self checkout stealing

[starshipsweremeanttofly]

Yes IABU.
I started this around 2 weeks ago, a shop I visit several times per week. The first time, I can't remember if it was an accident or a conscious choice. I put through most of the items and threw one in my bag unscanned. This shop doesn't weigh the items on self scanner and doesn't have security bleep things on the exit. I have been maybe once since where I paid for everything.
Has anyone else done this sort of thing? It's partly a rush I guess, sounds cringey to say it. Partly driven by money worries. I'm not in a great place mentally.
It's a big chain, not excusing it, just I'm sure someone will say I'm stealing from a small independent shop.
I'm just trying to understand myself and try to bloody stop.

Well, as you're admitting to being a shoplifter, I very much hope you get caught, prosecuted, fined, and humiliated by having your thieving history in the local papers (and therefore on their web pages, for all time). Please don't trot out excuses about your mental health. You're perfectly aware that you're breaking the law and people like you put the prices up for the vast majority of us who actually pay for our shopping. You want help to stop? Go and talk to the security person if their uniform identifies them, go and tell customer services that you're a compulsive thief and perhaps they'll hold your hand - or your shopping basket - while you pay.

OP, have you posted a similar thread recently?

There was someone who was taking 'samples' from Boots the other day. Other posters recognised the OP and pointed out to her that she had a number of mental health concerns and it would be good to seek professional help.
If it isn't the same poster, my apologies. But the advice stands.

Oh forgot what I actually wanted to say - I did eventually get caught, a small item, police called. The absolute mortification was enough to make me stop even though I thought I would front it out/talk my way out if it...in a way maybe I was waiting’s for that to stop me and as a sign I wasn’t invincibly. The police officer was absolutely baffled as to why (professional, educated, not in need). It was incredibly awkward. I tried to recall that feeling If ever tempted afterwards.

if you want to stop Op, consider this:
I've only starte using the scan and shop since the CV, so was very please when on one occasion I finally thought I was going to get through the bit where you up load your basket and pay without being a nuisance. I had alcohol, nothing sharp the zapper thing had scanned everything and no grapefruit were involved. I was definitely going to remember to put the zapper in the right place this time! uploaded the basket - "a colleague will come to assist you".
She had to take a certain number of things out to scan again and check that I had scanned. I noticed that she made sure there were small, light things, things from the bottom of bags etc, although she tried to disrupt my packing as little as possible.
Had I been nicking stuff I would have been caught.

It's a poor way to get a rush OP.
You need to stop, in the end you'll get caught. Not worth getting a criminal record for a few groceries.
Plus all the other ethical considerations that others have pointed out.

Please speak to your GP, OP.
You know this is wrong and I suspect this is your cry for help. Please go and get it.

Are you doing it to get a buzz ?

This didn’t happen

Stealing as "protest" or "activism"? Seriously?

Such stupidity. You're not sticking it to the man. You're just being an entitled dick.

@TorgosPizza

Stealing as "protest" or "activism"? Seriously?

Such stupidity. You're not sticking it to the man. You're just being an entitled dick.

There are people (no, I'm not one of them) who do do this - Tumblr is full of them. There's a whole 'lifting' community. They're usually white middle-class teenage girls, natch, and they post their 'hauls'. It's usually posh make-up. They claim they're doing it for political reasons or as a protest or self-care, but it's utter bull.

I've done it before occasionally when really really skint, deliberately didn't scan a couple of food items.

Felt really sick and guilty afterwards

I went back to find an assistant in M&S the other day because I hadn’t paid for the carrier bag. He looked at me like I was stone cold crazy.

yes you are a thief, i have said to people at the self service, you forgot to scan that other 4 pack of heinz soup/spaghetti, or you need to scan the carrier bags as you have to pay for them, i watched a lady the other day buying four bunches of reduced flowers but only scanning 3, i said do you not want these ones... if you can't cope with a self service check out then use one that has someone to help you PAY for ALL your shopping.

@nexus63 well someone’s a nosy busy body ain’t they 😂

@nexus63

yes you are a thief, i have said to people at the self service, you forgot to scan that other 4 pack of heinz soup/spaghetti, or you need to scan the carrier bags as you have to pay for them, i watched a lady the other day buying four bunches of reduced flowers but only scanning 3, i said do you not want these ones... if you can't cope with a self service check out then use one that has someone to help you PAY for ALL your shopping.

You seem to spend a lot of time watching other people's scanning on the self service.

Are you an in-store detective?

@Butchyrestingface

I love shoplifting, especially from big shops. Enjoy the rush, its free!

Not sure this is quite the pep talk OP had in mind.

Oh Jesus Christ

You’re a thief and I hope you get caught.

Just to warn you where I’m from north of England. Police and shops don’t do anything until you steal £200 worth of stuff. I had the police at my door when my child had been shoplifting for months (I was totally unaware and they have stopped now). They had been collecting the cctv. My child thought it was ok that they were doing it because they knew they had been seen and nothing happened so kept doing it. Where if they stopped them straight away I would of been aware of what was going on. So they might be monitoring you and you could get a knock on the door and a criminal record.

WTH?

Thieves carry on doing this until they are caught. Stop!

Good grief, heard it all now...
Teenagers stealing high end makeup as a form of ''Rebellion'' or ''Sticking it to the man''

Mica in make up is a vile trade...So the poor blighters mining it {usually children} have their hard work robbed by privileged Westerners.

Tumblr is full of w@nkers.

Look at this poor lad.

shops get marked on things like wastage (things that are stolen are included in this number), if their wastage is too high the shop are effectively marked down and staff can lose bonuses/treats etc

Yep, I work for a large supermarket and our bonuses are based on whether we hit our targets for things like wastage/shrink and theft literally takes money from the shop floor staff. Last year my store hit all of its targets and I received a (very welcome) £700 bonus, which is more than half my monthly pay. This year we missed most targets by less than 5% except our shrink (aka waste and theft) which was missed by 15% and our bonus was £250. The difference in bonus is the difference between me being able to treat my DD to a nicer holiday, some new clothes and a couple of days out last year and her getting a new pair of trainers and a couple of cheaper days out this year.

Yes any bonus is not guaranteed but for our bonus to be dropped to 1/3 of the previous year and for most of it to be due to theft makes me really angry when people say that stealing from large supermarkets/companies is a "victimless crime" because I guarantee that somewhere you are shafting someone on the lowest rungs of the company, you just don't get to see it.

Jesus, that's grim. I barely wear make-up as is.

Article about Liftblr here: www.good.is/features/issue-37-we-r-cute-shoplifters

An extract:

^The girls pile dozens of Kat Von D lipsticks, Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes, and Anastasia Beverly Hills contour kits on their beds and floors, arrange them in neat configurations, and take meticulous photos to document their spoils and share with their followers. Their regular targets are exclusively the largest corporate retail chains: Sephora, Macy’s, LUSH, Forever 21, and Claire’s are favorites, but Victoria’s Secret and Ulta appear the most frequently in their hauls. “While lifting, personal loss needs to be at a minimum,” says Unicorn-Lift. “This means I only lift from stores that are multi-million dollar companies. I would never steal from a person or a small local store.” Barbie and Unicorn-Lift abide by a prevailing rule in this Tumblr community, one of many informal commandments shared among the bloggers: Thou shalt not rip off mom-and-pop shops.

Many of the lifters argue that what they do undermines a capitalist system that victimizes workers and exploits consumers. “I kind of lift with a Robin Hood philosophy,” Barbie says. Sometimes she gives the things she lifts to family and friends. Sometimes she keeps them for herself. “I essentially believe: take from the rich, give to the poor and fuck capitalism,” she writes in an “about me” section on her blog. “I’m a democratic socialist and think capitalism is a plague to America.” And then, an addendum: “yes I still am a greedy materialistic person. But it’s okay because I’m self aware!”^

Oy gevalt. What made me really ragey is that one of the girls quoted took advantage of the fact that security staff were following a group of black men around and used it as an opportunity to thieve.

I've done it once or twice over the years, but it was always a genuine mistake, and never anything of much value. Once it was chewing gum that I thought I'd put through but I checked my receipt at home and it hadn't scanned, and once I grabbed a bottle of water to drink on the way round the shop, and without even thinking I threw the finished bottle in the bin by the counter. I realised later on. Both times I felt embarrassed when I realised what I'd done. Stealing from supermarkets is embarrassing.

This is about the extent of my criminal career. What you're describing, ie doing it on purpose every time you go, is something that you will get caught for eventually and that will be VERY embarrassing.