AIBU to “steal” this?

[AmiABadPersonn]

Hello everyone I just want your opinions on this as today I’ve been in a heated argument with my friend as to wether I am unreasonable or not.

I am off work on maternity leave so the funds are tight at minute. There is a man who lives near me I believe he is drug user, he sells half price stuff and also takes orders on what you want for half price. He knocks on my house about 1 or 2 times a week with a bag of half price goods. I always buy washing detergent and softeners from him because you can get a whole weeks laundry of the nice brands for around £10. Money is tight as I have just had a baby and I have 2 other children with my husband also. i also sometimes get baby milk formula from him if I’m running low because it’s cheap.

I feel like this is not wrong because if I didn’t buy it other people would. Even if no one bought it he would steal it anyway in hopes someone would buy it eventually.

Today my friend was at my house when he came so I offered her to have a look what he had. She immediately asked him where he got this stuff from and he replied “shop”. She didn’t say much after but when I finished buying my items she started shouting about how I’m funding his drugs addiction and I shouldn’t support it because I am now stealing too. I told her to relax it’s fine it’s only a couple of items. She didn’t say much and finished her coffee and left quick.

So am I morally wrong for this? Or would you do the same?

No he fucking isnt a Robin Hood!
He isnt stealing from the rich to give to the poor. He is stealing from the honest (and often poor) to give to the scumbags. The supermarkets dont take the hit, they put their prices up to cover their losses, so its you and me and others who take the hit.

I once saw a clearly struggling young mum counting her change to see if she could afford her shopping, and her kid was asking for chocolate which was clearly not affordable so she "accidentally" dropped it into her buggy basket. She looked so beaten down. I turned a blind eye. I had a guy come in with pence asking what our cheapest thing to eat was and he couldnt afford it so I bought him a meal deal. Totally against the rules. When someone told the area manager he said that he could take disciplinary against me and I said he neednt bother as I would resign first as I wouldnt work for a company who would discipline me for helping someone who needed food, COULD have stolen but didnt and was respectful and polite. He said "Just be more subtle next time".

There is a massive difference between those genuinely in need and those stealing to buy drugs. Look at the thread from the father who is at his wits end with his wife supporting their addict son stealing from them. Read HIS life and then tell me there is no harm.

My wonderful MIL was held up by a drug addict with a knife when she worked as a shop assistant. Thankfully, she was physically unharmed, and the thief just took the goods they wanted. When it went to court, they unsurprisingly turned out to be a persistent thief funding a drug habit.

She was utterly terrified. This was now 20 years ago, and she still has a lot of anxiety. She left her shop job due to anxiety and has since done low paid cleaning roles as she prefers to be in the background. Point being these are not victimless crimes that don't matter. On a much wider scale, I would also be uncomfortable funding the drug industry, which often uses child labour, trafficking and other forced and abusive labour.

It’s up to you but I wouldn’t want this person regularly knocking at my door and I would feel bad but stolen goods. If money is tight try the pound shop or Lidl.

You're right - he's no Robin Hood! He's just a robbin' bastard!!!

Can't believe how many apologists for criminality there are here!

Surprise surprise OP hasn't been back.

If you do decide to come back OP I'd suggest looking at your outgoings, starting with your £40pm laundry product bill.

Massive difference between a poverty hit mother stealing milk and nappies because she literally has no money to pay for them, and a scum bag junkie stealing them to sell to scumbags like the OP to pay for drugs. Would I turn a blind eye to a woman I was confident was stealing out of genuine desperation? Probably.

Moneys tight, the crack heads have already nicked it, their drug issues are not my problem, me refusing to buy whatever they might be selling is not gonna make em go straight, morals aren't free some are worth the sacrifice (ie not just taking whatever i want from the shop myself) others not so much ..

YABU. Really you should steal your own stuff or get your DH to pop to the shops so you aren't supporting a drug user. It would be cheaper as well. Win win.

Not necessarily - the OP said they steal to order! I wouldn't want their drug issues to become my problem by welcoming this man to my home either twice a week! If people like the OP weren't buying their ill-gotten gains, there would be less of a market.

What a load of twisted crap to justify theft!

No but refusing to buy it gets rid of the market so they stop shoplifting as there is no pay off.

The old "Well someone will buy it so why not me" excuse really does not stand up to any sort of moral scrutiny.

You do realise that this guy will have no problem stealing from you, OP, should the opportunity present itself?

Are you seriously asking if you’re unreasonable to knowingly buy stolen goods ?
There are a few on here who will happily justify theft but at the end of the day you must know it’s illegal and therefore wrong ! As you regularly buy from him he will be stealing to order . The fact that It’s a bargain and you’re a bit skint doesn’t justify it

I don't think that's necessarily true though, I think even crack heads have some morals, they're just probably not the same as mine and definitely not the same as yours.. pretty sure they wouldn't shit on the op though since she buys their wares ...

Maybe if money is tight you should consider not having anymore kids. 2nd you're getting conned if you're paying 40 pounds a month on washing and softener products ... 3rd yes you're funding and supporting a drug dealer. Maybe ask him as a last purchase if he has a moral compass you could buy.

I come from a really rough area and let me assure you, addicts who are very far gone, don't care where they get their money from. They might know what they are doing is wrong and they might hate themselves for it, but don't underestimate the lows a desperate junkie will stoop to.

Getting rid of the market doesn't stop the crack heads from having a crack habit though, it just pushes then into mugging grandmas and house burglaries instead .. they need to fund their habit and they will find a way to do it.. I think stealing from Tesco is infinitely better than stealing from granny Dorene on the corner .. totally understand if you disagree though.

Well you are feeding his habit, if he has one, not to mention his shoplifting, if that's what he does. You are also 'receiving goods', if they are stolen, which is a crime much worse than shoplifting i.e. it carries a heavier sentence. But on the other hand, he is used to selling you stuff and if I were your friend I would turn a blind eye. You could assume, of course, that he is using the money for food and that the goods he is selling are not 'knocked off' but bought cheaply from a wholesaler and he is offering good discounts because he wants some ready cash. You could also assume you are helping someone on their uppers. If he has the same stuff regularly it is much more likely that he has found a cheap wholesaler, and he is trying to go straight(er). It's you who have the problem. You have assumed he is shoplifting. He might not be. If you want the stuff, buy it.

I feel like this is not wrong because if I didn’t buy it other people would.

The most stupid argument Ive ever heard.

So am I morally wrong for this? Or would you do the same?

Yes to both.

I'm also gobsmacked at £10 a WEEK for cleaning stuff, though. Does he stash a couple of "mother's helpers" in the Glo-White box??

Absolutely agree! Everybody should have anticipated the cost of living crisis with the stagnating wages and increasing food and energy bills. And nobody should ever have children unless they have thousands stashed away in the bank for rainy days and already own at least a four bedroom house. For the good of society. Pip pip.

She didn’t say she couldn’t afford it. She said she got it cheap. And if she’s spending a tenner a week on the “nice” laundry detergent and softener brands I’d suggest she’s probably bargain hunting rather than a day away from baby starvation.

It is wrong. But times are hard. I think if I was really struggling and someone could 'help' I'd be inclined to.

So someone would buy stolen goods from a drug addict just so they could have 'nice brand' detergent? That's nuts. I could afford whichever one I wanted but choose a supermarket own brand as it's fine and probably a third of the price of the ones the OP is 'ordering' to be stolen for her.

Of course it's wrong and this is the most unreasonable post I've ever seen in this forum. Your friend was right to call you out on it.

Shoplifting is costing the British economy nearly £8 billion, that affects all of us and is one of the reasons prices are rising.

Someone who thinks spending £10 a week on laundry detergent is a bargain could do with some serious budgeting advice.