AIBU to think more people steal than we think?

[Garfy0505]

I run an online business and around 2-3% of my orders I get messages from customers saying thier items have not arrived. Most of them do not realise I can track the item and use the GPS to determine the house it was delivered to. I politely suggest they've contacted me by mistake and 99% of these then either miraculously find it or I never hear from them again. There's whole pages on facebook for people to advise them how to get items for free from online companies, what is wrong with people? I wonder now if for every 100 people I come across 2-3 of them are secret thieves! Please if you ever think of doing this, remember there's often a small business behind the website that you're hurting, rant over!

I would politely suggest that a lot of couriers are shite (Hermes) and say they are delivered when they aren't.

We don't use couriers, and appreciate that sometimes things do go missing and those we sort out. But the majority of these people find it or we never hear from them once they realise we can track it. Also the items I sell are only available from me so often see these people on Facebook with the items they are claiming are missing

Yes. I was shocked when an assistant in Iceland told me that more of their steaks are nicked than paid for at the till.

On Shpock for example, both parties (the seller and the buyer) can write reviews about each other. Could you set up your online business in a similar way?

Sometimes it says it has been delivered but has actually gone to a neighbour, for instance. I had that, no card left, had to track it down. Luckily I'm on good terms with my neighbours.

I used to live in a block of flats and the amount of deliveries that didn’t arrive was crazy. Since moving never had one go missing so I really don’t think it’s always the case

What are you selling that has GPS which you can continually monitor after purchase?

Hasn't one of the big supermarkets sold more carrots than they've ever had in stock, because people put avocadoes and other expensive stuff though the self checkout as carrots?

I had some legal documents delivered, and the postman kindly signed for them on my behalf. Said “my surname” and an circle for a signature. We also have regular “can anyone recognise this plant/wall, it’s supposed to be my safe place but I don’t have such a wall/plant etc” On local facebook posts.

Presumably they do more rescans on people who buy an excessive amount of carrots for themselves and their eleventy billion rabbits.

I was once expecting a parcel and then my neighbour came round and was very apologetic because she had been gardening and found it in her compost heap in the front garden. It can’t have been there more than a couple of days but I could easily have been someone contacting a company to ask where it was and then searching high and low.

I wouldn’t have searched a neighbours’ garden but if it had been left in a similar place in my own garden, I would have eventually found it. However, I’d have genuinely believed it hadn’t been received at the point of contact and I also don’t think it’s reasonable for a customer to not receive a delivery card or email to say something was delivered but for it to be hidden in the garden.

All that said, unfortunately I do think a number of people do lie and steal. It’s a shame because there are many who don’t.

Look at the number of people on MN who will happily keep an item they’ve received in error.

A large number of people are, sadly, very loose of moral when it comes to things like this.

I work in retail

Theft in store is rife.... no security, they just pick up what they want and walk out

Even if we had security, people work in pairs/groups to distract and just take. Security tags create no problem for them either....eBay sells de taggers and magnets

Then there’s fraud and cash switches at the till. Fake money, sleight of hand, card fraud

And if we detect theft they just threaten to stab us.

101 just log it and give a crime number. Job done

I know of someone who stole large sums of money from a charity that he was a paid employee of. He worked there for years and there is evidence that he has been doing this for at least the last four but I suspect he has been doing so for longer. The charity in question supports a group of particularly vulnerable people. I think anyone who'd steal in these sorts of circumstances is the lowest of the low.

On a less serious note, I worked in a shop and discovered that a lot of people will say that they don't want a 5p bag, but then ask for one after they have paid for their items. Some people you can see they've genuinely changed their mind or realised that they actually do need a bag, but some people it's very obvious that it's a tactic to try and save 5p to get a carrier bag they feel entitled to. They all are told by me "sure but that will be 5p" and the tactical entitled ones will generally storm off.

OMG - this could have been me a few years ago! I ordered some pyjamas and it said they had been delivered - no card through the door. I checked my usual safe place (garage) and couldn't see it. In the end the seller refunded me.

SIX MONTHS LATER we moved the vehicle stored in the garage and there was this parcel - underneath the vehicle by quite a long way. I still don't know how they got it there (you couldn't see it just by looking, you had to move the vehicle) or why they didn't leave a card like they usually do.

I felt terrible and contacted the seller to explain and of course I repaid her - but I still felt like a thief.

Lots of people steal. Worked in retail and it was rife by customers and staff. Just look at what they keep behind counters and security tags on.

I stopped selling on Ebay as they would not let me charge the p&p cost needed to cover recorded delivery and even with proof of posting, lots of things went 'missing'.

I think most people steal given the chance and most justify it to themselves by thinking that their brand of stealing isnt really stealing.

YANBU. And before anyone says, it's not always a loaf of bread and food to feed the family. Unless copious amounts of false eyelashes, expensive beauty serum and whole trays of toothbrushes are essential fare.

It doesn't help that Amazon are so awash with cash due to getting away with minuscule amounts of Corporation tax that they don't have a reverse supply chain, they just tell people to keep that "faulty" item and they ship out a new one, because it's a lot less hassle and they don't need so many staff

Everyone has an Amazon mentality even to UK SMEs, it's all easy come easy go, just send me something and I won't pay for it.

We only get the GPS at the point of delivery, correct to 2-3 foot so can see where it was scanned

I've worked in a big hospital, on various different wards over the last 16 years and if it isn't nailed down it's stolen. You loose the ability to be surprised or disgusted by it in the end. At the moment all the hand gel that is at the entrance to the wards and by the sinks has vanished. I wonder why. 😷 🙄

I'm not debating the ones where they go to the wrong address etc, we do get that and we can easily track it and resolve it. It's the increasing customers who have the item and say they don't. Once we confirm the GPS of their delivery address they find it quite quickly. often with the most random reason, someone's sister put it in her attic, one found it under the dog bed, another in the boot of their car! And again some of these are genuine but they often 'locate' it within minutes of me confirming the delivery details

Our capitalist. consumerist society makes people desperate to own things and simultaneously keeps many of them unable to own them.

I'm find the idea that of any retailer sending something that isn't tracked very strange and by follow on, the idea that anyone who thinks an item isn't tracked, very strange.

I buy all make up and clothes online.
I remember once buying children's tights from a small independent business online. I had previously bought without any issue. I didn't receive them and contacted the company who replied in a very off tone that strongly implied that I had received the order. They eventually resent it by registered post. I followed up confirming I had received it and asking did they manage to track the original package which they never replied to. Their tone left such a bad taste in my mouth. I will never order from them again.

I know someone who stole 100s of thousands of £. Heaps of evidence provided to the police and the FCA. Couldn't have been less interested, "happens all the time".
This country is getting more lawless and people know they can get away with theft, fraud, embezzlement, stabbing, murder, rape, burglary, you name it.