermarket

[thimblewomgee247]

Just had my online shop delivered. As usual I open the eggs to make sure they aren't broken (they are normally fine). I had ordered 6 large eggs. On opening the box I could see they where tiny. The delivery guy apologised and refunded and said it happens all the time. People swap the eggs on the shelf.

Now as shoplifting goes this just seems a lot of effect for very little gain. Surely it's a right faff and the risk of getting caught must be so high

I swap the odd broken one around, when I cant find a complete unbroken box

See swapping a broken one with another from the same range is fine. But this person had swapped six large for six small.

It's the thrill of the "win" for some shoplifters

I think a lot of people enjoy thinking they getting one over on a supermarket, ie scanning expensive fruit and veg as potatoes, or not paying for bags. I know people who do this who certainly aren't short of cash.

It's apparently very common. The checkout operator usually opens the eggs to check they are the appropriate size - not as I thought to check they are all intact.

The supplier should change the packaging so people can’t do it. Perhaps clear packaging so you can see contents, but not open it.
Don’t think I could be bothered to do it, would be embarrassed to get caught.
I guess it’s the same people that probably nick sugar sachets and bog rolls, they think they’re being thrifty, not stealing.
When my friends Nan died they found tonnes of the little sachets of sugar and milks you get in cafes, the woman was quite wealthy, no need for it, some people can’t help themselves.

Since working in a supermarket I have been amazed at the number of small scams that happen every day to save a customer a small amount. I'm not going to list them here as I don't want to give anyone ideas but it's happening all the time. During the COVID period when it was difficult to get soap we sometimes had to put small bottles in the customer toilets as we couldn't always get the large containers that top up the dispensers. These small bottles had to be tagged with the tags normally used on expensive alcohol as they started disappearing.

This is the first time I hear of this but I recall getting smaller eggs in a large eggs carton from my Sainsbury's online delivery. The egg isles always seem so busy with people I'm surprised stickyfingers are so nimble to do this. I get scared handling an egg carton from shelf to trolly but some people examine each egg like it's a piece of rock.

A few years ago I was in a waitrose where they sold boxes of 'mixed size' eggs. I watched a very old lady carefully open boxes and replace all the small eggs in her box with larger eggs from the others. I know it's 'wrong' but it made me chuckle and if I ever see mixed size eggs I think of her!

No way! I always thought that the checkout operator was checking for cracks and broken eggs 😳

I think the cafe sugar sachets are different. If you get a coffee and they bring it with two sugar packets, it's no difference if you open one into your coffee and tuck the second into your pocket for a later coffee than if you open them both into your coffee. The price of a coffee includes a reasonable allotment of sugar. In the same way, if they give you one of those individually wrapped biscuits, you can take it away for later rather than having to eat it right there and then or return it.

(I drink coffee without sugar, btw!)

I bought saffron yesterday. Got home and the foil had been punctured and the saffron removed.

Me as well!

I challenged a couple in a supermarket when I saw the chap rip open a string bag of expensive onions and put them loose in a paper bag used for cheaper onions. He ignored me but his wife looked deeply embarrased.
It just really annoyed me!

Not quite the point of this thread but here’s some info from the British Hen Welfare Trust on why boxes of Large eggs might be detrimental to hen welfare
https://www.bhwt.org.uk/blog/health-welfare/size-matters-our-latest-hen-welfare-awareness-campaign-is-underway-and-gaining-steam/

Unbelievable! The nerve of some people

No way I never knew that what they were checking for! I only get supermarket eggs when desperate, the ones from the local farm are so much better!

When you tell a story like this it sounds funny and I laughed as I read it but when I read the OP I felt annoyed on her behalf. It's wrong and I think as you say, perhaps might be somebody trying to get one up on the supermarket rather than stealing for sustenance.

Odd my reply went to the wrong post :/ I laughed when reading the story about the old lady and the mixed box of eggs

İ was considering doing this the other day when the shelf only had large boxes (24+) very expensive organic eggs left or the odd box of 6 standard free range with one or two broken in it. Then I realised I could not be arsed and would rather go without eggs.

Will now buy only medium or mixed size boes - sinc I have read large ones cause phisicall distresw to hens Part now of animal welfare

Yesterday I was in M&S, they had 3 packs of bras and people had swopped the colours because they didn't want the pale blue or whatever, some only had 2 on the hangers- store assistant said they take them into the fitting room, put one one then return the other 2 to the shelf, it's not obvious what has happened so they get away with it

I’ve been a checkout operator at a couple of different supermarkets - just checking for cracks - not size of egg!

I often used to see ‘little old ladies’ in the supermarket getting a plastic bag and tearing all the broccoli florets off the stem and putting them in the bag before putting the stem back. I regard this as stealing as the price per kilo included the stem.
For that last 10 or so years I have done my food shopping online from Ocado.
Ocado items haven’t been in the shop first.

i never realised people did this!

but I only buy eggs from a box by the road. I love the different colours in the box! I will happily drive a few extra miles for proper eggs!